"Problems getting treatment for damaged s1 nerve"

After complaining of pains in back, leg, bum & foot, I have seen back specialists and physio. Even after not being able to walk very far or stand up straight for long, I was given amytriptylene, (after 2 yrs of complaining) which took the edge of the pain.

Eventually, I was then not able to walk or stand up at all. I was even sent for a scan which showed herniated disc compressing the s1 nerve.

After telling my GP that I didn't feel much benefit from amytriptylene, I was taken off and put on gabepentin, and sent via referral to see a surgeon. (this was 2 years ago)

I left the surgeon's room in tears. I was basically told (even though scan showed herniated disc) there was nothing wrong with me, it was all in my head. The surgeon said they had back pain and doesn't take anything. This surgeon also told me a (seemingly pointless) story of how these scans were rubbish & created problems that weren't there.

I was told to stop my medication & go home & deal with it. This surgeon said did I think I was going to come in here, they'd wave a magic wand and say I was going get an operation? I said I thought I was coming to hear some advice, or solution. I said how I'd tried twice to come off the medication and I was near enough crippled. I had a 2 yr old son and I couldn't afford to get like that again.

The surgeon asked when I came off the meds. I said last summer and I was housebound all summer till my medication kicked in again. Again, I was told it's in my head, and that was a year ago, and there is nothing wrong with me now. I was shocked and left in tears. On my way out, the surgeon pulled a sheet of paper out of a folder and gave me this piece of paper.

I got home and I was so angry. Basically it was everything the surgeon had just said to me (I still have it). Clearly this surgeon has typed out this rude speech to hand to back patients as though every one should be treated the same! It was typed out and waiting to give to me, before I'd entered the room or been seen.

I didn't go near a doctor for a long time to complain about anything unless in real pain, as thought what's the point. I was so depressed. I kept taking my gabapentin until recently I've had to see my GPas it all of a sudden wasn't working so well. I get spasms in my leg that wake me up in pain. I have constant back pain that I do just deal with, but this was getting unbearable. 

Talking to my GP, as I was talking 3 a day, I asked if I could get another 1 for through the night. My GP said I was only allowed to take them 3 times a day, so instead I was to take double the amount of tablets 3 times a day. So instead of 3 tablets, I now take 6? Surely just 4 is better than 6, but I think I best just take them. All of a sudden I feel very not well. I have no energy, some days absolutely floored, no appetite & tingling in my face along with nerve pains in my arms, legs, night sweats, trouble sleeping at night, but sheer exhaustion day time, just awful. Had blood tests and my folic acid is low. I've took them two days & i'm so depressed, bursting into tears ... I've looked up folic acid levels being low & it says gabapentin can cause the levels to be low.

I've felt tired since taking the gabapentin along with other side effects, but nothing like this tiredness or dizziness. I told my gp this. Shouldn't they have known gabapentin can cause folic acid to be low? And shouldn't they have made the link of when they doubled my dose of gabapentin to my now complaining of these symptoms and the outcome being low folic acid?

I feel I'm not listened to properly by anyone, and I don't really matter to anyone. Just give me more drugs and not really find out what the underlying problems are or find a better solution. Sick of just getting on with it. I'm sick of side effects of gabapentin and now even more so it's been doubled and resulted in folic acid being low and it's awful side effects