I started 5x5 about a month and a half ago and have progressed nicely. I started with just the bar and am at
Squat 140
Bench 100
Barbell row 110
Deadlift 155
OHP 9

I'm 34, and about 5'9 175pounds

However, my whole adult life, I have had an issue where my back randomly goes out. Sometimes it is due to lifting something or making a sudden movement, but other times I can't trace to anything, and it just happens all of a sudden. Happens 2 or 3 times a year and lasts typically for a week or two. It's marked by debilitating lower back pain/stiffness in my lumbar region and pain radiating down my right thigh most of the time. Sometimes I feel it lower in my leg or in my left thigh, but not as often. I finally went to my dr last time it happened, and he said it was probably sciatica. He prescribed gabapentin and said if it gets worse/didn't get better, he would send me to PT. He said insurance typically won't cover an MRI until PT has been attempted. That doesn't make sense to me because I don't understand how the physical therapist will know what to work on without imaging. I tend to think I may have a slipped disc that keeps getting aggravated. I took the gabapentin and the issue went away over a few weeks. That was probably 6 months ago.

Saturday, I was playing softball, and when I was running to catch a fly ball, my back went out again. It's not as bad as it was last time, but it's still uncomfortable. Today I went to the gym and tried to push through my workout, but I only did one set of 5 squats because on the last squat, I could tell something was off and didn't want to make it worse. I went ahead and did my bench press and it went fine, and I did my rows seated on the cable machine because I was scared of hurting my back worse.

This all brings me to my question: should I stop all lifting until this gets better? I don't want to as I feel like I've been making good progress, and I felt like my back was getting stronger. Should I modify my routine and stick to cable rows? What's a good alternative to squats that won't jeopardize my lower back? What about my deadlifts? I really enjoy that exercise.

Landmine squats might work for you.

For the recovery though, you should probably go get a massage and tell them what's going on.  There is a solid chance they will find a nasty knot somewhere that is giving you referred pain.

Massage
Foam rolling hams, glutes, quads, IT bands, calves.  Stretch/assisted stretching of same

And yoga.

I had a great Chiro that fixed my back issues, simiiar to yours. I started over from 0 and made sure my form was perfect before adding weight. I just put up a 1025 total after a similiar injury 5 years ago. MRI revealed herniated disc.

Youve got to get your shit aligned properly so the crazy pain stops, and then slowly build up  your strength. Make sure your form is good, which it may not be, but I found that being overall stronger keeps my back healthier. Don't forget your deadlifts, GHD etc. You need the back side to be strong too.

Get an MRI. Continuing to squat and dead with a bulging or herniated disc, is asking for back surgery.

Do the yoga stretchy stuff. Physical therapy isn't a bad idea if the person you're seeing doesn't suck. If it is just a tight nerve, the yoga crap will help.

Continuing with loading more weight while hurt is probably a bad idea. Get it fixed/ feeling better before going forward. Only do what doesn't hurt. This is where active rest is usually used.

Did you take the full dose of gaba? Low doses doesn't much. Titration up to 1,200-1800 a day is normal. Stack it with Naproxen 500 twice a day to reduce inflammation. And flexmid or Cyclobenzaprine to aid in getting the hurt area to loosen up. Run it until you're feeling better. Then figure out if the physical therapy is working, or if the MRI shows you need to stop loading the spine before you end up in snap city.

How's your core? I had back pain just like you talk about, but after working on my core, I hardly have any pain. Years before working out, I went to the doc and got muscle relaxers and used a chiropractor. Only had back pain once since then and it wasn't bad.  YMMV....

Sorry for the delayed response to the initial post. I appreciate all the replies.

The gabapentin is 300mg. I've been taking it for 3 or 4 days (leftover rx) since the problem popped back up.

I'm feeling a lot better. I'd say my back feels about 85% back to normal, so I guess is didn't tweak it too bad. I went to the gym today and continued with my bench press progression, but I spent the rest of the time doing some upper body hypertrophy stuff to keep from exacerbating my back. I think going to the gym and just moving around a bit helped. Definitely felt better when I left.

I've also been doing a lot of stretching of the piriformis muscle from interweb research. Of course I don't know if it helped, or if I just got better with rest and time.

At this point I plan to let my back rest for another few days until it's back to normal and then jump back into the program at a little lower weight and work my way back up.

My core sucks. I am planning to work on it for sure.

exactly this.  I was around 38 years old when I found 5x5.

up until then I had a "bad back" off and on for YEARS.  Sciatica pain like you, back would "go out" several times a year and I could hardly walk.

turns out I was just a weak little patsy, and after 2-3 months of squatting and everything else, back is almost 100% pain free at all times.

only when I fall off the wagon and not lift for several months does my "bad back" start to come back.

Oh, and FYI...squatting and deadlifting is working on you core, better and safer than anything else can.

Another thought.....how is your form for the lifts?

Maybe post a video if you aint skeered.

So I kind of forgot about this thread. Back is feeling much improved. I started doing landmine squats, and I freaking love them. Honestly don't even really want to get back in the rack.

I used landmines for awhile to practice mobility, but don't be afraid to lighten the bar and get back in the rack along with them as you feel better.

Well I jumped back into SL today after doing a lot of upper body/less back impact work the last couple of weeks. Squats kicked my ass. Land mines definitely haven't gotten my lower body any stronger. I think that's because I've been incorporating a press extension on the land mines which smokes my upper body much faster than my legs.

I had an artificial disc put in at L5/S1 and I couldn’t find anything to help with leg strength I was extremely hesitant about squatting but decided to give front squats a try. I don’t go heavy but will do a lot of reps. It’s not exactly 5x5 but it’s what I found works which I thinks more important they hurting yourself trying to do the program to a t.

Don’t be afraid to add a little weight over time.  Let your body adapt.  You have to give it something to adapt to though.