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Severe rt. leg pain, no one wants to help
I'm 27 yr old f. 3mo. ago, I started to have back pain. After a MRI, found out I have herniated disc at L4-L5. I went to one Orthopedic Dr. He did epidural injection with no success. The pain in my back stopped for the most part, but I started having debilitating pain in my right leg, weakness, tingling, cold sensations, and hypersensitivity. Dr. referred me to pain management where all they are doing is more epidural injections, again with no success. I've been thru physical therapy, use elevation and heat, massage, and muscle rubs. I went for a second opinion and got a completely different answer. He said herniation bulged to left so it couldn't be causing rt leg pain. Frusterated, I went back to family DR. They showed me the MRI report that said it was compressing nerves on rt. side. Nobody will prescribe more than one prescription of narcotic pain relievers, but I've tried evry other medication and only find some relief with hydrocodone. I can hardly walk and spend most days crying because I don't know what to do. I just want my quality of life back. I feel myself getting tired and depressed. It seems like no one has time to listen or if they're listening, they aren't believing that i'm in pain. Any suggestions? Help.
Answer:
Severe rt. leg pain, no one wants to help
I understand completely, I have been suffering through this with alot of the same symptoms. All I can tell you, is that you have to keep pushing for help. Have you been seen by a neurosurgeon? I think the shots and therapy are always the first line of defense, and from what I've read, sometimes these discs just heal themselves somehow. As for me, obviously that isn't going to happen.
I understand what you are going through, and find myself depressed on some days, and want my life back. Its hard for other people to understand, as they haven't been through it, and people with look at you thinking, she looks perfectly fine. Its hard, but don't give up, just take one day at a time and keep pushing for answers. I wish I could give you some, all i can tell you is find a neurosurgeon to see you. Hope you feel better.
Answer:
Severe rt. leg pain, no one wants to help
Thanks Yvette. At least I know I'm not alone. I am the type of person who is used to always being on the go. It's hard for me to be slowed down. Plus, I have 2 young kids and I hate yelling in pain every time they even touch my leg. How have they been treating your pain? I'm willing to try whatever works, but I've tried so many things and nothing seems to even touch it besides the narcotic medications. Around here it seems like everyone is so hesitant to prescribe which I understand, but don't I deserve to get some kind of relief? Maybe it's like you said. I'm a young otherwise healthy woman and they aren't taking me seriously. Anyway, I am going to have a EMG next week and going to see a neurosurgeon on Jan 11th. I just don't know how to get through until then. ???
Answer:
Severe rt. leg pain, no one wants to help
Please browse the answers in the chronic pain category:
The basic principles of tackling this sort of problem are explained in the answers.
The most important thing here: the cause of the pain must be determined. Does the MRI or does it not show that there is such compression of neural structures that would explain your right leg pain? You need to get a definitive opinion, preferably from a neurosurgeon and/or a neuroradiologist. If there is such compression, surgery should be seriously considered, especially seeing as conservative treatment has failed in your case. If there is concurrent neuropathic pain (which seems to be the case, judging by your symptoms), that must be addressed and treated with medication, and if that fails and the problem continues for a long time, other means such as spinal cord stimulation should be considered.
Conservative (non-surgical) treatment can work even when there is disc herniation, as long as there is no marked motor weakness. However, if conservative treatment fails, surgery is needed (if there is a clear cause that is deemed an indication for surgery). Epidural injections are not used in the treatment of acute disc herniation - your orthopedic surgeon must have decided that the disc herniation is not the cause of your pain.
The problem is, you may have developed neuropathic pain, in which case surgery can be at best only partially effective, and only if there is a nociceptive, i.e. non-neuropathic component to the pain. A pain clinic consultation is needed.
I'm happy that you have an appointment with a neurosurgeon. After you have had your ENMG and appointment with the neurosurgeon, please come back and let us know how it went.
Answer:
Severe rt. leg pain, no one wants to help
Dr. Joshua,
Thank you very much for your reply. We have 1 neurosurgeon in my area, and he couldn't get me in til after the new year. I called a neurologist and he got me in right away. He actyally spent some time talking to me. It was nice to have someone listen and show genuine concern. I had a EMG done today. He still has to take a look at the numbers, but he said that it looks like I do have some nerve dysfunction, but he thinks it starts in my hip rather than in my back. Can you tell me anything else about this and what the treatment would be for this type of condition?
Thank you.
Answer:
Severe rt. leg pain, no one wants to help
Let's wait for the EMG results and the neurosurgeon's appointment, I can't really contribute anything new at this point
Answer:
Severe rt. leg pain, no one wants to help
Well I have unfortunatley been going through this for 17 years since giving birth to my son. I herniated it. But after a few years I was able to deal with it. Chronic back pain. In the last two years it has really flared up and have been going through alot of run around, epidurals, physical therapy, pain pills.
I have the MRI showing what all the problem is. However, my lack of medical insuance has cost me the ability to be given further treatment. Now I have state medicaid and pray to god for the surgeon to help me.
My primary care giver, is the sweetest most understanding doctor. He is very sympathetic. However I can pay him. When I have went to neurosurgeons in the past I was charged 500 just to be evaluated, but unable to find a way to get the surgery they recommended. Which was artifical disc replacement.
I am like you, a mom, have always been very active. I am sick of whining, crying, and living on pain pills to function. I have flair ups, where the nerves in my legs won't be as bad, and then I will clean the house, not even vaccuumm or lift anything and boom it's back and worse, and my left leg sometimes won't even work.
I wish there was a way to let the surgeons realize the pain and inability to do ordinary things in life, like work. I was feeling like I went into depression, but now i don't think I have its just stress. Everyday my kids and husband get up and go to work, and I sit here, they come home or do their everyday routines and my routines have been eliminated. My kids are teenagers now, so they don't physically need me, alot of the time they are helping me. Just sick of it.
i pray when I get to see the surgeon on the 13th, we can finally go forward into finding the answers and fixing the problem instead of treating the symptoms. Sometimes thes surgeons look at you and it feels like they are thinking its all in your head or something.
I wish there was a way to transfer pain, just so they could understand for a minute what its like to live in these conditions. I am whining and rambling here sorry.
I am very thankful for Dr. Joshua's reply, and he replyed to mine as well. This goes to show every doctor is not just out for the money. If I could work and had some money I would pay him.
If I had the money I think I would have been helped by now. I have researched disc replacement in germany is 50,000 with hotel and airfare. Some mortgage their house to do it.
I hope you feel better and get some relief of pain. yvette
Answer:
Severe rt. leg pain, no one wants to help
Here's the reply by Dr. Sinuhe that Yvette is referring to. Please take a look:
Answer:
Severe rt. leg pain, no one wants to help
Yvette,
Thanks again for your input. It sounds like we have a lot of the same things going on. Unfortunately, for me, I'm having a hard time getting anyone to help treat my symptoms let alone find and try to fix the cause. I've been to the emergency room 4 times now in the past 3 1/2 months. I find it so frustrating that I have to resort to those hospital trips. I don't have the money for the constant visits. What is even more frustrating is that my husband is fresh out of the Army and our medical benefits will stop in about 5 months. If I can't find any help by then, what do I do? I'm so tired of dealing with this pain on my own. Lately, it seems like I'm just getting used to functioning with the pain. Isn't it sad though that someone would have to do that? I know that there is not a quick easy cure for everything, but a person should not have to settle for a lesser quality of life because they can't get a doctor to treat them. They keep telling me that they are waiting until they have all of the test results befor they decide what to do about this pain. Well, several months later they're still ordering more tests and I still have no relief. They aren't the ones that have to live with it, so I guess they wouldn't understand the urgency. The tests that have been done so far show abnormalties, so whats the problem? The tests show that there is something going on. The pain is not in my head and I'm not making it up. What more do they need?
Sorry for venting. It's just comforting to know that I'm not alone.
Thanks, hope you get some results soon.