Hi, I have been reading the various threads in relation to back pain/discectomy for the last couple of months but this is my fist post.
Brief background ,
I have suffered from back pain/sciatica for the last 14 years following a serious RTA the episodes of pain have usually lasted only a couple of weeks with physio and exercise working well. The sciatic pain only really radiating into buttock and occasionally thigh.
However in June 2012 my siatica/back pain began again this time physio (massage, manipulation, and ultrasound) made things a lot worse and pain travelled down back of left leg into foot. GP initially dismissive but after further physio (acupuncture )and significant medication changes he signed me off sick in november 2012 and sent me for MRI scan. MRI shows prolapsed disc at L5/S1 impinging left S1root, degree of DDD and a lumbarised S1. Following this I have seen neurosurgeon who discussed various options and advised discectomy due to leg pain and altered sensation informed me that this should occur end of February 2013. Since seeing the neurosurgeon my back pain and buttock /thigh pain has reduced but my foot and calf pain has increased significantly, my left leg also feels weaker than last week, I have also stared with an ache in front of left thigh. Present medication is naproxen, tramodol ( both at max dose) and amitriptyline 10 mg at night. I am still off work , pain returns to thigh/buttock when sitting.
Sorry for the long winded post, what I guess I'm asking is whether the change in symptoms is usual? Whether surgery will give me relief?
Lbp
Hi Emlou;
the situation you have described is i guess more than 80% of my situation
the only difference is that i had previously two operations for the prolapsed disc once in 1998 for l4.l5 and the second time in 2007 for the l5 s1 prolapse
i am having an appointment with the surgeon tomorrow and based on that i will decide what is my future action which definitely will not be a third operation
I will share my experience with you as i got a sound explanation from the appointment
hoping you get well soon
Hi Malek,
I am interested as to why you say you will definitely will not be opting for further surgery?
As for myself after having a couple of 'good' days my pain has returned with a vengeance! I have also begun to experience some sciatic pain in my right leg now!!
I keep questioning whether surgery is the best option but know that I cannot continue as I am now. At present I can control what and when I do things as I am off work, however once I return to work I would have no control. I am a community nurse and as such I spend the majority of my day sitting either at a desk, driving or on settees which are usually very low, all the things which make my pain significantly worse.
Disc Prolapse
Hi Malek,
I am interested as to why you say you will definitely will not be opting for further surgery?
As for myself after having a couple of 'good' days my pain has returned with a vengeance! I have also begun to experience some sciatic pain in my right leg now!!
I keep questioning whether surgery is the best option but know that I cannot continue as I am now. At present I can control what and when I do things as I am off work, however once I return to work I would have no control. I am a community nurse and as such I spend the majority of my day sitting either at a desk, driving or on settees which are usually very low, all the things which make my pain significantly worse.
Hi Emolu
In fact undergoing a third operation is emotionally a very depressing idea to thing about this why i am trying to take it out of my mind and not to think about it
as i said in my last post i had an appoint with the neurologist who referred me to the pain management clinic once i refused to undergo a third operation as he thought i might be welling to do it.
at the pain management clinic the doc offered me an option of the edipural injection and he described the side effects and the success rates and the pro and cons of it, it was a difficult decision to be made by me with so much pain but finally i decided to go on with medications for another 4 weeks and if things do not improve then i think i will be obliged to take the injection
Emlou the change in your pain is probably the result of the prolapse getting worse. I had surgery and it really helped. I really would suggest you seriously consider it as an option. There is a risk that if left untreated the disc could start to impinge on the nerves supply the bladder - leading to incontinence. Loss of bladder control is a reason for emergency admission in a patient with a known disc prolapse. It is always MUCH better to have planned surgery than an emergency
Good luck
Sally
Hi,
Well I've finally got a date for surgery, I go in this Friday!! My 3 children all have coughs and colds so am hoping that I don't catch it before my operation.
My pain appears to have changed again and I'm am back to getting very little sleep. The pain I'm experiencing now is a deep burning pain in my left calf as well as pain in my foot. The pain in my buttock, and back of thigh has reduced, although now have significant pain in inner thigh!
Has anyone else experienced this??
I am also getting occasional numbness in the saddle area although this only lasts for a few minutes.
Any comments or advice on preparing for surgery would be welcome.
Hi,
Well I've finally got a date for surgery, I go in this Friday!! My 3 children all have coughs and colds so am hoping that I don't catch it before my operation.
My pain appears to have changed again and I'm am back to getting very little sleep. The pain I'm experiencing now is a deep burning pain in my left calf as well as pain in my foot. The pain in my buttock, and back of thigh has reduced, although now have significant pain in inner thigh!
Has anyone else experienced this??
I am also getting occasional numbness in the saddle area although this only lasts for a few minutes.
Any comments or advice on preparing for surgery would be welcome.
I think surgery is very necessary for you. And one of the best things you can do is focus on how you want to feel when you are healed from the survey. Also imagine your recovery going really smoothly. The more positive thoughts you have about this the better. But I know from experience when you are in pain this is a LOT easier said than done.
if you believe in prayer than ask Archangel Raphael to be with you during the operation and to be with the surgical team during the surgery. Raphael is the Archangel known for healing and he works with a through healers, doctors, surgeons.
But do remain as calm as you can.You might find it helpful to have a bottle of Bach rescue Remedy to hand . It is very good in situations like stage fright, and other times when nerves can get the better of you. It will help keep you calm .
You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Sally
Hi Emlou
Sending you very best wishes for Friday with Love, Light and Healing. Hope all goes well.
Keep us posted as to how things are going.
hi everyone im new to this forum, to cut a long story short ive suffered with my back since i was 22 years old on and off sciatica, but 2 years ago i twisted my back and had horrendous pain but this time it didn't go,i ended up going to a+e they gave me and mri scan there and then because they thought i had cauda equina luckily i did not but i had two prolapsed discs they told me to go to my gp and she will refer me to hope hospital in salford, my appointment finally came through to see neurosurgeon he looked at my scan and suggested injections because i still had space around my nerves at this time it was my back causing me more pain than my legs, having had the injection it worked wonderfully but after 4 weeks my pain came back with a vengance but it had changed my legs went numb and i fell over in the kitchen after having a spasm, i was referred again to see consultant after telling him about the changes in pain he ordered me another m.r.i. had the scan 4 weeks ago and got a phonecall the next day my disc prolapsed was 10 times worse and was squassing my nerves, i will be having a disectomy next week, the only problem is he told me i will always have chronic back pain because of ddd, ive already been off work for two months not sure weather i can cope with back pain forever, im also not to optimistic about having the surgery but at the moment i would have anything to stop the pain no feeling in my big toe no 😡 sleep even with tramadol codeine not together and amitripline. has anyone else had op and still suffered with back. thank you.:mad:
just to clarify my prolapsed is at l4/5 l5/s1 i have sciatica down both legs but mainly in my right the inflamation is causing pain in left leg, my g.p gave me oramorph sorry for spelling but had bad side effects nothing is working for the pain at the moment and im sure my husband although he's been great is getting frustrated at seeing me in pain all the time, i have a two year old and it hurts me that i can't even take him out to the park or play group as the weakness in my legs can't take me far, has anyone had the feeling of cold water being poured down your legs? just to mention the medication ive been on ive had gababpentin lyrica but could not tolerate them i have have an acid reflux the only tabs i can tolerate are tramadol and codeine with paracetamol,
sorry for rambling is just that no one really understands the pain im in, as i said im hoping the op is gonna work i just want to get back to normal, and hopefully i can manage my back pain when the sciatica has gone fingers cross.
Hi,
I have had my pre-op assessment today, the nurse again informed me that my back would probably not be improved but that my leg pain would be, for me it is my leg pain which causes the most pain and my back is more of a discomfort so I can cope with that being the case. She was very clear that my back would never really be the same again and that I would need to take good care of it, she also said there was always a risk that what is left of my disc may prolapse again!
As I'm having a ' better' day today I expressed my concerns as to whether surgery was a necessity, her reply was that most people who come for pre-op assessments say similar and she asks if this has been the case for the last week, if the reply is no (which mine was) then surgery is necessary! Guess its just the anxiety raising its head again.
Thank you for the messages of support they have helped a lot. I will hopefully keep you updated.
Good luck Yogi with your discectomy.
Hey Emlou,
I dont know if you had noticed but i sent you a private message last night.
If you dont read it pre Friday, i wish you well and will have everything crossed for you aswell as saying a prayer or two!
Regards
Rob
Thank you Rob,
I have just replied to you, sorry if its a bit long winded.
thank you emlou
my leg pain is causing me more trouble than my back as i need to use my legs more it's not only the pain it's also the weakness, i got a phonecall yesterday im having my op on tuesday very nervous but im hopefull that my back may ease aswell in time, my consultant also told me that there's a chance of it reherniating he said if that's the case that maybe a fusion is the way forward, i think once i get my srenghth back in my legs ill start swimming and do excercises to help my back, just to say my water works is not very good at the moment just let's say it's a good job im more or less house bound at the moment it must have something to do with the prloapsed:eek:
good luck emlou let us know how you get on, this time next week we will both hopefully be pain free:)