OfflineTHANK YOU IN ADVANCE IF YOU CAN HELP ME.
This is my story:
I've have enjoyed reading how everyone is there for each other. One can complain and you pay attention while everyone at home is bored with it.
Let me introduce myself. I have had lower back and L leg pain for about 4 years. I had surgery on L4-5 6/06 which ended up just a roto-ruter. I felt some relief for a couple of months, started back to work (cashier)about 6 mos later.The pain has come back full force. My symptoms are L Leg starting from entire L thigh moving down calf and then around the whole lower leg and gts weak with sporatic to constant giving out while walking but I have been able to catch myself and not go down.My lower back feels as if a football is in it. After standing 8hrs. I come home in such pain.
My meds are:
Name Dosage Times per day
Gabapent 600mg 3Xdaily
Tramadol 50mg 3Xdaily
Ambien CR 6.25mg 1Xdaily alt with Zanaflex
Wellbutrin 300mg 1Xdaily
Stresstabs 1Xdaily
Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc 1Xdaily
VitaminC 1Xdaily
Oxycodone 5/325 prn usually 2Xdaily
Zanaflex 1Xdaily alternate with AmbienCR
I tried Cymbalta and it made me too lethargic
MRI Findings 7/08: The alignment and position of the lumbar spine are normally maintained. The vertebral body heights and intervertebral disc spaces are uniform. Disc desiccation is noted at the L3-4 through L5-S1 levels. The tip of the conus is at the T12-L1 level. There are no narrow signal abnormalities seen.
L4-5: There us a broad-based central subligamentous disc protrusion. This causes mild effacement of the ventral aspect of the thecal sac, without evidence of spinal canal Stenosis. The exiting L-4 nerve roots and neural exit foramina appear unremarkable. Mils bilateral fact joint degenerative changes are identified.
L5-S1: There us a small central subligamentous disc protrusion. This causes slight effacement of the ventral aspect of the thecal sac, without evidence of spinal canal Stenosis. The exiting L5 nerve roots and neural foramina appear unremarkable. Mild bilateral facet joint degenerative changes are seen.
Otherwise the remainder of the imaged lumbar levels do not demonstrate any additional abnormality.
Otherwise the remainder of the imaged lumbar levels do not demonstrate any additional abnormality.
Impression:
1.There is a broad-based disc protrusion at the L4-5 level and a small central subligamentous disc protrusion at the L5-S1.
2.Disc desiccation and posterior element degenerative changes are seen at the levels described.
3.There are no abnormal patterns of enhancement seen
So does anyone have any idea what's going on? Or anything similar?
Sorry this is so long. I promise not to be so lengthy next time.
-laminectomy L4-5 6/2006
-MRI-7/16/2008
-disc desiccation @ L3-4 through L5-S1
-L4-5 broad-based central subligamentous disc protrusion
-L5-S1 small central subligamentous disc protrusion causing
slight effacement of the ventral aspect of the thecal sac
-disc desiccation and posterior element degenerative changes
-loads of pain, left leg weak and very painful and gives out(so far I have not fallen)
-currently in PT
-under care of very good neuro for PM since 2003
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Since I'm not a physician, merely a spiney, I can't really comment on the results of your MRI, plus a NS will normally disregard the majority of the radiologist's report and read the films.
What I can say, is that you're in the right place. Thanks for the nice words you have for the forum members. You are never alone when you stop in at Spine Health.
Since you just had an MRI, do you have a follow on appointment with your doc to go over the findings and to come up with a treatment plan?
Everyone's body is different and what may not even make one person flinch, may make another person unable to function. It's hard to say and that's where the hands on of the doc comes in so absolutely necessary.
Glad that you are here, sorry that you are hurting.
"C"
"I tried to puree a rock...it didn't work..."
Hi and welcome,
It sounds like you might want a second opinion. I'm sorry to hear you have these problems. It's obviously very serious or they wouldn't have you on so many drugs. Girl how do you work, between the pain and drugs Your one tough cookie.
Good luck, Jim
p.s. try posting this over in back surgery section
First back injury 1970 work related conservative treatment.Several low back accidents over the years,Treatments, Chiropractors,
In 1988 serious low back injury, off work 6 mo. Treatment Chiropractors, anti inflammatory meds.
1989 serious back injury, also work related, Saw 6 different doctors over next 6 mo. Orthopedic doc. ordered mri. Findings, L4,L5,S1, DDD, Bulging discs.Got "KSLO 2" body back brace. Ortho suggested 360 3 level fusion w/Harrington rods.
I refused surgery and went for the brace 24-7 and conservative treatments with stronger anti inflammatories.
1998 another setback, Ortho still wanted fusion. I asked for other conservative treatments. Sent to Pm doc for epidurals. And tufted it out with no pain meds. Had as many epidurals as aloud till Oct. 2002 and could no longer work.
2003 anterior posterior 360 3 level fusion w/ bone harvest from my hip. After recovery I felt like I had the back of a 20 year old for 7 mos. Then I went straight downhill... FAST!
2004 L,3 Fused. Never recovered
2005 Had hardware removed, thinking that was the problem. I recouped from surgery but no improvement.
2006 Had scs installed. They couldn't get the stimulation where I needed it. They said they had never seen a Human wired like me. After every kind of injection there is. I'm on 50 mg methadone, Hydrocodone 20/30 apap for break through, Celebrex 200 2 a day, Diaspam 5 mgs. 2 a day, wellbutrin xl 150 mgs. cymbalta 20 mgs. and lidoderm lidocane 5% patches. I was a "type-A workoholic" Now I don't quite know what I am!
..............QUESTION AUTHORITY.......................
Misspiggy. You are pretty tough to be able to work with the pain and all of those meds! Especially working with money. my concentration is nearly zip anyway. I would hate to be handling cash!
I am in no way associated with the medical field. Anything that I post comes from personal experience only.
DDD, Facet Arthropathy, DJD, Sleep Apnea
PT, Epidurals, Facet Blocks,Medial Branch Block, Rhizotomy,Discogram,Annular Tare L3/L4 Endoscopic Microdiscectomy,Laser Surgery
Methadone, Percocet, Soma, Welbutrin
I take 1/250 perc(and other meds)with lunch to digest better it helps the pain so I CAN concentrate. I did take my night meds just as I was leaving for work one day. I felt really weird and realized what I did just I got to work. I went straight to my super and they drove my car and me home for the day with no questions asked. I do take extra precaution with my till.
-laminectomy L4-5 6/2006
-MRI-7/16/2008
-disc desiccation @ L3-4 through L5-S1
-L4-5 broad-based central subligamentous disc protrusion
-L5-S1 small central subligamentous disc protrusion causing
slight effacement of the ventral aspect of the thecal sac
-disc desiccation and posterior element degenerative changes
-loads of pain, left leg weak and very painful and gives out(so far I have not fallen)
-currently in PT
-under care of very good neuro for PM since 2003