Cauda Equina Syndrome?

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Would you be concerned about CES with these symptoms? I don’t want to bother my GP or waste time and resources at the ED.

Severe low back pain with stiffness (unable to sit or walk)
Feeling the need to pee all day (but no issues peeing other than urgency)
Pins and needles in one foot
Mild tingling sensation down the back of legs
Burning sensation in lower back along with feeling icy in the same region.

Thoughts?

Pain killers and other medication should fall out of a proper diagnosis rather than be seen as some stage of incremental treatment. There are a few conditions where the consequences are sufficiently severe that a wait and see approach by the patient is unhelpful

I asked for painkillers but I was told to continue with ibuprofen. I’m in tears; I’m so fed up . It’s been two weeks. I’m only comfortable when I’m lying flat on my back. Every other movement (even lifting my neck to the sky) is a stab in the back.

I just keep being told to exercise and ask for physio. I keep moving . It doesn’t help.

I have nobody to have my DC. They are with their father tomorrow so if things have not improved by the AM, would I be unreasonable to go to ER for pain only (not suspected CES)?

Can you ask for a second opinion on your painkillers? A different doctor? If you are in pain and your doctor absolutely refuses pain relief then I suppose you’d have to go to a&e. But then there’s the long wait on hard seats. Definitely try the doctors again.

I would go to urgent care and stress the issue with your bladder.

I would go to A&E, my mum was fobbed off and now has a permanent limp and shorter leg on one side with muscle wasting. She’s lucky it wasn’t worse.

I've had Cauda Equina and my treatment was somewhat delayed as I had some slightly unusual symptoms numbness being all on one side, and the pain started to improve, and it wasn't till they saw the mri that they knew it was CES. I would think about going to A&E especially if your GP won't give pain relief.

I have had back pain, numbness and pain down left leg, groin pain since April.
GP referred me for an xray (fine) an MRI and I am still waiting. The wait for none urgent MRI is at least 3 months.
He did, however, explain the symptoms of ES and spell out that I must go straight to A&E if I developed any incontinence or my leg gave way.

If you go to A and E with a view of concealing the neuro symptoms then that would be spectacularly short-sighted. If needs be, go with the DC and I realise that is exceptionally difficult but then so is living with the risk of permanent neurological damage, Don't think of it or say you are 'going for CES' just going because of the neuro symptoms and hang it on the urinary changes and bowel numbness.

Good luck.

I made a account just to post this - Im a chiropractor and your symptoms are not good also Pelo(spelling for user name that posted earlier) also their symptoms are not good. I cannot make a diagnosis over the net but I will say if I had a patient come to see me with those symptoms those would be big red flags - not that I wouldnt look to help them but I know I would need to be very watchful on how said patient was doing.

Im surprised how certain medical fields/professionals still get paid from doing certain treatments or lack of certain treatments.

@Daermo those symptoms are from when I had CE
I've had surgery in 2017 for a 15mm herniation at L5/S1

I’ve gone to the ER (2 hours in now) as I can’t raise my legs without terrible pain in my lower back. I’m also getting a frosty sensation down my legs and in my feet.

The cold hard chairs in the waiting room are not helping and it’s very busy but I’ll stick it out.

@Daermo thank you <smile>

Thank you all for your stories . I hope I’m not wasting precious ER time .

Glad you're being seen, please make sure you are you have bladder issues, that's really important x

I’ve been admitted for further investigation. I’m wide awake now as I’ve started to pee blood (or it’s coming from elsewhere, it’s hard to tell as I’m in so much pain); there’s enough to be alarming. It’s not very obvious in my pee but it is very obvious when I wipe. No burning sensation.

My mind is now going to all sorts of places wondering if I have some sort of gynae cancer. The excruciating back pain and the bleeding. I had a clear smear 9 months ago ; is it highly unlikely to be cancer?

Try not to second guess a diagnosis, you're in the right place ,I'm so glad you've been admitted 💐

Yes. I had those sensations, plus loss of reflexes in one leg. NHS physios very concerned and sent for scans that day. That was two years ago. Its never got worse and the pain resolved, but I was forgotten about during lock down. Scans showed prolapsed disc. Now I have permanent nerve damage, numbness, loss of balance, but no pain. Oh, toilet issues also resolved so that's good.

Just seen the update. Good luck x

Good luck op. Sending you positive thoughts. Don't worry about whether you're wasting nhs time as you said in your early post. People call an ambulance for much less than that.

hope it's something easily treatable like a kidney infection on top of your longer-standing neuro symptoms rather than something sinister. Fingers crossed, OP.

Let the med team know about the blood when you wipe yourself. If you have bladder discomfort - tell them - they may be able to see if you are retaining urine. Back pain can be v painful - so tell them when you are in pain so they can give you an appropriate amount of painkillers.

It’s good that you went and have investigations in the pipeline. Hope they can give you good painkillers.

I am glad to hear that you have been admitted. Hopefully they will do all the right tests and scans and make a proper diagnosis and start treatment.

Don't get me started on GPs referring for physio without a proper diagnosis. Suffice to say, mine did so and I finished up with back surgery a few months ago, as a result.

I’m glad you’re being seen.

I had CE some years ago. I’d had a prolapsed disk and sciatica on and off (mostly on) for several years. Pain got worse and worse and I couldn’t sit at all and then I couldn’t pee. I had to lie in the floor of the taxi to get to the hospital and when I got there I had to lie on the floor of the waiting room. I was dosed up on massive amounts of morphine and had emergency surgery to remove the prolapse. I’ve been left with permanent numbness and random shooting pains in my bad leg.

I’ve been told to expect to be in for at least three days whilst investigations are done. My DM is going to fetch me some things in from home (she lives with DC and I) . My DM is brilliant , she’s been away on holiday and has come straight from the airport to see me and bring me supplies.

Glad you have support and hope you get some answers and are home soon.

Glad to hear you are in hospital that is the best thing. I hope its nothing serious but at least you can get some decent pain meds.