To ask what medical attention this requires?

[anonymousx]

this may be outing as I've posted about this before on the women's health threads etc..

Anyway. I had my DC 4 months ago. Had 2 epidurals, both of them failed so had a painkiller put in my back. Ended up with failed forceps delivery so had a C section - had a spinal block for this.

Couple days after delivery I noticed numbness and strange sensation in a small part of my right leg, on the outer thigh. It progressively got worse over the space of a few weeks, numbness and strange feeling spread so now eventually the whole of my outer thigh on my right leg is entirely numb now. Any slight touch there really makes me wince and cringe, it just feels "different" than any other part of my body. I often get burning and stinging feelings.

I saw my GP about a month ago and she referred me for a spinal assessment. However there is a long waiting list and my appointment isn't for another month yet.

Last night I tripped in my kitchen and managed to slam side on into the cupboard (my bad side). Since then, my leg has been more painful. It feels like it is on fire. This is the only way that I can describe it.

does it warrant a trip back to GP, waiting for my spinal assessment or A&E? I really don't want to waste anybody's time or anything like that but I am just unsure of what to do. I was prescribed Naproxen but it doesn't help and neither does normal paracetamol.

AIBU to ask wwyd?

If you are UK (guessing yes by gp) i would call 111 for advice

Good luck

@farmmumtomillie I just don't want to waste anyone's time

I have sciatic pain and my left outer thigh has been painful for 2 months. This sounds potentially similar? I'd see a GP as mine were very helpful and referred me to physio.

I'd go back to your GP. Wonder if it might be meralgia paraesthetica from your description, but sciatica also a possibility.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meralgia_paraesthetica
(A+E if you develop any numbness 'down below', any change to bladder or bowel continence or any sudden leg weakness as that would suggest spinal cord pressure)
I had meralgia parasthetica following abdo surgery years ago, and it's very unpleasant (but did get better eventually- or, at least, my brain learned to ignore it)

Hi @73Sunglasslover I was diagnosed with sciatica a couple years ago, but this pain feels totally different. I believe it's been brought on by what happened during my labour

@Glasgowgin my mum also thinks it's what you have suggested and I think it is too because the symptoms are what I have.

Is there any treatment for it or does it just get better on its own?

I’d agree with Glasgowgin about possible cause. I’d ask around for a good physio and pay and see one privately. They should be able to show you quite a few exercises you can do yourself which might help.

It sounds like neuropathy that I have in my arm and hand from MS. Obviously not suggesting MS as a cause.
I had some lidocaine plasters from the doctor that really helped the sensitivity so although it's still numb, it doesn't hurt at the slightest contact.
Realise that doesn't help you with the current question though.

The pain hardly affects my mobility. Sometimes it aches but nothing major.

It hurts when I lay on it bed at night, I have always slept on my right side but have had to switch to left or lying on my back. Or if somebody accidentally touches it, often my DP forgets and I have to remind him not to, because honestly it makes me wince. I can't stand the sensation.

Even sitting DC on my knee, if he catches my leg with his foot for example.

I can't even touch the area myself, shaving my leg there is a no go!

You can try any of the nerve pain drugs- amitryptiline would usually be my first choice (but would depend if you were breast feeding or not) It depends a bit if the nerve is damaged or just been squashed as to how long it will take to recover. Mine were probably cut during surgery and it took a few years to stop annoying me if i knocked them but day to day it wasn't particularly bothering me by a few months iirc- I didn't take anything except non-steroidals (in fact don't think I ever saw anyone about it as I self diagnosed )

Thanks @Glasgowgin. GP mentioned amitryptoline, but I'm on Citalopram at the moment so apparently that limits which medication I can take

Citalopram interactions are a pain in the neck! (which is a shame as it's a fab drug). Def worth thinking about physio, but it might be worth asking if your GP can prescribe a lidocaine patch as suggested above (they may not be able to as might be a restricted prescription locally) the evidence for them is not fantastic but I've seen some good responses in shingles pain, which is a similar pain.
Hope it gets better soon.

That's interesting about the evidence Glasgow. The consultant prescribed them after I turned up wearing a latex glove which also helped as the nerves weren't being irritated all the time. So maybe a smooth covering would help like liquid latex just to rest the area.

Anon it's excruciating isn't it? . I had to wear a latex glove to wash my very fine hair as it felt like barbed wire on my hand. I don't need it any more.

I don’t want to speculate, but you should ask your GP.

I had to, as you may have? Sign a waiver when I had my wisdom teeth out that I was aware there may be nerve damage. Unfortunately there was, and for 6 months I couldn’t feel my tongue or half my chin. Oral surgeon did tell me it could kind of regenerate in time and some of it did, it didn’t affect the function of my mouth but it felt weird. I got all my tongue back but not my chin

I also have permanent nerve damage in my legs from a disc rupture and that can feel like weird spiky, burning, crawling sensations or twitches

FYI I took gabapentin

It does sound like some neuropathic pain, but I would go and see your GP now you’ve hurt yourself.

Thank you everyone. the pain has gotten worse now, even when walking.

I don't want to waste time at a&e, so I will book a GP appointment tomorrow morning. I've definitely worsened things since the accident in my kitchen!

Any news OP ?

It does sound like what's been mentioned above. I've had both. Yoga with Adriene has a video for Sciatica. It really does help. It does get better OP.

How are you now OP?