to think this is cauda equina

[Linners1]

I know I’ve been posting a lot on here about my health recently but I feel so confused and scared and am waiting for hospital follow ups.

I’ve got a split spinal cord which is also tethered, scoliosis and spina bifida occulta.

I’ve always been lucky as I’ve never really had significant symptoms until I fractured four vertebrae two years ago and developed kyphosis.

I now have electric shock sensations going up and down my legs, leg weakness, no reflex in my right ankle and minimal reflexes in my left leg. I’ve been referred to the spinal team but the waiting list was 16 months and then I broke my elbow as I suddenly couldn’t stand up in the bath and tried to pull myself up but slipped, so the neurosurgery team gave me an urgent appointment to be assessed. They can’t understand why I’ve got these symptoms as my last MRI showed no nerve compression and they say that tethered spinal cord would have developed symptoms when I’m a teenager and not now. They’ve referred me for another urgent MRI to see if anything has changed, but that was weeks ago and I still haven’t had the appointment through.

Anyway, in the last few weeks I feel that my symptoms are getting worse. The electric shocks in my legs are more frequent and now I get them in my arms a bit too. The other day I was putting a mug in the cupboard and when I reached up I got an awful electric shock in my arm. I was also in bed the other night and had a really strange tingling sensation in my left leg, like something is crawling over me. But what really worries me is that yesterday I felt a sensation of warm water running down my inner thigh. It was really weird, I thought I was wetting myself, but wasn’t. I felt it twice yesterday.

what do I do??

If you think it’s cauda equine, you should go to a as because it’s a medical emergency.

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cauda equine symptoms

Doesn’t sound like cauda equina no, you’d know if it was that, you’d lose sensation in your legs. And the MRI would have shown it easily. It sounds neurological what you’re experiencing-and unfortunately that can be a long road to diagnosis.
I was blue lighted to a spinal unit by my GP because I had cauda equina symptoms-one keg was completely numb and the other was beginning to follow suit. Had MRI scan straightaway which showed no nerve compression so that was ruled out, but because my symptoms were so severe I was put on a ward and went through a battery of tests daily for just over a week until they figured it out. Everything you can think of, I had it. I won’t share the diagnosis because I don’t want to unnecessarily frighten you, but had my initial symptoms been much milder, then it would have taken 2-3 maybe more years to get a diagnosis.

CES won't affect the upper extremities.
If you have the saddle parathesia then go to hospital.

doesnt sound like CES..

I had cauda equina after slipping yet another disc
The warning sign for me was the realisation that I hadn’t been or wanted a wee for about ten hours during the daytime.

Had to be catheterised in A&E and it filled two cardboard bedpans

Ended up with emergency surgery

Hope you get answers and sorted soon OP

Thank you for all your responses. I didn’t think it was cauda equina but just at a loss as to what it is because the symptoms are so strange, particularly the feeling of warm water running down my leg. I guess I’ll just wait for my next MRI appointment to come through and see if anything shows up on that.

I’m also worried about MS! I don’t think it is that, but some of my symptoms match.

none of those symptoms sound like cauda equina syndrome and your prior MRI showed no evidence of it

I didn't say it was.

OP, whilst on the face of it, it does sound neuro (an impingement or nerve irritation can make a water like feeling), but not necessarily CES, there would be no harm in calling 111 who will go through your symptoms. Not every patient will present with all of them.

I haven’t had an MRI since November and am awaiting my next MRI. So thank you for being very helpful!