Possible prolapsed disc - no idea what to do

[afrikat]

I have a chronic back condition (lumbar spondylosis / degeniterive disc disease) which I mostly manage through exercise / Pilates / keeping v strong and mobile. Every so often I get a flare up where everything goes into spasm and I am in agony for a few days but it usually settles down ok and I can start getting back to normal. About 4 1/2 years ago a disc prolapsed (through a sneeze of all things) and I was in severe pain for months. Physio didn't help (they just told me to do the same old exercises I had been doing for years) chiropractic didn't help at first and the dr just kept giving me more drugs (co codamol / diazepam etc). I eventually changed chiropractors and the new one 'fixed' the problem within a couple of sessions and I haven't had an episode that bad since

For the past month (I am now 26+5) my back has been getting steadily worse until last night something just 'went' and I couldn't move. Couldn't stand, couldn't sit - I was screaming in agony when my husband tried to get me off the sofa and I had to resort to crawling to the toilet / bed. I have been seeing my chiropractor once a month in an effort to pre-empt this and she is going to come to see me tonight to see what she can do. The pain is not as bad today - I can stand and do a 'zombie shuffle' but I am taking co codamol and it's still very painful.

I am scared - scared that because of all the ligaments relaxing and the baby putting pressure on my spine that this won't be easily sorted. Scared that I will be in this pain for the next few months. Scared I won't be able to have a natural birth now. I don't know for sure a disc has gone but I don't know what else could be causing this much pain

I have called my dr and she is calling me back this afternoon but realistically I don't think she can do anything. I am already waiting on a physio referral (which I don't think will help anyway) and I am also waiting on a referral to the anaesthesiologist as they need to check if I can have an epidural. Could I request to see a consultant in case this doesn't die down and I need a caesarean?

I just don't know what to do and would appreciate any advice from anyone who has been through something vaguely similar. If you are still reading, thanks - I appear to have written an essay!

Hi.
Firstly huge sympathies.
I don't really have much advice but thought I would share my experience so you feel less alone.
Prior to my first pregnancy I suffered on and off from neck and shoulder pain but nothing too serious. At 28 weeks pg with ds1 I woke up one morning with shoulder pain that got rapidly worse. It turned out to be a prolapsed c6/c7 disc which sat on my cervical nerve and caused immense pain down my arm. There was lots of hassle getting an mri scan in the third trimester.

I should also add that physio, chiro, pilates and massage made no difference. A tens machine helped a bit by breaking up the pain.

As you know there was not any effective pain relief I could take. I had an unsuccessful injection at 33 weeks and was told it was likely that I would needs the disc removing and replacing with a prosthetic disc. I was also booked in for a elcs.

A week before the elcs they had another bash at the injection that miraculously worked. I still had elcs which was great. I had had such a terrible and painful 3 months I was grateful for a calm and relatively pain free experience.

I have some residual nerve damage but essentially Keith careful management it had been ok and I am now 35 weeks with dc2 and has been ok.

So all in all nothing useful to say but hoped you'd feel better knowing someone else has been through this but survived. Also would highly recommend an elcs - the last thing I needed was an arduous and uncertain labour.

Really good luck and remember you will get through it though it will feel like forever.