Ok. It's quite bloody odd.
I have a back problem you might or might not have read me banging on about it. It's been diagnosed as most likely caused by dehydrated L5/S1 lumbar disc, annular disc tear, disc bulge/prolapse - thse either irritating or impinging sciatic nerve - plus probable unstable spinal segment, due to dehydration of disc.
My back 'goes' periodically, resulting in muscle spasms, inability to stand straight, can't walk without severe psin in back and down legs. It takes a while to control spasms, and sciatic pain has not gone of a long tie now (in permanent pins p, needles and dumbness in calf and foot).
Often, with these 'relapses' I get, just before, either a day or two, or couple of hours, a flu like feeling, suggesting it might go, my muscles, or rather my 'blood' hurts, and sometimes I throw up. Sometimes this coincides almost immediately with the back going. But there is definitively a pattern. I personally put it down to possibly gunk leaking from the tear and my body reacting to its toxic properties by producing Inflammtory responses. The GP looked at me like this 
and dismissed it. The physio told me the disc doesn't technically leak and so it is is not possible to do this (yeah, right love) and dismissed me so it has remained a theory of my own.
The most significant time this happened was a major setback in my back problem. It was in June last year, and I felt sick, flu like, in particular in my back area, swept the floor, one pull of the broom and my back went very badly. I have not really recovered from that. I have had it since, but not to such a devastating degree.
Anyway, all this time, it has never manifested into flu or a cold, once the back 'goes' the flu feeling either passes or gets dealt with by me taking huge amounts of painkillers for back pain (haven't worked out which).
Over the last day or so, my back has felt a little delicate. This morning I woke feeling a bit coldy, and as the day has gone on I have now have a viral bug of some kind, sore throat, sore skin, muscles, painful blood, feel sick and my back has started to seize up through the early evening.
I have just gone to get p from the sofa and it's 'gone' again. I can move bent over but I know soon it will be completely fucked. It's the same flu type symptoms but this time has fully manifested into a bug of some kind (I presume due to sore throat, swollen glands, ears hurt too) but also largely in lower back.
Does anyone recognise what the fuck I am talking about? Tell me what is going on? It can't be coincidence, it really can't, the way the pain moves through my blood or my nerves seems intrinsically linked to my back.
Someone out there must have an idea? Or am I actually going mad?
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Why has a viral bug caused my back to 'go'? Wtf?
PavlovtheEasterBunny · 28/03/2013 19:10
saintly I have the wetsuit, hood and boots, need better gloves though. But I might leave it few weeks if the pro surfers are not doing it, then little newbie me won't like it 
denial it has crossed my mind. And I think it might even have been you mentioned it before, but certainly i has been mentioned by others. Not sure if arthritis is hereditory but my mother had it in her spine (neck) although I think hers was osteoarthritis? (not sure though, she isnt here to ask) and her mother was wheelchair bound by it by her late 30's early 40s. Not sure of the type her mum had, think it might have been rhematoid? is that the same as inflammatory? again not sure, she was unwell with a few things though, including diabetes, stroke and died mid-40s (grandmother that is).
But, the MRI has not indicated arthritis in fact it clearly states (the first MRI report) no signs of arthritis (think it used another word...) so surely that means not then?
Another word that comes up from time to time is Fibromyalgia. I so hope it's not that. The attitude that I have heard from some people, employers in particular as been shocking. One person I spoke to, who is a prominent council employer, said he beleived it was a made up illness 
I can't imagine having to fight people's prejudices, ignorance and stereotypes along with the barriers already having to be faced with chronic conditions.
I have been so fortunate with my employers so far though. They have been fantastic. I just had a sickness review (formal procedure) due to my sickness hitting 49 days off since september (my last review!) and fully expected them to come in on the defensive, but they actually said some very lovely things about how they can see my determination to fight this and keep working, and they know I will not be off work unless I absolutely cannot help it so there is no further action and they have given me huge amounts of flexibility to manage my condition and my working hours, start late, leave early make up hours on another day, as long as my work is done and I do my hours. I was so worried I would lose my job imminently as I have struggled to get there. I cannot bear not being able to work and really thought it was coming to that sooner rather than later. But I have breathing space now.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_scintigraphy Trying to do a link on my phone, hope that worked. I was radioactive for a few days, my boys were very disappointed I didn't get any super powers
. The scan can show areas of quick bone growth which happens in arthritis where the bones are irritated. I know I have arthritic changes up and down my whole spine though so different to you completely. If there are enough patches with changes I can be off loaded to rheumatology! I see an ortho guy not neuro because I have problem bones. My torn disc is just an aside 
. My lovely Bil had the fusion and it has worked very well for him but I know you want to explore all the other options first.
We were swimming in the sea last March (I don't wear a wetsuit either) not we have decided not to start our weekly swim until May this year, thank goodness.
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