The Back Story Continues

[Matildathecat]

This is the support thread for all sufferers of back pain. Everyone most welcome to join.

Here's our first thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1871592-The-Back-Story

My story long and grim but basically had failed surgery for disc prolapse, then further failed surgery to attempt to salvage the situation. I have nerve root damage and severe scarring around the nerve at L5 which won't get better. I'm 48, can't work, take a lot of drugs and have a blue badge. Currently battling several different agencies for ill health retirement and other benefits.

But I'm ok, having some fun despite the pain and have made some lovely friends on here.

Please post and include your story if you'd like to. No niggles too small, this is strictly non competitive!

I stupidly posted on the other one, I should have done a linky! So I just emailed MN to ask them to let us go over 1000 so we can link to this thread, and then we won't lose people hopefully.

Waving!
Tea, coffee or hot chocolate, anyone?

Morning! You aren't shaking me off that easily, us crap back owners have a lot of spare time for the
Internet you know .

morning ladies

Caffeine in any form always welcome .

I am the owner of a newly minted 14 year old this morning. In the last 12 months he has got about 8 inches taller and acquired a proper deep voice. It's amazing, plus if I ask him 'what does mummy say?' he pings straight back with 'look after your back'.

I'm watching the women's snow boarding atm, looks brilliant fun, we'd all be fine doing that right?

Can I offer anyone fresh fruit salad or croissants?

My story is that I have had partially successful discectomy and laminectomy in June 2013, due to prolapsed disc at L5/S1 and am battling professionals to hurry up and tell me what is going on now as pain has increased again, seems to be related to continued damage to the disc but possibly not the suspected re-prolapse suspected, but Its all a bit slow. I have, in addition to the prolapse, a misaligned vertebrae (retrolethesis or something like that) at L5/S1 which most likely contributed to, or caused the prolapsed disc. I have chronic back and sciatic pain which has increased over this last few months, and have flare ups that increase both back and leg pain to unbearable then subside to bearable. I am on lots of medication which I resent, hanging on to my job by the skin of my teeth and I too have a blue badge!

It took me so long to post my long winded story while dealing with two fighting children, you lot all posted first!

I have real as DH has just made a fresh pot. Anyone want some?

Yes please. With skimmed milk. Surgeon's team tell me I need to stay light as primary aid to keeping further problems at bay.

I've got chronic bone erosion and disc erosion. Where n what is in my notes. I've got a whole folder's worth within 8 weeks! I also have osteopaenia and an underactive thyroid.
My tumour (low grade sarcoma) was found 8 weeks ago, removed on 28/1/14 and I'm now home after am 8 day hospital stay. Going home presents:
Daily Medication Chart: oxynorm and oxycodone get emergency repeat prescription!

(IF NEEDED. Up to 4 x a day (every 2 hours LEAVE ONE for night) oxynorm. Already charted)

*On empty stomach as wake: 1x Omeprazole
8am.
Gabapentin x 1.
Paracetamol x 2
Thyroxine x1
Oxycodone x1
Movicol x1 or 2 sachets
AFTER Banana. 1x ibroprufen

12pm
Paracetamol x 2
Movicol 1 or 2 sachets

After lunch:
1x ibroprufen

2pm Gabapentin x 1
Docusate-sodium x 2 caps

8pm
Oxycodone x1 dose 10+5 mg
Paracetamol x 2

10pm
Gabapentin x 1
Amatriptyline x1
Paracetamol x 2
Docusate-sodium x 2 caps
Senna x 2
After banana. 1x ibroprufen

Just before sleep:
Oxynorm x 1

Caffeine? Why yes if it's too early for a drink! I'm sitting by the pool but under the veranda because it's a tropical rain storm but sipping a cuppacino and feeling pretty content.

Hardly dare to say my pain is good. No codeine yet and its gone five. Injections or environment plus zero housey stuff? I guess I will know next week. Boo.

Welcome aboard everyone. Post your own back story asap then it will be easier to refer back to individuals IYSWIM.

I usually avoid even taking a paracetamol. Oh, and I'm a workaholic. Currently in bed, laying on my side. Not sure when to return to work and how. I work for myself. I tutor children in my dining room. Easy. No idea how to start up again. I'm such an all or nothing person. I'll figure it out, I'm sure.

And I bloody well need some sort of pain team to help with guiding me when suitable to come off these meds (how, which ones, in which measure).

Not convinced my GP is able to do this competently. May be a trust issue but it's my gut feeling/ worry.

Morning everyone, a coffee and a croissant for me please! Hope you are all well this morning. Happy Birthday to Losty's son hope he has a great day!

I am hoping to teach my dd about looking after her back. Dh and I both have problems as well as my dm and dgm - even our dog has a bad back!

Off to look at back friendly chairs today and visit dfil who has the worst chairs ever. They are really old and uncomfortable. Poor old chap he has a bad hip too i am trying to persuade him to get new ones.

Between shoulder blades pain since childhood(various diagnosis I've settled on who knows?).
Diagnosed with probable psoriatic arthritis /inflammatory spondyltis in last five years and developed severe sacrolilliac pain (lower back).
I have issues with other tendons / joints but the back pain is the one taking over my life. Awaiting results of January mri, having about as much luck as Pavlov on that front.
Currently take full dose paracetamol, codeine as needed but hate it, celebrex 400mg per day, sulfasalazine and methotrexate. lansoprazole to protect stomach.

Frustrated at constant pain, struggling to work, parent and dare I say it maintain the basics of a functional relationship.

I feel like a total fraud being here, but some understanding people and support sounds good! I fell down the stairs nearly 4 weeks ago and have had an xray which shows nothing, thank god, but I am struggling with the pain.
I tried to cut down on tramadol yesterday but didnt last long.
One bad thing is I can't drink on it and I am desperate toget a bit tipsy so I can laugh!!
I had two weeks off work and am back half time now as sitting down is excruciating :(
I do the exercises and go to a chiropracter but I would have expected it to be better by now and I have no idea what I have done :(

Wow denial, are you me? We have such similar problems!

I have had thoracic (between the shoulder blades) pain since my teens, first showing up on x-ray in my mid 20's as bony spurs. This is the main source of my pain and has been the most frustrating. In the last 4-5 years I have also developed pain (pain? That word doesn't even come close) in my SI joints, feet/ankles/hands/wrists/shoulders, on a bone scan I have severe degenerative change the length of my spine (sondylitic) and my SI joints and degenerative change in every other joint in my body apart from my hips, which is random but nice. I go to rheumatology clinic which has given a diagnosis of idiopathic inflammatory spondylitic arthritis (or we don't know why but her body is destroying her bones for fun). So I take, paracetamol, tramadol, sulfasalazine, omeprazole (because a decade of over use, as told to by a doctor, of NASIDs has wrecked my stomach so if I touch ibuprofen I poo blood, nice). I've just had an injection into my upper back and am due to go in for injections into my SI joints hopefully soon. I also take a cocktail of berocca and spa tone with an omega 3 chaser 4/5 times a week because the sulfasalazine makes me anaemic and omega 3 seems to be good for lots of things so why not . Oooh and before I forget I also have two annular tears in my L5/S1 disc but this doesn't get much of a look in after everything else. And I'm deaf and need a hearing aid in each ear (although I got them to do me glitter moulds from the children's catalogue because otherwise everything is so beige), which is due to bones too. I am just such a fine specimen of the human form .

maybe we have our own syndrome lost!? so nice not to feel so alone. I have to say as a group we kick the ass of the back pain whinger stereotype. The amount of crap we all put up with and keep trundling on.

tickle you are more than welcome here.I hope we don't scare you and I hope you get a solution to your pain soon. I think it is important to treat early and thoroughly and you are right to look for answers.

Hello all, I'm suffering with my back today. When I lie flat I can't lift my legs, I struggle getting into the car, again lifting my leg into the car is agony. Any little movement to the left, right, front or back when I'm standing is painful too. It's stiff and painful when I get up from sitting or lying down. I look like an old woman, can hardly straighten up.

I'm taking tramadol and paracetamol which isn't helping that much.

Any idea what could be causing this? I'm going to go to the Gp tomorrow and would like to say what it could be rather than just be fibbed off with it being caused by my weight

tickle you are absolutely not a fraud. As matilda has said, we don't do pain competitions. This thread is for ALL back pain sufferers, whether (hopefully) temporary back trouble, or if it is or becomes (unfortunately) chronic problems. The problem with x-ray is it doesn't show full range of disc problem that might be caused by injury. Also, when you hurt your back, it can take months to recover. Hopefully, this will ease in time and no long term damage, while recovering, get settled in and join us! How long have you had off work? Do you sit down for most of your work? Do you get sick pay? I ask because, sometimes, if you are in excessive pain, it is not always best to be back at work at all, if you can financially manage that or it does not jeopardise your work. You can get back too early and this can slow down your recovery. Of course, sometimes there is no choice, and sometimes the mental positivity of returning to work is worth the pain, but don't think because you have already been off for x amount of time, that there is a time limit, there really isn't. It takes as long as it takes.

sublime. You poor thing it sounds horrendous. If you cannot stand straight, your muscles are very likely in spasm/locked. You need to add an anti-inflammatory medication of some kind. You absolutely need to take something like ibuprofen or something from your GP if you have no medical reasons not to take AIs. if you take these as a tri with tramadol and paracetamol it will firstly improve the way the other two work, and also it will reduce inflammation of your muscles. If you have not tried it, talk to your GP about some diazepam, just need 2mg or so for 2-3 days max and it will stop those muscles spasming. Leg pain, that can easily be your nerve, but if your muscles are in spasm it could be that the nerve is irritated too, or it could be trapped. You need to make a huge huge fuss with your doctor about the leg pain.

Oh, and hav we yet mentioned on this thread that heat works? hot water bottles are essential in our medicine cabinets.

sublime you need to start the convo with your GP by stating that you know for certain this pain is not because of your weight, that there is something else going on. If you don't get the outcome you want, which, ideally is a referral to pain clinic/physio/MRI, then see another GP. If not possible, I would even consider going to A&E, especially with the leg pain. on a scale of 1-10, how much does your leg hurt? Do you have altered sensation anywhere in your leg or 'saddle' area? numbness in your leg?

Thanks Pavlov. I don't have pain in my leg. When I move my legs the pain is in my lower back. It's a specific spot over my spine too, not over to either side.

I can't take anti inflammatories at all due to stomach problems.

Mum has slathered me in tiger balm and I have a hot water bottle on my back at the moment.

Oh sorry, I misread . You still need to address the pain with your GP, as something is clearly going on, it's ridiculous to blame your weight, when moving your legs is causing the pain. You still need an MRI, as nerve pain is not the only pain that needs to be checked out. It's gone on too long to be fobbed off now.

Do you have heat pads? or hot water bottles? We have probably told you already so ignore me if so, I haven't got the other thread open to re-read what was posted and have a sieve for a brain.

matilda so glad you are getting a bit of relief from pain. I hope it lasts when you return. We shall see though, I bet it's the heat!

I am not reading anything properly today! You said you had a hot water bottle! Does tiger balm work?

hello everyone, sunny here (for a change)
1 hour walk made pains reappear
I can't do nay other exercises
I have to find out if swimming is OK

Just adding my story to the new thread. I have had chronic mild back pain for years with a few flare Ups, a couple of months ago I had a really bad episode which also went down my leg. It was really bad at first and I was unable to walk. At one point it seized right up and I was unable to move myself about in the bed. The worst thing was not being able to get to the toilet!

I am much better now though and am only getting mild discomfort and stiffness and some numbness and tingling in my leg. I still find it difficult to squat down and sitting on a hard chair is uncomfortable. Also I find I am walking more slowly than ever, I think there is still a weakness in.my legs I need to work on. But have been able to stop all my strong drugs and just having the odd paracetamol or ibuprofen. I am having physio and working on my exercises.

Everyone has been very supportive and helpful with advice to help me get better. I decided to stay on the thread even though I am so much better now, as i want to know how everyone is getting on also I am trying to improve my back health and avoid future problems. I do feel it could get worse again if i don't keep working on it. There is the long term "weakness" plus i am not totally better from the recent problem.