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!

you are welcome to join our party! Before you know it, you will not be a stranger. And, I posted on your other thread, so that's two you 'know' How are you feeling?

live oh link to that thread? I love to put my foot in it occasionally on AIBU myself...

losty oh yes, pleasing on the eye DH doesn't get it. He is Not Cool and he is a geek he says. What's all the fuss? well..he is as pleasing in the flesh as in photos, and his voice sounds amazing, he rocks a gig, something about a rugged, tattooed sweary angsty man who sings and plays guitar...what is there not to like

losty I love that you are soul mates. but remember you got to share k? I might not have the ear pieces, but I got that back thing going on...

oh, these earpieces that you are getting losty are they the sparkly ones you were saying about? If so, then you are gonna rock yourself, you just need the guitar and some tattoos

cold do you have pins and needles or altered sensation in your saddle area? which is backside/groin area/genital area. Anywhere, not necessarily all over? Are you using your bowels ok? going for a wee> pins and needles in your leg is a sign of nerve entrapment or aggravation, which need to be addressed but, there are some red flags you have raised which may need addressing now, rather than when you next see your GP. I don't want to be alarmist. So I will link you to the NHS website for Caudia Equina Syndrome rare, but a medical emergency. Sciatica is mostly linked with disc problems so it is very likely that these new symptoms are linked to your back pain.

if you have any of those symptoms, with or without severe back pain, you need to go to A&E. now. It is much better to go there, and be sent home with proper pain relief than leave it and risk long term problems.

I don't know about the left arm pain though. Could be transferred pain? I sometimes get a flu like feeling in my hands, feet, lower back in particular and some of the rest of my body just before I have a 'relapse', more prior to my surgery to remove the pokey out bit of disc, and I am almost certain it was caused by a bit of the disc gunk (technical term?) squeazing out, and as it's toxic my body reacted to that. Sometimes, I throw up too with that sensation. That may be what is happening to you, if your disc has actually ruptured then those toxins will be right near your nerves. That is not, you understand a medical hypothesis, it is my own interpretation of why just before a huge flare-up, I know it's going to happen due to flu like feelings, puking, then within a few hours, my back goes properly and I am floored for weeks.

just to emphasise cold that my own GP, OOH, physio etc, have all stressed that it is not just complete numbness of the saddle area that is a red flag, but any change in sensation, ie pins and needles, numb patches here and there, might not be the whole saddle area.

I have tattoos already, see he IS my soulmate (who I will share, promise) I have one very small tattoo from when I was young

The aibu thread seems to have gone boring sensible so I suppose I should stop MNing and looking at shoes and go to bed.

Glad for all the good news tonight.

matilda good luck with the flight home, it is not great weather here I am sorry to say but i expect you will be sick of all that sunshine by now.

lost I had a SIJ injection just before I came away. It was fine. No sedation offered or needed. I did get a cup of tea and a biscuit afterwards . I think it's definitely helped my leg pain especially in my buttock. Back pain, not so much. The guy who did it said that if it did help he could offer a much longer term injection. I'm having facet joint injections next. Having seen the arthritis on my X-ray, I'm hopeful this could help my back pain. Of course it's all complicated and I don't for a minute imagine any one thing will be the answer.

cold, welcome. Sorry you are suffering. I clearly remember the agony of the early days . Not sure what you are taking, but for nerve pain I have gabapentin (three times a day) and amytriptiline (at night). Both work for me but they do both make you drowsy although this wears off so they are for a longer term use than a week or two. They also take a while to really work. I also have naproxen for an anti inflammatory, Omeprazole to protect my stomach (vital) and cocodamol/ tramadol. I rattle! You have probably worked out that we all love heat and lying down, too. Hence lots of time chatting here. How long has this episode lasted? Physio or anything?

Your arm thing just reminded me I had that, too. I did get checked but we concluded it was actually positional. I was lying down a lot and kind of off to one side so it was genuine pins and needles, not the sinister kind.

pavlov great news! Hope at least one of my many applications resolves soon. I'd like good news, too ( petulant lip sticks out).

Last day now. Flying home late evening so I'd better get moving. Steady? Not today!!!

Oh Yes! Heat and lying down I do worry my boys will look back on day and realise most parents don't start the day like this!

I might see if I can opt for no sedation then but I think as a radiographer I might wind myself up imagining what is going on! I hope this is the start of lots of different interventions to make things better, I don't think facet joint injections will be offered because they can only do so many and I have damage to every single one!
Have a lovely flight home, bring some warmth for the rest of us . (we have snow this morning, SNOW!)

Hi Cold,
Lovely cake! Really zingy.
And you're not a fraud.
(Quick hug before falling back to sleep - I'm on so many drugs).

Coldlight I have had the burning pins and needles you describe in my arms (right usually). In my case it is due to a problem in my upper back and compression on nerves and or vessels possibly from scarring or tight muscle/tissue gaps. I have a few unwelcome kinks in my back and when one bit plays up the compensation can upset another. Osteopathy or the chiropractor can usually reduce the problem, although it usually takes a few visits, to free me up and get me out of pain. I also find stretching and gently (slowly allowing my weight to transfer from feet to arms to half hang) hanging from a chinning bar with arms wide helpful. We have a bar (set up at the top of a doorway - used to rock climb so needed arm strength) so it is low enough to use you feet. If it is my right side playing up, I hang more from the right arm IYSWIM. I do this very gently and keep my feet on the ground - no jerking or bouncing! I would advise getting help if you can afford a chiropractor or osteopath as we are all different and yours could have a different cause.

Yes I have recently started getting some discomfort in a different area of my back. I am bending more stiffly from the waist and having problems squatting due to my leg pain, so I think I am now bending the upper part of my back more when picking things up. I know yours has come on quickly but maybe if there is a weakness there, do you feel any pain in your upper back or neck?

Back has gone. Fuck. Flu type feeling, straight down legs, through back, followed by contraction type pain, sweats as the pain shot up and horrendous back pain. And now i can feel muscles seizing up. Happened at work. Managed to finish. Got swimming lessons for kids. Fucking hell.

matilda safe journey.

losty I have seen those bone conductor headphones, there's some waterproof ones for swimming. You really are kinship with Mr T, it seems! I remember someone once mentioned RA, but I don't have most of the symptoms I don't think, doesn't it affect your fingers and feet rather than back? I know I don't feel right, but doc did a blood test, an mot and it all came back ok, would they Check for those markers in a normal blood test? It's probably nothing more than me being a weirdo.

Oh no pavlov not long since last time and weird about the flu symptoms. Very gentle hugs.

Oh fuck Pavlov, I'm gutted for you (although in an aside my spell cheker now offers your NN with capital and everything!). Do you have a strategy to get better quickly of do you just have to hibernate and wait it out? I always neck soluble paracetamol as soon as I feel the fluey achey bones coming on. The only good thing is wheatbags and rest though isn't it. I hope it cheers you up that the first new album I have downloaded is our lovely Frank's most recent. I LOVE Loosing Days even more now I can hear the words properly, we should start a special fucked back Frank fan club. He'd love us the most for sure. Can't talk long because my parents are staying but I have inflammatory spondylitic arthritis which is auto-immune like RA but affects the joints in my spine/SI joints first and is only now taking out all the others as well. You can be sero-negative as well, I think one third of people are and still have this form of arthritis. Back later, going to dance round the kitchen (carefully) listening to proper music for the first time in about 10 years, it is amazing

SORRY, that message should have included 'but don't panic, having an inflammatory arthritis is good news because there are heaps of drugs to turn it off again.' Just in the kitchen thinking 'Losty you arse, don't tell someone they could have an auto immune disease without pointing out the giant silver lining.'

live it's called law of sod for a. Thinking it's getting better and b. talking about the flu symptom i sometimes get, although tbf I talked about it as I was feeling little signs, I wonder if the Gig took it out of me more than i realised. No plan other than to take shit tons of drugs this evening and try to get to work tomorrow, one day til the weekend.

losty I know it's sounds daft! and I worry the doctor will think I want something actually wrong but, I would quite like to be told that it's not just a screwed back making me feel like this. But the it is something that can be helped. I just don't want to go back again and say yet more things that seem wrong, I haven't mentioned the flu thing since last year when he looked at me like (as did other professionals) I am so pleased that the first album you have downloaded is frank! You should tweet him or something and tell him he should be honoured you are dancing for the first time in years to his music!

My foot has gone numb, well, sensation has returned somewhat, not fully, but as I was driving I could feel it going numb, as my leg lost some strength, not enough I couldn't grove, but I could feel it like a band had gripped my foot, like a really tight sock sensation.

But, although I felt tearful at work, worried people would be like 'ugh. Not again' I don't feel too down, guess that's the drugs yeah? fucking fuck. It's just fucking never ending.

Hope you guys are ok. live how is work atm? How is the calf and foot? losty is your injection tomorrow or next Friday?

goodness how are you? And scone ? Who else has had ops recently?

denial how are you feeling too I remember your pain had increased! is it more in control ATm?

Had a bit of a bad day at work today, not back related though. I have never really got on with this job, but somehow have got stuck in it for years. It has very convenient hours for fitting in with looking after my dd. Dhs hours at work change soon and this may make it easier to find a new job, but this recent back problem makes me feel less confident than ever. Feeling a bit achy this evening too. Luckily only one more day till half term. Hopefully I will be able to rest my back from any lifting but also do plenty of back friendly exercise.

Hope you are all OK and if not hope your drugs are working.

quick question. muscles spasming. I would normally take diazepam. However, I have taken codiene, and norttripyline. diazepam has a potential sedative effect, as does the others (actually, codeine makes me wired and not able to sleep). Can I take diazepam, low dose, with those drugs? I can't find the instructions for nortriptyline which talks about what to avoid drug wise etc.

I remember once, I cut through a slow release tramadol and the effects were scary. In fact, matilda and losty you should take note. DON'T EVER do that! the slow release is sort of in rings/layers, and it breaks each lower down slowly, so when you cut it, you break all those layers at once. I had only wanted half (was trying to reduce my dose) and didn't consider that was not a good idea. OMG, I basically got a shit ton of tramadol in one hit and it increased my seratonin hugely, I couldn't stop my arms/legs/head from moving, like proper head banging, rocking, sweating, really really agitated, I was terrified (it's called Seratonin syndrome or something similar) So, I am worried about that happening if I take too much seratonin increasing drugs.

I know I can take codeine with nortriptyline, as that was discussed with the nurse, and I know I can take codiene with Diazepam as they have been prescribed together by GP many times. But, all three? I won't take any I don't think.

live sorry, just saw you had a bad day at work aw that's shit. It's bad enough to drag yourself into work when in pain, let alone if you don't really enjoy it that much. I hope your DH's change in hours means you can find a better job more easily.

oh I had that too cold, I panicked when i couldn't get into mn for about 2 minutes!