Unable to walk suddenly

[TROUBLEDMAM]

So on Thursday I suddenly became unable to walk
I could feel my back hurt n giving out n my legs trembling
Ive suffered with sciatica before n thought it was the beginning of an episode
Until Friday when I realised I couldn't walk at all
I called my gp out n she said it was sciatica n a pulled muscle
Give me strong drugs n left
Come Saturday night the drugs weren't masking the pain n I was sure they was something more wrong
I rang 111 who phoned an ambulance
They wouldn't take me to hospital said ring my doctor today
I did this n she said she would call back after speaking to another doctor but never did

I'm in absolute agony I'm pissing in a bucket
I've had muscle relaxers called lorazepam
Codeine phosphate paracetamol every four hours since Friday n I'm still in agony

Any one know wat I can do next?

@Ollivander84 - Then presumably something about your friend's symptoms or examination findings changed between seeing those doctors and the final GP. A prolapsed disc can cause debilitating pain (but is not something that usually requires treatment so there is no reason to scan) but it can sometimes continue to prolapse over time until it pushes on the cauda equina. It's then that the scan needs to happen.

I hope that the OP has been examined carefully (perhaps by a range of people) and has been given a list of things to look out for that should prompt an urgent return to A&E. She should absolutely go back if things get worse.

OP - my husband has gone to work now but I’ve just txt him. Has the GP called back?

My gp hasn't rang yet x

He says - I would suggest she goes to A and E now.. let them now she has sudden onset leg weakness and is concerned that she has cord compression, possibly from a slipped disk. This will prompt them into a full Neuro exam +_ an MRI if clinical exam warrants it. He also said he’s happy to speak to you if you have no joy. Really hope you’re ok and things get sorted.

Ps - so random but I was born and raised in the land of the parmo too!! Best people!

This is one of the reasons I went into AnE last week
They say they won't do a scan straight away
I'm at my wits end tbh
My reasons for going into AnE last week was
Lower back pain, numbness in my groin /saddle area and leg pain

Bless your husband

Oh did you, i actually had one last night but couldn't eat it as I can't sit on my bum
I can only lay on my side or stand for five ish minutes
So eating is hard
Having to ask my wife to cut my food was the hardest thing for me to do last night

Strange cos I've asked her to bath me and dress me but cutting my food up just was so degrading

My wife is better at been a house then me at the moment and it's usually the other way round ~ it's taking its toll tho

I feel so guilty

@TROUBLEDMAM - Which team were you admitted under? Were you at a large or a small hospital? If you have numbness around your groin/saddle area with severe back pain then that would buy an urgent MRI in most places. Did anyone do a bladder scan while you were there? I'm also coming around to the idea that you should go back...

Tests I had under a big hospital was
Bloods
Ops
Examined me
Put the finger up my bum lol

AnE said I had a water infection
Temp
Low blood pressure
Go to the ward
I still have all this but never got treatment for water infection the day I left she said oh I'll check it again came back clear 🤔

I had similar years ago and was admitted and had an mri to rule out disc movement and cord compression. If you’re getting tingling in your leg then that is normally cord compression. Mine wasn’t actually a cord issue, part of my pelvis had rotated anteriorly and a physio put it back in place and it was like a switch was flicked, relief was instant. But a friend with similar problems they picked up cord compression on his mri and he had disc surgery.

OP, I really don't want to scare you but if you might want to read this
www.theargus.co.uk/news/4582481.Sussex_man_receives___70_000_after_hospital_blunders/

This man had gone to two different hospitals, one specialising in neurological conditions and still they missed it. You should have got an MRI when you were admitted. MRIs are standard diagnostic tests nowadays.

I'd go back to A&E and refuse to go without an MRI.

Poor bloke

Please go to A&E my love, this is unacceptable

I agree with @Slartybartfast ..you need to have some faith in the medics you've seen so far

I've been there. Hurt my back suddenly and was dragging one leg and couldn't walk properly if at all. It was agony. Back issues can be - and people sharing rare news stories probably aren't helpful

Yes, it could well be very serious and yes, all the doctors etc you've seen could be wrong as could the tests you've had already. But I think I'd be giving this a little time - recovery can be a week or two - and I'd be listening to my doctor

Your all so passionately caring about me and it's so lovely

I don't know if it's important but I've lost my appetite completely
Reading about this ces
And yeah I'm seriously don't want this

I'm scared but I'm so fed up

Yeah I get that garden geek.. I'm not a doctor and of course none of us has seen the op in person in a medical capacity

But you either trust health professionals and all the tests they've done, or you don't. So it's all very well for us to say ' you must go and make a scene in A & E' but imagine if everyone did that who had a painful bad back.

Like I said, I've been there. At Christmas. Took me 40 mins to climb my stairs.

The gp rang back and basically just did me a prescription for more painrelief x

This sounds very poor treatment.

Your symptoms sound very similar to those that my 18 year old DD had after a summer job in a very understaffed care home. She went to the physio first but was fast-tracked by the physio for an urgent MRI which showed 2 bulging and herniated discs in her lower spine. Surgery was at once considered but she wasn't keen and in the end it took 6 months of intensive physiotherapy and a reduced school timetable. She would often come home and lie on her back with her knees drawn up to her chest. She did the exercises every day and was able to add walking after 4-6 weeks. She still has some problems if she has to sit for long periods - like exam revision.

go back and tell them you cant control your bladder.

my exDP was having bladder issues along with his herniated disc and they gave him an MRI straight away, they basically prepped him for surgery before his MRI

(he didnt have CES)

@esk1mo - Has the OP said this at some point or is this a suggestion that she should lie?

My dh had sciatic pain like you describe for several months - MRI showed clearly where the spinal discs were touching the nerve - he had an epidural steroid injection which helped s bit but eventually had a discectomy op to sort it out. A&E won't be able to go anything. The cocktail of drugs you're on is the best you can hope for until it gets sorted - have you tried physio? You need to push for a MRI.

Oh I forgot to say gp said the referral for the scan was sent through so just got to wait for this

I can control my bladder to a degree ( I've had three children) so it's not the best lol

My right hip is giving my a lot of pain today
Along with lower back n right leg

But I don't see point in going to AnE as it feels like such a waste of everyone's time to be sent away again

I'm holding out for this scan ~ unless my symptoms change I have no other choice really
I'm just fed up n grateful to my Mumsnet friends x

You could have cauda equina. You could have a displaced sacro iliac joint (been there - fuck me the pain!) You could have a saddle thrombus.

In your shoes, being as they keep banging on about you have bladder control so keep taking the pills, I would piss and shit myself and go to A and E. You are being fobbed off and it's not bloody good enough!