Pain that is out of control! HELP!

**Megss** · 01-22-2011, 04:05 AM

It seems to me that once you get into a nasty pain cycle it is really difficult to get out of. I ended up in the ER again last night. I didn't want to go, so my husband actually took me to Urgent Care last night. My right leg miserably failed all the strength tests, and the doc also had me close my eyes while she poked my legs and feet. I couldn't feel most of the pokes on my right side. I didn't even realize how nurab I was. So she told me I had to go to the ER for imaging right away, and she called the ER to let them know I was coming. I really really didn't want to go since I was just there. I am worried they will think I am a nut case or a drug addict or something. After a 4 hour wait I was finally seen. By this time it was very late at night and no one was there to do an MRI. The ER doc said she saw no reason to call someone in to do the MRI or surgery, since I have a surgeon appointment today, so I was given a shot of morphine and sent home.
Now, all my test results that I had done months ago showed no nerve root impingement, but my right leg, which failed last night, actually only started a month or two ago.
Has anyone else ever gotten themselves into a severe pain cycle? How on earth did you get out of it? I wake up in severe pain every morning, I haven't been able to care for my daughter by myself for the past couple of weeks, I can't stand in one place for more than 5 minutes, I simply can't do anything.
I am hoping that today when I see the surgeon, he will know of some magic medication cocktail that will at least allow me to function. I am worried that I will end up hospitalized (since I have been to the ER twice in the last week) since I can't get the 10 out of 10 pain under control. I really don't want that.
Has this ever happened to anyone else and if so, were you ever able to get your pain under control?

01-22-2011, 04:59 AM

Meggs......

Are you taking the dialudid the ER gave you? That should be helping some of the pain. I know you said it was low dose, but perhaps try taking 2 pills? If someone is there helping take care of your little one, take the pain med the hospital gave you. Or ask for something else for pain? If the docs are not finding any new issues, they are going to think you are "seeking". Be careful..... You are saying you are having a problem urinating.....it could be the morphine causing that. If it was your back causing that issue.....you wouldnt be able to feel an urge at all. The leg issue well, i cant imagine what could be causing that for you. What exactly did your discogram results say? Did they get a CT scan after the doc injected the dye? If so, that shouldve shown much....even more than the MRI. Maybe you will find something out today if you are going for a doc visit...good luck,

LYNN

**Megss** · 01-22-2011, 05:33 PM

The discogram said that my L4-L5 and L5-S1 discs were contributing to my pain. That was back in Noveraber and they did use imaging with that test, although I do not think it was a CT. The doc who preformed that test (not the surgeon I was seeing at the time) said I needed surgery. At my next visit with the surgeon after that, he said I would need a 2 level fusion.
The Urgent Care (Urgent Care is just a 24 hour walk in clinic) doctor last night saw significant right leg weakness and I did not respond to the poking test (I couldn't feel her poking my right foot and calf), so she told me I had to go to the ER for more imaging and believes I have a major nerve compression. The only reason they didn't do an MRI at the ER last night is because there was no one there to do it, and I have a surgeon appointment today. So it's not that they are not finding any new issues. Plus I haven't had any imaging done since Noveraber, and a lot of my symptoms have changed since then. When the imaging tests were done, I had no right leg pain, and now I do. My knees also buckle, the nurabness and pins and needles is much more frequent, and the pain is much more severe. I did take the meRAB they gave me in the ER, but he only gave me 15, so they are gone now. I tried 2 at a time and that worked better. So far the 2 meRAB that have worked the best for me are Percocet and Valium, although I can only take the valium at bed time because I have to sleep within 30 minutes of taking it. Vicodin worked fine when my pain wasn't as severe.

I am not seeking medication, I am truly in a lot of pain and just looking for help. I didn't want to go to the ER last night. I went because the Urgent Care doctor told me to.

01-22-2011, 10:15 PM

Megs,
I also just read your other post about having difficulty starting to go to the toilet. That corabined with your other symptoms could be something called Cauda Equina Syndrome. It basically is a worsening of your symptoms, increasing nurabness or weakness ( spreading of it in some cases), increasing pain levels, and difficulty or inability to start or stop bodily functions. You should do some looking up for it on the internet. I would place a call to your surgeon and let him know what is going on with your body, and the lessing strength, increasing nurabness. It may very well not be CES, however , if it is, you need to get it taken care of as soon as possible. It is a medical emergency, not something to wait and see if it gets better......
I don't want to scare you but at the same time I do.....it is a serious problem that can cause permanent damage if not fixed fast.
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01-23-2011, 09:49 PM

Oh, and one more thing, NEVER, EVER take more of a medication than what is prescribed by your doctor, no matter how badly you feel. It can cause you major problems, not only medically as in what it can do to your body, but with your physician. You should always call your doctor first, before taking any more than you are prescribed.
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**Megss** · 01-27-2011, 06:25 AM

Hi Backhurtz-

I never have taken more medication than I am supposed to. The 15 pills that I was referring to was from the first ER visit, not last night. I was allowed to take 1 or 2 of those every 4-6 hours, so I didn't take more than I was allowed.

I saw the surgeon today and I am having surgery in a month. The scheduler will call me with exact dates to choose from. They don't think my situation is an emergency, although he does think I need surgery.

One thing I am a little concerned about. The first surgeon thought most of my pain was coming from my discs, and said I needed a 2 level fusion. The surgeon today who is doing my surgery thinks most of my pain is coming from the spondy and is only doing a one level fusion. He said a chunk of my bone is completely broken off and just kind of hanging there. It's just weird how opinions differ so much.