I have an obstacle and I need to vent LONG

[spoiltmom 44]

Okay almost 7 years ago I started having a debilitating pain in my left knee and down the outside of my left leg. It would go down my leg and into my foot. The pain on a scale of 1-10 was a 20! Nothing helped it or made it ease up. I saw an orthopedic doc who said I had patello femoral knee pain in my knee and I needed physical therapy. So I did PT on and off for years.

Finally in 2005 the pain became unbearable and I had surgery on my knee. The doc never said that my knee was making my leg hurt but since I kept complaining with my leg and he kept talking about my knee I just Assumed they were connected. Well I had the surgery and my knee was doing great but my leg was still KILLING me. That's when he told me that they were NOT related at ALL and that he felt I had a pinched nerve in my back that was making my leg hurt so badly.

Since then I've seen 2 neurologists, 1 neurosurgeon, a Rheumatologist, 2 more orthopedic docs besides the one I have, my family doc and a Physical Medicine doc.

I've had an MRI of my leg, knee and low back. I've also had an EMG which was good. The physical med doc said he felt that the MRI wasn't telling the whole story and I that have a pinched nerve and it's just not showing up on the MRI. He wanted to do an epidural steroid injection. I got pregnant after that and couldn't do it. Now here I am. My baby is 6 months old.

EVERY SINGLE TIME I walk a lot I go to bed with a horrible pain in my leg:( Rather it's walking on my treadmill or just walking a lot b/c I'm out shopping.

The only thing that helps is to take Vicodin OR a sleeping pill so I can at least sleep through the night but I can't take either with a baby in the house.

I'm 30 years old and I'm tired of having this pain. It holds me back so much!

Should I just go ahead and schedule the Steroid Injection or what?

I've spent a lot of time and money on this not to have definite answers.

I see my Lap Band surgeon again in 2 weeks and I'm going to go over all of this with him and see what he says also. It actually depresses me:(

[onthego317 4]

I am by no means a doctor but here's my thinking. Why not schedule the injection? Whats the worse that could happen? I would do it and see it if relieves you pain. If it doesn't, then I would probably go for a second opinion.

You have come way too far in your Quest for a healthier life to only have pain drag you down. Pain killers just mask the problem. I would want it fixed!

I hope you get some answers and relief soon!

[spoiltmom 44]

Thanks. I want it fixed too. I'm at 100% coverage with my insurance through the end of this year so that would probably be my best bet. I'm just so tired of this:(

[BetsyB 9]

I have 5 herniated disks from neck to tail, a bum knee, a bad shoulder, and sacroiliac joint disease. (Thank you, Red-Light Runner.)

I won't even scare you by telling you how long I waited for "definitive answers" about what was causing my pain. Let's just say that the aforementioned red light got run in 1981, and I had my first injection 3 years ago.

Epidural steroid injections have been a GODSEND to me. Seriously, I am jumping up and down because I have a cervical epidural and sacroiliac injection scheduled for next week

I get the injections every...oh, 4 months or so, and have for the last 3 years (I think).

I resisted using narcotic pain medication for a very long time (like, decades)--and since I'm allergic to NSAIDs, this was really kind of foolish. Pain medication has an important role in pain management---it doesn't "mask" anything. Pain is a medical diagnosis unto itself---and medication helps treat it. However, using other tools in the arsenal can really reduce your need for narcotic pain relief.

I do take liquid hydrocodone for pain. It allows me to do the exercise that helps my body more than anything else. It does not mentally impair me or prevent me from leading a full life. On the contrary, because I have intractable pain that cannot be effectively be permanently treated, it permits me to lead a full life.

I do recommend the injections--many people get a great deal of relief from them. But if you have the attitude that pain medication "masks" problems, know that the injections, too, fall into this category. They don't really treat the problem--they reduce inflammation temporarily to provide some relief.

Edited October 7, 2010 by BetsyB

[spoiltmom 44]

I don't mind taking meds to get relief but narcotics all make me throw up so I have to take Phenergan with them and well after that I can only sleep. LOL

Would you try the injection even though there's no definitive reason for my pain?

My family doc said the injection would be diagnostic also b/c if it worked that would tell them for sure that it was a pinched nerve. I can't remember now where the doc said it was pinched but he has a theory on where it is and a plan on where to put the injection.

Thanks Betsy!!