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L4 L5 and other stuff

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fatal80888
fatal80888

Ok so ill start off by saying i was stabbed in the lower back pretty damn close to the spine about 7-8 years ago. Now i dont know and nor did the docs at the hospital at the time  how deep the knife went. They left me in a hospital bed after cleaning the area as i was lay on my stomach while they did this for about 2 hours i guess to stop the bleeding. The whole time i was in the hospital i didnt recieve Xray or anything else in terms of scan. They left the wound open i guess to let any infection draw out the wound. Day after i woke up and wanted to go to the toilet so nurse took me off the drip i was on for dehydration and i got off very slowly and painfully. I noticed my body wanted to walk sideways and not forward which was pretty weird. Couple weeks went by i healed up felt pain free. Anyways over the next few years my back started getting painful and i was doing a job that involved alot of heavy lifting and twisting and swinging a sledge hammer about (Demolition) and it started taking its tole on my lower back. So i went to my GP and his gave he said take ibruprofen you will be fine. I went away and few months later i went back as it was getting worse and making it hard for me to do my job and this made me angry at work and at home. I went GP a second time he sent me for MRI and turns out a disc bulge was occuring L4 L5. Sent me to physio it never worked. Temporary relief at best until i stopped the session then pain was back. My job itself was hard enough on my back even if i didnt have a problem so basically it never really got any rest. Now currently on Naproxen which i may add works really well for me except i still have a deep ache constantly no matter what medication i use thats always there. Does anyone know what the deep ache could be ? and is it more than likely the stab wound that caused my disc problem with the muscles being so tense? When my back gets bad it stiffens up so tight and the pain is very very bad so now i limit myself. standing to long hurts. sitting to long hurts. alcohol which i dont touch anymore causes severe pain in my back also. I know i have to wait for MRI results to see what is going on here but trying to get some background to my problem see if anyone has simular stuff. Recently also my left leg feels weird but cant figure out what that weird is maybe weakness! i also had a restless leg for a couple days last week especially at night. Sudden urge to move or sit and bounce my leg so the feeling would go away. i had numbness in my left leg also the left side of the shin and in the left side of my foot on the top. Naproxen seems to have calmed the numbness but that weird leg feeling is still there. GP also wants me to see a neuroligist although that appointment hasnt arrived so i dont know whats going on there. Alot of pain meds ive tried were temporary and then started making me feel energy less. naproxen has worked the best so far im a week in on the stuff. Sorry if this was a pain to read as i rushed it.

0 likes, 17 replies

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  • fatal80888
    fatal80888

    Posted

    what i meant to say was i had numbness ONLY in the left side of my shin and left top side of the foot including 2 small toes. numbness has calmed down as of typing this. I have had sciatica type pain my left leg numerous times but  its not always the case. Had it in both legs twice as i can remember but quite a while ago. Will the naproxen affect the scan in any way shape or form or should i come off it until the scan is done /?
  • fatal80888
    fatal80888

    Posted

    forgot to add MINOR bowel incontinence been going on for like 3 years. It feels like i havnt wiped properly and/or like im sweating from the area. Changed up diet before to check if it was that but no joy.
  • fatal80888
    fatal80888

    Posted

    Due second MRI on the 13th October.
  • buggsy1000
    buggsy1000 fatal80888

    Posted

    Hey Fatal

    Well well well, where to start really.

    Firstly sounds like you have been through a awful lot over last few years. I can't give any advice on the stabbing other than I am don't think this has much to do with your disc related back problem. Can I ask where your from as treatment differes all over the world.?

    Regarding disc bulge, L3,4,5 and S1 are the main issues that have probably occurred over the years from your job. In the UK when you get diagnosed with bulges 90% of the time they like to use anti inflammatory meds like naproxen and try physio, when this doesn't work they tend to refer you to a surgeon who might request a second MRI, obviously the first one showed bulges, but as the bulge gets bigger I found my symptoms got worse, leg pain, like a red hot poker in my back, burning pain to the knee and numbness in the legs, eventually I also had bowel and bladder issues like you describe and ended up with Claudia equine where the discs bulge to much and compress the nerves.

    If this is the case with you I suspect they will offer a discectomy where they shave the disc and hope this sorts most of the problems. Failing that they will probably offer a spinal fusion where they insert screws, rods and cages. I have had both done and sadly they for me made it worse. I have had other ops and just tried a spinal cord stimulator, but due to so much scar tissue this didn't help with the pain.

    Hopefully for you they will get you sorted ASAP, as you sound like you need a little luck in life my friend.

    Keep us updated or if you want to ask anything else fire away.

    Regards

    George UK

    • fatal80888
      fatal80888 buggsy1000

      Posted

      Thanks for the response buggsy.

      Im from the UK yes. Now if it ends up me having to have surgery whether it comes to fusion or not im not sure yet. But id rather not have fusion id rather have a disc replacement tbh but im not sure how available that is at the moment. Looking on the NHS website says it is but i guess it all depends really. My back gets worse. I get many symptoms come and go but always have this deep ache not matter what meds i take. My back feels wrecked if im honest. I do suffer with depression currently and have for a while. Which has made me go from physically fit to 20 lbs overweight within the last 12 months. All this just adds to me not wanting to go out and do stuff which really is the only reason i went back to GP and said to him ive had enough of this now. Hes a new GP and he actually seems to care unlike my retired family GP who tried to send me away with ibruprofen and say you will be fine. I knew there was alot more going on with my back and had to pressure him for the first MRI which annoyed me. I dont know if my bulge turned into a complete rupture or not yet but will find out on the 13th. I just want to be pain free for once in so many years. When the naproxen kicked in after a week i felt no pain at all for couple days and i felt really weird without pain if that makes sense. Also had like a biting insect feeling or a sharp burn in random places all over me few nights ago. i put that down to a side effect of the naproxen but who knows. Also had the same sort of sensation before that but instead of burn it was like someone touched me with an ice cube every now n then. Ive tried to take it upon myself to strengthen my back and core but when i do the pain stops me in my tracks. Its managable but annoying when resting but being active sets it off. Ive heard stories about the discectomy before and alot of people had re occuring disc problem shortly after. Am i able to tell them what i want or will they do what they think is best ? then again all depends on whats on the MRI. Still puzzled why my GP wants me to see a neuroligist. thinking about it my mums had cancer before and says the docs said she had MS even though it didnt show on her scans they were addament she had it. excuse my spelling im rushing again  sad

    • fatal80888
      fatal80888

      Posted

      Just to add to this there are so many conditions and/or injuries that have simular symptoms to each other that browsing the net got me no where. I snezed the other day when i was sat down and it sent an intense shooting pain through both arms and stayed there for about 2 minutes then gradually wore off.
    • buggsy1000
      buggsy1000 fatal80888

      Posted

      Hey Fatal, where in the U.K are you??

      Backs are such a hard thing, I was. 30 in 2010 when I injured my back, at first I thought I pulled a muscle so just carried on. 4 months or so passed and I finally went to A&E as the pain became so severe and I was problems in the bladder and bowl and kept missing the toilet, loss of sensation and then sneeze or something and would have accidents, A&E did a MRI but the Dr told me it all looked ok, but the kept me in for 3 weeks and then decided I had a psychological problem called conversion disorder, basically all in my head, I went along with it and saw psych team who said nothing wrong with my brain and they needed to find source of pain, this really upset me and I carried on struggling for a further 2 yrs and got referred to a specialist physio, he ordered a new MRI and at the same time record my old scan, some how they missed that I had 3 prolapsed disc, and a annular tare, the new MRI showed the had gotten worse and caused Claudia equine but also had caused major nerve damage. The Surgeon opted for a discectomy but after a few weeks these prolapsed again, and finally In 2015 I had a spinal fusion of l3,4,5 and s1. My back pain felt ok to start with a little sore but this was to be expected. After a few weeks I started getting all my pain back and worse than before, my surgeon saw me quickly and said the fusion failed and they refused to do anything else, so referred me to pain specialists in London, but I have just had the trial and this also failed.

      Do you struggle sleeping?? Are you still working ?? And do you have any other pain meds??

      Regards

      George

    • glxpassat
      glxpassat buggsy1000

      Posted

      Maybe since he has no scar tissue; shaving the bone as you mentioned and then a spinal cord stimulator for the nerve issues. The less procedures the better the SCS might work? What do you think?
    • buggsy1000
      buggsy1000 glxpassat

      Posted

      Hi GLX

      Where are you from??.

      you might know this already if you live in the U.K, although the NHS is good everything takes a long time if it doesn't need to be fixed there and then. If my suspicions are correct and the bulges are worse then I for sure would opt to try the discectomy route as a quicker recovery time, if they advise for a fusion it's something I would now in hindsite taken longer time to think about it and wish I got details from other people. The spinal cord stimulator seems to be last chance of surgery has failed and they try to help with the pain but even that I waited nearly 16 months from referral to trial.

      Just because it failed on me that doesn't mean it won't work for others, I hope they can sort the problem quickly, my biggest advice if a spinal op is needed then take all the time you need to recover, don't feel rushed, the surgeons get you up on your feet with physio next day, and tell you ( welll mine did) you will be fine in a few weeks. But it seems that for most it's up to 6 months up for a fusion.

      George :-)

    • glxpassat
      glxpassat buggsy1000

      Posted

      I live in the U.S. since our healthcare reform, its a mess, so we have to wait, but mot nearly as long as you guys. Although you guys are sooooo lucky to not have to pay for your healrhcare. It's awful being in a lot of pain, and worrying how your gonna pay for things. I lost everything because of my damn accident in-which I'd work so hard to achieve. But it is what it is. Wish you could get things working for you to lesson the pain. Keeping fingers crossed.

    • fatal80888
      fatal80888 buggsy1000

      Posted

      I dont like the idea of restricted movement that comes with fusion. Im located in warwickshire in the midlands. My bowel problem isnt severe id say but i have noticed i get diarrhoea and blocked up alot and do leak from the bowel and when i notice wetness i go trip to toilet again and its like i never wiped properly the first time. Ive ended up wiping too hard and too much alot of times causing soreness and bleeding because of it. Been a little better since using Naproxen.Still happens. Used to be worse when i was on my feet working all day. Been on cocodamol,tramadol,solpadol.ibruprofen, and none of them did me any good and drained my energy away. Not currently working for the last 12 months.And if they give me fusion i probably wont be able to do the same type of work again which im concerned about as im an outdoor type of person. It all started when i 21-22 thats when i was stabbed. About a year after that i noticed my back slowly degrading and im now 30. Trying to tell my old boss he just didnt listen and was always like you are young blah blah blah like no one seems to get it. Why do i get the feeling they wont do a very good check with the MRI. it says Lumbar MRI on the letter also so i dont know if they will scan the whole spine ? may not be related to anything but my sleep is all over the place sometimes ill fall asleep at 4am and woke up at 8 and other crazy times. every time i do wake though both my arms and hands feel very fatigued/tired and they hardly move. Im currently not claiming any form of benefit and not sure if im entitled to any and if i was i wouldnt know what.
  • paul32508
    paul32508 fatal80888

    Posted

    Fatal,

    ​        Sorry to hear of the stabbing..but just to add a couple of points I have just had my discs sorted from years of back problems but last year bending down showing my daughter how to swing a golf club  it got alot worse and sliped completely.Same here naproxen were ok then they put me on neuro pills whivh got rid of pain in leg but lots of side effects but numbed pain.So my pain was the same my thigh used to pulse and twitch,numb shin ,top of left foot and big toe also numb but his was all down to the disc damaging the nerve and the only way they could sort it was surgery for me.The longer it went I think the more damage was happening to the nerve,post surgery after 3 discs done I have been left with a weakness in left leg,numb toe ans shin but pain free relatively.To be honest I would have it done again if I knew what I do now,I sleep better,not as angry due to the constant pain and now after I asked for advice from this site feel a better future.I totally understand the pain your going through but there are fixes but not instantly unless you go private but keep badgering for a remedy its the only way.I suspect this may not of helped but I thought I would pass on that I was in a very similar pain but with an outcome..

    ​good luck hope things get better..

    Paul

  • fatal_1986
    fatal_1986 fatal80888

    Posted

    WOW i found my old discussion and i made a new thread and a new account because i formatted my pc and lost all my data and my memory sucks lately lol!! Now im not sure if i should copy n paste what i wrote in my new post or just write it again in here. If there is a moderator of this forum that could help me that would be awesome. 

    Anyways guys this is still my post just new name i got my MRI done before christmas and im in to see the neuro surgeon on the 15th jan. 3 days from writing this. My GP didnt explain very well what was going on but what i did get from him was slipped disc and he mentioned something was out of alignment so he booked me in to see the neuro. Honestly the way im feeling i actually want surgery doing the pain is too much lately.

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