two bulging discs protruding on nerve

Hi Toni, Yes it is possible that the discs can be so painful. My guess is that one or both of the discs has split and ruptured and the centre has leaked out and is pressing on a nerve. Depending on which nerve it is, will depend on where you have the pain. This has happened to me more than once in the past, and its excruciating. I dealt with it by staying in bed for a few days, using a hot water bottle, and taking diazepam and pain killers, until the pain eased off. it should do in a day or so. Have you done anything strenuous, lifting, and twisting? This can cause an unstable disc to go.

If you have someone to look after your children, and you for a few days, let them. Then try to mobilise slowly, dont leave it too long, or your muscles will get weak. Sorry you are in so much pain.

HI TONI,

I READ YOUR POST. YOU NEED TO GET TO THE DR. ASAP. I DON'T KNOW HOW OLD YOUR KIDS ARE. I HOPE YOU CAN FIND HELP WITH THEM, WHILE YOU GO TO YOUR DR. OR EMERGENCY ROOM. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU MUST GET HELP WITH, BEFORE IT GETS WORSE. BUT YOU NEED TO SEE THE DR. FOR EX RAYS ETC. ASAP! GOOD LUCK, AS I HAVE BAD PAIN WITH MY DISC PROBLEMS AND SPINE. GO GET HELP. AND I WISH YOU THE BEST. SOMETHING IS SERIOUSLY WRONG!

Hi Toni,

Very sorry to hear about your level of pain and your incapacitation. I've been there and it is horrible - the pain and the depression of being incapacitated are horrible. A couple of things I would mention:

First, events like the one you are experiencing generally last anywhere from 2-4 days of peak (or "breakthrough") pain, after which it takes as long as 6 weeks or so for your back to recover. So don't be scared that you will be at this level of pain permanently, it will likely subside to a more tolerable level in several days. During the time of this episode, though, you need to make arrangements to have people help you if you can.

Second, you need to have a serious talk with your doctor about the level of pain medication he is giving you, and about how you experience pain. Most doctors prescribe pain meds for the general, or average level of pain a patient experiences on a daily basis. That's fine, but you also need to remind the doctor that you are vulnerable to episodes of "breakthrough" pain, like the one you are having now. He needs to prescribe for you to keep in your medicine cabinet a 3-4 day supply of a seriously powerful pain medication, like vicodin or percocet, to help you deal with these incidents of breakthrough pain. And also he should give you a variety of other (possibly temporary) medications that can be helpful, such as muscle relaxants (like Robaxin), anti-neuralgia medication (like Gabapentin), oral steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (like a Medrol DosePack) and others. And you need to be able to get these in advance, because when these episodes of severe breakthrough pain occur you will probably, by definition, be unable to visit the doctor due to your incapacitation (or he needs to write these temporary prescriptions for someone else to fill for you).

Third, a comment on whether this could be caused by bulging or herniated discs. Yes that's possible, although bulging and herniated discs more often than not compress nerves that cause the pain sensation more in your buttocks and down your legs, not so much in the lumbar area of your back (this leg pain is commonly called "sciatica"). If you are having severe pain only in the lumbar area of your back (commonly called "lumbago" or "radiculopathy") that may be a different cause, such as spinal (or facet) arthritis. Your doctor should prescribe an MRI or CT scan with contrast to determine what the cause of this pain is, to see whether a long-term surgical solution is in order. But don't let any discussion with the doctor about such long-term diagnostics distract from the equally important discussion you need to have with him that you need help NOW, which generally means a temporary supply of strong pain meds.

Good luck with this all, I know how frustrating it can be...