Upcoming CAT Scan

[Moni]

This looks like a very informative site.Lots of good information.
I am information gathering!
In September I was sent to a neurosurgeon after three years of being treated for "mystery" pain in my legs by taking zoloft and alprazolam! He looked at my CT and told me L1S1 was badly messed up and the disc has degenerated to where it is just a smear.My back is what he calls unstable and degenerating.My spine has shifted and is noticeably bulging to the right...NOT good! I am not a good canditate for fusion because of the location? He said get core muscles strengthened. Loose weight if possible.No lifting. No turning. And in time the spine will fuse itself which will ease the pain. Medicate to control pain.Follow up in three months.
Now three months later!!! Hip.thigh leg pain is worse....VERY hard to loose weight as even walking causes mega nerve pain in the saddle area....you can eat healthy ALL you want but if you cant move the weight isnt just going to leave. Plus the high doses of codeine and gabapentin are not exactly weight loss aids. The one major side effect of gaba is actually weight gain!
Do I sound frustrated?? Sorry...I am.
I go for another CT on the 10th and then my dr is sending me to another neuro in either Victoria, Edmonton or Calgary.I've asked him to find someone who will do a full physical / neurological assessment...not just look at the disc and say hmmmm nope won't fuse to stabilize go home.
I can't wait coz this wait and medicate the pain is not working for me...I'm 53 and honestly sometimes I feel 103 and the chronic pain is getting very old.
Thanks for listening.

[Justin]

Hi Moni,

Welcome to the Spine Patient Society!

I understand your frustration, especially about reduced mobility due to pain and weight gain. It is really hard to lose weight when you are heavily medicated and in pain. Unfortunately, gaba does have the side effect of weight gain as you mentioned.

Consulting with another neurologist / neurosurgeon is a good idea. Keep us posted after your CT on the 10th. I do hope you can move forward, reduce your pain and ultimately find a "solution" to your spine problems.

We're glad to have you here and don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything.

[Moni]

Thanks for the welcomes Justin!!
It is good to find a site like this that is full of posts from people in the same boat as the one I'm in.
My main area of damage is L5/S1( that was a codeine/gaba oops!!!) but I have DDD in the cervical area as well...
I'll post after the scan and let you all know whats up...one of the concerns my dr has is "cauda equina syndrom" as I have been experiencing issues in that area since using a stationary bicycle ONCE in December.

mg

[ajj1001]

Hiya and welcome. I'm recovering very slowly from a fusion of that disc (have got higher up problems as well). I'm on Gabapentin/Tramadol/Codeine etc and have managed to lose 10lbs in 5 months so it can be done albeit very slowly. Are you able to swim at all? On your back you don't twist or with a flotation belt you can swim with just your arms and avoid twisting. I have got stuff do water aerobics which is all I have been able to do, this can get me reasonably breathless and so burn up some extra calories.

Hope you get some answers soon.

alison x

[Dave]

Hi Moni and welcome to the site. Great info here and a lot of knowledgeable "been there" folks who can support you.
Good luck and keep us updated on your appointment on the 10th.

[linda]

Hey Moni,
Welcome to the site! I'm sorry you are having these spinal troubles. I'm also a L5-S1 person almost bone on bone and have recently developed more thigh pain. I take one klonopin .5 mg. a day and it seems to help. It also helps my burning foot pain. I wish you luck at your appt. My doc said it could take many years for the disc to self-fuse. It has already been several years and I don't know exactly how long my disc has been this collapsed. Once again, welcome to the site
Linda

[scduggan]

Dear Moni,
Welcome to the website. You will be tempted to spend hours researching because this is such a great source of information. On the other hand, I am sure sitting is HORRIBLE. Hang in there, keep searching and trust your gut. Keep us posted about your next doctor visit. Good Luck!
CD

[Moni]

Thank you all for the welcomes and making me feel like part of a group that I can be totally real with.
It has been hard for the past few years not knowing what was wrong with me getting weaker and weaker in the legs and in constant pain without an apparent reason. I had learned to be quiet and deny the reality of the pain.
I was diagnosed by accident this passed September and now that I know where the area of greatest damage is I want to learn all I can about my condition and what treatments are available.
I am not going to be a passive patient any longer....I'm 'in the loop now' and I'm here to participate!
The reading I've done on this site in the past few days has given me more information than all the drs visits in the last years ....
I believe I will be posting on some of the other threads, asking questions...and I think I read somewhere that there are no dumb questions here!...gotta love that

[Moni]

I'm recovering very slowly from a fusion of that disc (have got higher up problems as well). I'm on Gabapentin/Tramadol/Codeine etc and have managed to lose 10lbs in 5 months so it can be done albeit very slowly. Are you able to swim at all? On your back you don't twist or with a flotation belt you can swim with just your arms and avoid twisting. I have got stuff do water aerobics which is all I have been able to do, this can get me reasonably breathless and so burn up some extra calories.
Hello to you....so we are bonded by spine pain... How did they decide to fuse you...the first neuro I saw said i was too young(53) for that procedure and I have NO disc there at all just a smear left he said.I have an unstable back and a protrusion to the right side with a narowing of the ????where the nerves go through...He said fusion would tend to domino effect the next discs up? Gaba takes a lot of the nerve pain away but it makes me feel not exactly all there...the tramadol does real nasty stuff to my head and the codeine makes me emotionally lala.....but no pain relief.The dr upped my gaba but that scares me right now because when I do not feel the pain that says dont go THERE Moni I inevitably go there then pretty soon I am flat on my back totally wiped out for three or four days....I'm going to try the water aerobics....with the belt...I tried with a kickboard for support and flotation but that was WAY to much twisting which put me into labor pain!! At my age I can't handle that!
Thanks for the help.mg