Different Pain After Epidural

  Dear Doctor
    I had an epidural in June 1998 because of
  extreme pain in lower back, hips and left
  leg. The doctor assured me that I would
  only be affected with discomfort for one
  day after the epidural. Yet for 8 days I
  couldn't control the movement of my feet.
  I also got a little feverish and nauseous
  with what I would call a burning sensation
  in my back. I still have this new pain in
  my back. I notice it more when sitting and
  especially lying down. What causes this
  burning(?) pain? Could be nerve damage or
  scar tissue from the epidural? I would
  also state this doctor conned me into this
  procedure even though on numerous occasions
  I emphatically stated I never wanted this
  done. Will this pain ever go away?
  Thanks
  Kevin
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Dear Kevin,
It is tough to say what happened with your epidural.  The conceivable problems that could have occurred are that the needle could have poked into a nerve root, but this shouldn't cause problems with both legs, likely it would be just one.  The needle could have hit the conus medullaris, but you have no bowel or bladder difficulties.  Last, it could have caused a hole in the dura, but this would present as a headache.  
In situations like this where it is not clear what happened, the best course of action is likely time and rest.  It is, no doubt, frustrating, but try to be patient.  Also, you could speak with the physician who performed the epidural, though it seems this relationship is a bit strained already.  Give it some time.
Good luck.