Dilantin (?)

Posted By Sandy on December 27, 1998 at 17:03:32:







Not quite sure which category in which to post.  I'm 5'5" & 225lbs. Female
and 50 yrs. Work two, full time jobs and play golf.  First job is in
advertising sales (high stress) 2nd is at home on our large internet store.
A.  Started out with severe burning, tingling, numbness in upper left thigh.
    It has gotten worse, of course, with added weight.  I lost 100lbs on the
    Fen Phen diet, but it's slowly coming back without the medication. I
    am still on a very low fat diet.
B.  MRI and Nerve tests completed with diagnosis of two semi herniated
    discs & three buldging discs.  Surgery is not indicated
    and I would not want it anyway.
    1.  I seldom experience back pain.
    2.  Only trouble seems to be when lying down.  I have to put the left
    leg up a bit to flatten the back against the mattress.  The tail-bone
    (can't remember spelling for proper name)
C.  First perscription was for Carbatrol
    1.  Carbatrol upset my stomach and made me sleepy.  
    2.  I don't have time to be sleepy.  
    3.  My leg began to itch in addition to the burning.
D.  Doctor discontinued Carbatrol and perscribed Dilantin.  I am taking three
capsules before bed each evening.
    1.  My knees and legs are aching enough to wake me at night.  The ache
        feels like it's coming right from the bone.  Very unpleasant.
    2.  I started taking my estrogen again to try to counteract the aching
        but it seems worse.  The doctor had advised me to stop taking it
        due to the death of an aunt and double mastectomy my sister
        suffered due to breast cancer. However, my family doctor had
        prescribed it to help the beginnings of osteoparosis.(geesh, how
        do you spell these things?!)
    3.  There are lumps that have appeared at the top of my leg, behind the
        knee.  The left one is the larger.
    4.  The burning and numbness in my left leg is just as bad as it was
        before I consulted doctors.  I used to have to walk a long distance
        before symptoms started, but the numbness is constant now and
        burning is also present most of the time.  It takes only a few
        minutes of standing or walking for it to become severly painful.
NOW WHAT?  Is there no other medication to take?  I do not have epilepsy and
feel that the side effects are worse than the problems.  I'm trying to lose
weight, though my metabolism is that of a slug.
HELP.
Sandy