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Neurology (Expert Forum)
arachnoiditis or disc problem?
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arachnoiditis or disc problem?
by nanceetom, Aug 29, 2006 12:00AM
Please help?
I have ACM/Pseudo tumor/syringomelia/arachnoiditis brain and spinal cord/Trigeminal Neuralgia all from Cervical Fracture C-4-6 Car acccident. I have had Fusion C-4-6 Gamma Knife, but now seem to have extreme pain in my lower spine.
I have had spinal taps for pressure problems and a mylegram. I also take depo medrol injections ( not in my spine) I am currently taking anti-inflamatories twice a day and 350 mg of topomax (topamax) all of which do not help with the pain. I have tried vicodin and percocet and I have been to the in and out of the ER with methadone injections.
The arachnoiditis was diagnosed during the surgery for ACM, and I realize that there is not much you can do besides anti-inflamatories, but should I have an MRI my back incase there is a problem with a disc. I am having problems, as the day wears on, with more movement with walking. There is pain in my legs, my feet and my back burn and my feet tingle alot! There is also numbness.
I am being treated for extreme head pain too so this gets very confusing.
Thank you very much for your opinion! I know this is hard to read in an email.
Thank you again!
I have ACM/Pseudo tumor/syringomelia/arachnoiditis brain and spinal cord/Trigeminal Neuralgia all from Cervical Fracture C-4-6 Car acccident. I have had Fusion C-4-6 Gamma Knife, but now seem to have extreme pain in my lower spine.
I have had spinal taps for pressure problems and a mylegram. I also take depo medrol injections ( not in my spine) I am currently taking anti-inflamatories twice a day and 350 mg of topomax (topamax) all of which do not help with the pain. I have tried vicodin and percocet and I have been to the in and out of the ER with methadone injections.
The arachnoiditis was diagnosed during the surgery for ACM, and I realize that there is not much you can do besides anti-inflamatories, but should I have an MRI my back incase there is a problem with a disc. I am having problems, as the day wears on, with more movement with walking. There is pain in my legs, my feet and my back burn and my feet tingle alot! There is also numbness.
I am being treated for extreme head pain too so this gets very confusing.
Thank you very much for your opinion! I know this is hard to read in an email.
Thank you again!
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-SH, Aug 30, 2006 12:00AM
First of all, keep in mind that I am unable to diagnose you because I am unable to examine you, this forum is for educational purposes.
The symptoms that you describe of pain in the legs, feet burning and tingling, could be a lower spine problem, a peripheral neuropathy, medication side effect (of the topamax) or due to the spinal cord pathology in your neck (that ACM and/or the syringomelia can do this).
It seems that you were left with bad structural disease in your spine after the accident and chronic pain. Chronic pain is often very hard to treat and requires a team approach between intervential pain doctors, psychiatrists, social workers and most importantly the patient.
I would recommend that you get an MRI of your thoracic and lumbar spine, and an EMG. You may be a candidate for a spinal cord stimulator (for chronic back pain) or other interventional procedure. I would recommend that you seek help at a pain center that offers all of these avenues to you, to give you the best chance at a better life.
I hope this has been helpful.
The symptoms that you describe of pain in the legs, feet burning and tingling, could be a lower spine problem, a peripheral neuropathy, medication side effect (of the topamax) or due to the spinal cord pathology in your neck (that ACM and/or the syringomelia can do this).
It seems that you were left with bad structural disease in your spine after the accident and chronic pain. Chronic pain is often very hard to treat and requires a team approach between intervential pain doctors, psychiatrists, social workers and most importantly the patient.
I would recommend that you get an MRI of your thoracic and lumbar spine, and an EMG. You may be a candidate for a spinal cord stimulator (for chronic back pain) or other interventional procedure. I would recommend that you seek help at a pain center that offers all of these avenues to you, to give you the best chance at a better life.
I hope this has been helpful.
