causes and treatments

[fed-up]

My Father is 69 years old and out of the blue, lost all function of his right leg.  He is a pilot for an air ambulance and was on two flights the day it happened.  It started out as tingling and the the inside of both the thigh and calf and all of his knee had no feeling at all.  he spent 6 days in the hospital with extreme lower back pain, and no feeling in the leg.  After an Mri and a Milogram and CT scans with and without dye, both for bone problems and vasular problems the prognosis was he had a femural neuropathy, but no-one can tell us where the damaged nerve is located and whether or not he can return to work, and what caused it. He had been experiencing back pain and was given three cortizone injections within 2 years, the first one helping and the second and third (given 1 year after the first) and within two weeks of each other did no help at all.  Now he is in extreme pain in his leg and has losing muscle tone in the right leg.  his knee buckles and he has fallen numerous times since returning home.  he walks with a cane and goes three times a week to physical therapy which includes a kind of shock treatment, chiropractic care, and acupuncture, which he says works somewhat.  he sleep is distrupted by pain and he cat naps alot.  he is afraid to shower that he might fall and cannot walk more than a short distance before the pain comes back, and the threat of falling haunts him.  he is on a pain killer that he says doesnt work and he only takes them at night, to help him sleep but doesnt. I believe the name is hypocordone. what can we do.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-CS]

If there is a structural problem on the scans he may benefit from surgery. If he has not had an EMG, that would be helpful. An EMG tests the muscles and nerves, and can help localize which nerves are injured and potentially where. If this is a femoral neruopathy, besides problems in the spine, it could be do to diabetes, inflammation with the spianl fluid, injury (trauma), vascular damage to the nerve, or something pushing on the nerve after it leaves the spine. To help evaluate these possibilities he may have an MRI scan of the pelvis and thigh to look at the nerve and ensure nothing is pushing on it. A blood test for diabetes can also be helpful. Then a spinal fluid analysis could be considered.

The best type of doctor to evaluate this problem is a neurologist, and if he has already seen one, then perhaps a second opinion at an academic center would be appropriate. Good luck.

[fed-up]

He also had an angioplasty done about 1 to two months prior to the paralysis.  He had a blood clot in his left leg and they entered through his femoral artery on the right side.  Three days after the surgery (they did install a shunt) his right leg swelled up and became numb, and the Dr. told him it would go away within days, which it did. His toes and foot on the right side became purple during this time also.  Then it wasnt but a month or so this happened, one day he was fine and the next day he had no function of his right leg, that fast.  I need some answers because he is slipping into depression.  He has lost weight and doesnt have anything that makes him happy.  He has flown air ambulance now for over twenty five years and this was his life and now he risks losing that if his leg wont function.  I would be interested in any surgery that could help him or pain medication.  I really want function back in his leg before the muscle deteriorates to the point there is no going back.

[fed-up]

Just a follow-up.  We went to the neurologist today and had the EMG done.  The result were that there is more than just a femoral neuropathy going on.  He also has spot in his back that is not responding.  He will go in on Friday to had the Spinal Fluid Analysis done and if it proves negative for anything then it will be on to another MRI.  One final note is I wished they would have performed it in the hospital in the first place.  He has been walking around with a numb leg for exactly one month today.  I hope that because of the lack of the test being performed right away, that there is no permanent nerve damage that could have been reversed if the doctors would have done the test sooner.  If any one has any like senarios I would like to hear about them.  I will update the prognosis after the spinal fluid analysis.  Everyone pray for the best.

[fed-up]

wanted to follow up.  Good news.  After the EMG was done we had a spinal tap, followed by an MRI with contrast, that showed a abnormality on the L4 vertabrae.  Dad went in two days ago for a bone scan and a chest x-ray followed by a CT scan with contrast of his chest.  Prognosis was either an infection or at worst cancer of the spine.  We got the word today, that among all the tests and blood work that came back normal, he has an infection on the vertabrae.  They started him on an antibiotic on Tuesday of this week, due to swelling in his bad knee and ankle of the right leg, and the swelling has decreased and the pain in his leg and hip and back have all but gone away.He has had his first two good nights sleep in a month, and appears to be back on his way to recovery.  He may have to go in for surgery to scrape the infection from the vertabrae, but he is relieved to have it almost completely diagnosed and on his way to recovery.  I would like to thank the doctors for their advice, it gave us the information we needed to proceed this far, (but he didnt like the emg very much), but without it we may still not have had the quick diagnosis we do today.  Thank you again and God Bless you all.

[yogibear]

Hi I understand what you are going through as I myself have been experiencing back pain and the usage of my right leg to the point of not being able to feel it.

My doctors are still looking into what has caused it and I should have some answers by this week.  I have been going down hill for the last five years and they still do not seem to have the answers for me.

I have done the physotherapy on and off for the last 2 years and it does not seem to help much.  We are fed up as well as we are fighting to get the money to cover everything from shoes to boots to fit a brace that I have to wear.  Have the doctors mentioned anything to you in regards to it being called drop foot?  As this is what they have called mine with my leg which has been caused from my back.

[yogibear]

Just wanted to let you know that your dad is not the only one going through this kind of situation.  I am only 39 years old and I have lost the feeling in my right leg several times to the point of not being able to walk as it drags behind me.  I have had several tests done and still have not found the answer.  If they do find anything out I would like to hear about it because maybe it could help me.

[Gailee]

A related discussion, vascular problems was started.