Unbearable Left Leg Pain

[Hawte]

Hi, my boyfriend has had two surgeries on his back in the last 3 years. These surgeries were done in Lebanon because no one would do them here in Canada. He had the L4 and L5 vertebrae the first time and this last December he had the same vertebrae and also the ones on the other side of his spine done at the same time. He had slipped discs. Anyway that is just the background that maybe you might want to know. His problem is that even before his surgery he also had severe pain in his left leg. From the bottom of his buttocks to his calf muscle.  Once he had the surgery in December he had no pain in his back and for the most part his leg was fine as well.  Since he has been home he has been complaining of severe pain in his leg. Doctors here have suggested it could be damaged tissue that will cure itself or sciatic nerve damage.(He called his doctor in Lebanon and he was very surprised that his leg was in so much pain) He has even tried acupuncture twice last week. I have massaged it and it seemed to have made it worse. It is now so bad he can barely walk. He went to the Urgent Care Hospital this week and the doctor raised his legs 90 degrees and said that this means that his back is fine. He just went for X-rays, still pending, but MRI is at least 6 months wait( Although he had an MRI after his surgery in Lebanon and the doctor said it all looked great). He was prescribed a new medication that has Morophine in it and all it does is make him sweat,shake and be dizzy and tired but does not relieve his pain at all. I am desperate to help him so anything you can suggest will really help.

** The pain in his leg is like a burning, stabbing sensation that feels very heavy. It also sometimes seizes up. Any kind of diagnosis you can offer or suggest, because we are not even sure what is causing the pain.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

[Hawte]

I tried to Google for your address but I could not find it. It gave me an alternate email address but the email got sent back to me. So if you do not mind I will post my reply here.

I wanted to start off by giving you as much detail as possible. My boyfriend, Nidal Charanek, is from Jib Jannine, Lebanon and is 38 years old. His first spinal surgery was done in January 2006 by Dr. Abrahim El Houshemy (spelling is probably wrong). The surgery was done on his L4 L5 vertebrae, due to a degenerated disk.  After his return to Canada the pain came back pretty much right away, but at least it was manageable for a while. His second surgery was done in December 2008 by Dr. Kassem Abou Ouraby (again, spelling is probably wrong) on the same vertebrae, as well as the ones on the other side of his spine. He had an MRI before he came back to Canada in January 2009. The MRI showed that the problem was fixed. He was still experiencing left leg pain but his doctor said that the pain will go away in about two to three months because the nerves needed time to go back to normal. As stated in my earlier email the pain has not passed and is getting worse and worse. He just got his Lumbar X-ray results today and it showed that he has a degenerated disk in his L4 L5 once again. But he is not experiencing pain in his back, it is only in his leg. The doctor did say that it was "not that bad". But to be honest I do not trust this doctor because in a two week span he has prescribed him three different types of medication that have not helped at all. These pills are $7 a pill. So I guess you can agree that spending that much on medication that does not work is not responsible. I feel that this doctor is just prescribing things to get rid of him out of his office without actually helping him. He has not even gave him a referral to a specialist. He is only a family doctor. I am not expecting miracles but I need something to go on, he can not drive or work or anything.
I am not convinced that the pain in his leg is NOT caused by his back, yet there are no answers as to why it is hurting him so badly. It is so frustrating both of us because noone is actually telling him anything. He was told by his doctor today to try physiotherapy or chiropractor. Both of these options sounds scary and risky, without actually knowing exactly what is causing the pain. I am willing to send you what you need if all this information is not enough I would just need to know the exact terms of the things you would need, because you said before to send you full file, but he does not have any of those files as they are in Lebanon.
I am hoping I gave you enough information to base your opinion on. My boyfriend is also wondering if you knew of a medication (even if it is only available there) that would take the pain away. After his surgery he was prescribed B12, Larica 75mg and 150mg,  Deuzabox and Celebrex. Also what is your opinion on Cortisone Shots. His doctor here does not recommend them but from what I read on the internet it sounds promising. Thank you so much for taking the time.

Anxiously waiting for your reply
Pamela Foster

[Dr_Nassim]

No need to thank me since I am Lebanese ! :)
Please take in consideration that spine surgeries are very diversified and I should know what kind of surgery he had, (Google out my address and try to send me full file)
remember that first surgery is always the best surgery, now we should do for him Flexion and Extension Lumbar X-ray.
Also give him Magnesium and Calcium please on a daily basis
Waiting for your reply