Leg Pain/Ovarian Cyst

[ScionTc]

I have been having left leg pain for approximately 4 years now. After 2 years, my primary care doctor couldn't figure out what was wrong with me so she sent me to a pain clinic. I have been seeing the pain clinic doc for another 2 years now. I have had 2-3 MRI's of my back with nothing found that can explain my pain, aside from some degenerative disk disease and a bulging disk. However, the bulging disk is on the right side and my right leg is not where my pain is. Thinking that this may be causing the pain anyway, I have had about 5 epidural steroid injections in my spine over the past 2 years.  The pain envelopes my entire leg. It's more intense when I am sitting, driving, etc. When walking, within 15 minutes I am limping because my leg aches so bad.  I do have some sciatic nerve problems, but I am sure I have something else going on. I know when my sciatic nerve is being irritated and can feel that pain down the entire backside of my leg. However,  I am almost certain the aching pain that causes my whole leg to hurt is not caused by my sciatic nerve. On my last visit to the pain clinic, the doctor more or less suggested that I will have to live with this pain, it is coming from my back, and there's not much he can do for it. Then I suggested maybe I should have a CT scan of my hip or my pelvis.  He did agree and I had a CT of my pelvis done about 2 weeks ago. The results came back showing two 4-cm uterine fibroids and something resembling a cyst on my left ovary, and the radiologist suggested I have an MRI so they can see more of what's going on.  I had the MRI last week and go to the pain clinic doctor today to get the results.
I have read stories of women who have had unexplained leg pain and finally it is discovered that they have either fibroids or cysts that are large enough to be pressing on nerves which causes their pain.  What I am wondering is, has anyone else had this problem or know of someone who has?  I am at my wits end having to put up with this pain, not being able to comfortably work (I am on my feet 8-12 hr per day), go for walks, sit or drive comfortably, etc. I have tried all the NSAIDS on the market with no relief.  Ultracet works good but I can't take that forever. Ultram ER works somewhat but not enough to make me forget about the pain for an afternoon. Most recently, I have been taking 1 Ultracet and 1 ES Tylenol. The combination of those seems to work fairly well.
Any help, suggestions, related stories, or the ultimate....an official diagnosis would be wonderful. Thanks for listening.

[vallieanne]

Hi, As someone who lives with chronic pain from a failed back surgery from an L5,S1 micodisectomy and constant nerve pain in my back and right hip and leg, I understand how confusing this all can get. I have a 5cm cyst on my left ovary that has been around for a while and now it's coming out in July because it should have shrunk when I went into menopause and it didn't. The surgeon is pretty sure it's benign but can't give me a definite answer till the biopsy when it's done. I have a lot of nerve pain that causes burning down both my legs, like you, it's the worst when sitting for long periods of time. Then it flares up the sciatic, back and hip pain. I've been on a lot of meds that only help temporarily too, but getting off my legs helps the most. I have spoken to my doctors about this, GP and surgeon, and they are all mostly in agreement it's all referred pain coming from my spine. The only advice I can give you is if you have a cyst that needs to be removed, get it out and let the drs. be aware that you may need some extra pain management after the surgery, and may need to be in the hospital a few days for that reason. I would let them do a full gyn evaluation and then give you a recommendation as to what they think is best for you, and when that is over you can concentrate on your back problems. There are a lot of treatment options available for a bulging disc as opposed to one that's already herniated, which is what I had. They both cause pressure on the nerve root, but a bulging disc may retract with the right kind of procedure.
Valerie

[Mini_Mom]

Your story parallels my own.  I have sciatic nerve damage probably from riding one too many horses.  Many years ago the sciatica started to come up at the end of my period.  No one could say why.  At different times over the last dozen years, I have sought treatment for the pain.  I have an MRI to look at my back, and always, ALWAYS, the radiologist would pick up an ovarian cyst.  The only other damage was something minor at the SI, and not all the docs agreed that there was really anything there.  I am lucky that, for my age and my equestrian history, I have relatively little disc wear.

The thing is, I see the relationship between the cysts and the sciatica, but the docs look at me like I am blarmy.  

I wish I had an answer I could share with you.  I wish I had an answer, period.  Right now I take a regular dose of Ultram.  Be careful of using Ultracet with Tylenol as Ultracet is a tramadol/acetominiphen combination.  Also be careful of stopping the Ultram suddenly.  It does induce dependency.  I also use generic Aleve, naproxen sodium, when the sciatica hits.  It is the best thing I have found for the sciatic pain.  I've been using it since 1989 when it was still by prescription only.

I have no idea what to do about the cysts.  They are a regular thing with me now.  It is not PCOS.  My PCP believes I have a lot of ovarian scar tissue which inhibits the ovulation process and causes functional cysts to form.  This messes up the hormonal cycle as well.  Birth control just makes it worse.  I am nearing the age of menopause and maybe the only woman on the planet looking forward to it!  No ovulation, no cysts!

Hang in there ScionTC!  We're with you!