severe leg pains (both legs not just one)

[teesdad]

I am a 30 year old male that has battled severe leg (both) pain for going on nine years now. All the doctors can seem to do is give me heavy narcotic drugs with a diagnoss of Fibromyalgia. However when reading about Fibromyalgia there are several focal points on your body that determine wether  that is what you have or not. My leg pain starts basically from about mid thigh down to my toes, however I also have extreme pain in my upper inner thighs and even my testicles. Best way to discribe that pain is either repeatedly getting kicked there or someone taking them and smashing them in a vise... My leg pains are felt on a hot day as a deep bone ache with the sensation of standing on hot asphalt all day. On a Cold day it feels as if I have been up to my waist in snow and someone is repeatedly hitting me with a crowbar. Without pain medication the pain will bring me to the ground, I would be found curled up in a ball. I have had EEG, MRI, and numerous X-Rays all of which have came back completly clear and okay. At the age of 15 as a High School freshman I played for the football team. During my duration on the team I took a face mask to my 12th vert. and fractured it leaving me in a hard back brace for 3 months and a soft brace for another 3 months. However even though the vert. was fracture the doctors seems to come to the conclusion that the leg pains do not stent from the back injury. I have seen several doctors Ortho, Rhum. Nuro, Pain Mang. none of which can do any better then handing me pain pills. Again I am only 30 with a 9 year old son and what I am living now is no quality of life for me and for my son to understand. Can some one please help me find some resolution or at least some direction...

Thank You
teesdad

[opus88]

HI just to add a little more info abt the book by Montel Williams "CLIMBING HIGHER' Montel does have MS however this book is not only for people with MS!
It gives a very detailed discription of pain and how it affects peoples lives...the exprience the medications the treatments and the lack of understanding by others close to us etc.
FMS mimics MS (and visa versa) in many ways and there are doctors who occasionally give the wrong d/x...I have seen this personally with someone I worked with.
I also do not have MS...that has been ruled out, but I recommend it to anyone with unexplained pain or pain or any kind...it is a very good read.
has anyone else read this?

[Tuckamore]

Hi Teesdad,

Welcome to the Pain Management Forum. I am so very sorry that you are in such severe pain. I wish I had some good answers for you.

What I can suggest is that if you are not comfortable with your diagnosis keep searching. You must be your advocate. There are many physicians out there and though you may have seen a lot of them, there are more to see. Don't give up.

I do not have FM. Sandee does and have offered you her opinion. I have been told that FM can appear differently in different ppl and/or can progress as Sandee indicated.

Children understand more than you imagine. My son was 11 when I had a traumatic MVA that left me with life long pain and medical issues. He is now an adult and can talk about his feelings during that time and now. He swears he didn't feel cheated, he felt lucky to have a Mom that was home often with him and always made him feel loved and important. Prior to that I was his Little League Coach and on 3 softball leagues myself!! We did everything together. It all stopped when the MVA happened. So I bet your son is just grateful that you love him and you are there for him. Kids are a lot smarter and more sensitive than we sometimes give them credit.

So I do encourage you seek out additional opinions. You medications are very high there may be a possibility that other combinations will work better for you if nothing else. Another set of eyes or more can be helpful.

Please let us know how you are doing. We will look forward to your updates. You are always welcome here. Our members are supportive and good listeners.
Peace, Tuck

[opus88]

Hi I too have suffered for years with very similiar pain in both legs and the only d/x I kept getting is FM....I was always confused abt this d/x because none of the FM material I read showed this as a symtom.....3 years ago I was told by a specialist that most likely the pain I was feeling was neuropathy from compressed nerves in the lower spine...I was given gabapentin which relieved some of the pain but certainly not the severe deep muscle spasms and burning pain...narcotics have helped some also.
Just a suggestion here...I have tried to read alot on this condition...can I suggest a book by MONTEL WILLIAMS -"CLIMBING HIGHER'.....his symptoms of MS are VERY similiar to the pain we suffer in our legs, Have your doctors ruled out MS for you?

[sandee1818]

Wow, you are on an extremely high dose of medication and that tells me the extent of your pain. I would not stop until I found an answer. I know it is very frustrating to keep going to doctor after doctor only to get the same answer but there is a doctor out there that may know what is truly wrong and could fix the problem.
To be honest not everyone experiences the same symptoms as far as fibro, I have it and was diagnosed with it some 10 years ago and it only effects my upper/middle back and shoulder area. My doctor said it will eventually spread but with me it really hasn't.
I do understand completely that you feel you have no quality of life with this intense pain and I know you used to play football and if your anything like my Dad you want to play sports with your son and when your unable to it makes you feel guilty and feel your letting him down some way.
You can only do what your able to and still manage the pain. this is very hard for children to understand as they can't see your pain as if say your leg was broken the child could see you are injured but with pain it is hard for them to understand because they can't really see it.
I am so sorry your going through so much pain at an early age and feel you have no real diagnosis. So keep looking until you do find that doctor who says yes I know what is wrong and we will do everything we can to alleviate the problem for you.
I hope you will stay with us and keep us updated and there are really great members here for support, and if you just need to vent we certainly understand that to as we all do here sometimes:)

[teesdad]

Thanks for responding, I am just at last resorts I have tried just about everything and nothing seems to work I take 30mg oxycodone 4 times a day and 40mg 3 times a day and that isn't working so now on 80mg 3 times a day which is turning into 5 times a day and the pain doesn't ever go away it just lets up enough to make the day bareable. My mother has extensive nerve damage do to work comp deal and has had 9 surgeries she's had a tense unit in the house for years and the spa in the back yard was comp. of a persciption even. The part that make me so frustrated is the the diagnoses of Fibro. but yet the rest of my body doesn't fit the disease. It is just a title that they give you when they give up. I wish that they were in the pain that I am in just so they know what it feels like maybe then there would be some urgency in finding out what is truely wrong with me. Now after nine years I at times think that I am crazy that I must be makng it up in my head but then morning comes and I wake after a ****** nights sleep and start shaking because of the pain and remember it's not in my head

[catwoman64]

i feel for u i know what its like to feel that way  ... im in the same boat.  it just kind of makes me wonder what in the hell we all have here that they cant detect it and just want to hand out pain pills and not figure out the problem... but i guess in a way be thankful u r getting meds cause im having a real hard time right now trying to find a doctor that will help me with my pain cause the doctor i did have ... well she left me hanging in the wind and blowing away. lol.  but i know what u mean about how it affects youir life and the people around u.  its sad i know.  have u ever tried a tens unit?  they help alot for most people.. if not maybe check in to one and see if u can get one... it might help u!! hopefully..........take care and hope for pain free!!!                catwoman