Need advice for L5-S1 herniation - please read

[brooke29]

I have a large herniation in the L5 and the one above that is visibly pinched and could go here at any time. When I wake up in the morning I feel like I have been hit by a bus. I didn't have health insurance for the past 1.5 yrs from when this first happened so I am just getting treatment now. First doctor did an X-RAY and said nothing was wrong with me. Then I referred myself to a specialist and he found the hernia from my MRI. I am currently taking upto 3 5/325 Hydrocodene daily. Previously, had to beg for medication and mostly got Ibprofen800. Had one steriod injection 8 days ago and saw NO relief from the pain.  My doctor recommends another injection, and i'm skeptical. I called for a refill on my hydrocodene and the nurse told me my doctor would not refill that script again UNTIL i scheduled my next injection. I was without any meds for the first 1.5 yrs, now I finally get some for 2 months and they all already threatening to take them away. Why do I need feel any part of this decison when I am the one who has to walk around and feel like **** all day? Have shooting, leg pain. When I bend over I have extreme pain. My lower back goes in and out of being numb/my neck throbs. My doctor believes muscle relaxers are more addicting than opiates and will not perscribe. SO, I cannot get any sort of muscle relaxant for the evenings or when I am kept awake at night from weird knee twitching. I've been on every pain medication given before Codeine like tramadol and the nsaids and they don't touch the pain.  I thought I had finally found someone that believed me and was going to do something about it. I am going to see him tomorrow to get this straightend out but I am having second thoughts. Am I going to appear drug seeking to bring this issue to point? Where in the hell can I find a doctor who is going to be more concerned with my pain, than with addiction ?

[brooke29]

Also, wanted to ask for anyone's help or advice on best way to advocate for myself as far as treatment and medications. I want to play a more active role, but I am concerned about people jumping the gun on addiction. Is it time to get a second opinion already? Other than this, I am a 29 year-old healthy female!

[midnitemoon]

Hey, your story sounds so similar to mine. I am a 31 year old female and last year I hurt my back while working on the ambulance (I'm a Paramedic).  I went to the doctor right away and they took an x-ray and said it was a pulled muscle and I was off work for a month while I rested it.  Then in January my right leg started to ache.  Every day it got worse until I was in excruitiating pain.  I had friends in the medical field that told me it was sciatica and would go away, so I waited a month.  I finally couldn't take it anymore and went to the ER thinking I had to have broken my hip to be in this much pain.  The ER doc told me it was sciatica (without x-rays or an MRI) and gave me a Medrol Dose pack and 20 Vicodin. This didn't touch the pain.  3 weeks later I made an appointment and went to a neurologist and she listened to my story and ordered an MRI and EMG.  I had a herniated disk at L5-S1 and bulging disks at L2-L3 and L3-L4.  She told me the herniation was large an sent me to physical therapy.  Four weeks I went while every day I consumed 10-15 Ibuprofin.  After the 4th week they told me to go back to my doctor because physical therapy wasnt working.  The neurologist told me that it had been 3 months with no improvement and the pain was breaking me (I thought about cutting my leg off alot), that it was time to consider surgery.  Let me tell you...I was so glad I did.  I made an appointment with a spine surgeon and when he saw my films and EMG reports he told me I needed surgery ASAP. They gave me Percocet  10/325 to get me by until the surgery.   Five days later I was home recovering and pain free.  My leg still has a mild ache, I'm told that the nerve is swollen and irritated (they said the took pictures my herniation was so big) and it wil take a while to heal, but the ache is nothing compared to the pain before.  I wake up every day thankful that I found a doctor who listened to me and cared.  Search until you find that doctor.  They are out there.  If you are in that much pain, something is wrong and you need to find the doctor that will listen. I never even had an epidural, we went strait to surgery.  Take charge of your body and health.  I wish I had done that alot sooner. Three months of horrible pain I could have spared myself while everyone just told me it would get better if I waited.  I could have done serious permanent damage to that nerve.  Luckily it turned out OK.  :)  Good luck and let us know what happens!

[peekawho]

I have the same story.  Herniated L5-S1 diagnosed after 3 agonizing months of undiagnosed back pain.  Went to neurosurgeon, and had surgery (microdiscectomy) and had fabulous results.  My neurosurgeon told me not to mess around with epidural injections and such, that they will simply cover up the problem temporarily.  Once your nerves have been pinched and  compressed for more than 6 months, it lessens the chance that surgery will help you AT ALL.

Get a good neurosurgeons opinion.  In the meantime, your doctor might consider steroids temporarily, along with NSAIDS around the clock.  Take as few narcotics as humanly possible--the potential for unintended dependence is high.  Also, the more you take, the less they will seem to work as time goes by.  Take Motrin or whatever NSAID your doctor recommends around the clock, use ice 4 times a day to your worst pain sites, and get in there to see a neuro ASAP.  

[horserider11]

wow. eerie postings... like a mirror to my situation... I am a healthy 33yo female, avid equestrian, horrific back pain, agitated acutely by lifting baby horses and boxes and tack not "one specific incident" but rather a few concentrated heavy lifting bouts (I was similar to an animal paramedic!) which gave me unbelievable pain upon sitting and bending forward. Nothing seemed to help it... I couldn't bear sitting for more than 10 minutes (now I am up to a whopping 30 min)  I took ibuprof & tylenol-3s round the clock, but they didn't touch it, so i just bear with the pain ... I went to dr's and heard "your x-ray is fine", "you're young" and "do what you can" routine , and 9 weeks of physio with none to minimal improvement, finally did a CT scan and found L5S1 herniation with nerve pinching and bulging in the 2 joints above it with some arthritis in all 3 joints. Niiiice. I can't believe that until that the Drs kept saying "well, there is no bowel issues or numbness down the leg, so it can't be a herniation" and therefore my pain is imaginary?!?!? that was total bull****. Now that I know what it is, I just want to rehab and get back on the horses.
My question/ponderings are... is surgery the suggested option here? and what type have ppl had successfully? It seems pretty successful in this thread. Any suggestions on activities to do, not to do? What I've felt is good to this point is walking, minimal sitting and not tucking my hips under and psoas strengthening.... any other thoughts? Is riding forbidden???

[dawnie11]

Hi there, I am going in for microdiscectomy tomorrow and am nervous but excited that my horrendous pain might ease!  I am having S1 and L5 surgery and I have been having private physio, accupuncture and two epidural injections all to no avail.

I am desperate to do this right and get back to the life I need to live with a 3 and 4 year old.  Can anyone tell me their experiences as to what exercise is best - I am a good swimmer but it was actually running that prob did this to me.  I can also access a cross trainer and have gym membership.  I am about 1.5 stones over weight but am on ongoing diet to lose the excess weight having already lost 5.5 stones (I put on seven stones during two pregnancies!!) and cant beleive that I am now being disabled by my back!

Didyou operations work for you and have you got any good advice about any aspect of this please!

Thanks you so much.............