L4-L5 slipdisc w-nerve damage?

[1rockinmomma]

My mom is in horrible pain. She was diagnosed with having slipped discs of the L4/L5. On top of that the muscle running down the front of her leg (quad?) has completely cramped up and has been in a knot for weeks. She can't sleep and is having trouble eating and is losing weight. She's on muscle relaxers, pain meds and a steroid. Nothing is helping. Her nerologist? is saying the slip disc is pinching a nerve that is causing the brain to tell that muscle to clinch causing more pain on top of what her back is doing. She has had MRI's, catscans, epidural block etc. to determine WHERE the problem lies and nothing is coming to a difinative answer. Does anyone or any doctor have any suggestions as to what more can be done to help diagnos WHAT the problem SURELY is so she can have surgery? My mom is one of the toughest women I know and for her to be in this much pain and not have answers, hurts me. Thank you in advance I'll be checking back daily.

[alinpain]

have you ever heard of milkthistle its a natual herb.............look it up
i think the best thing for liver cleansing

[ran_ang2001]

not a doc.. but had same problems so i lived with it for 1 yr and was on all kinds of meds   nothing worked couldn't stand it anymore. started looking on  computer for good docs and thank God I found one. I had to ask to be sent to a surgeon  my regular doc was just treating the pain  had L5S1 fussion  right leg had cramps all the time  If ur worried about your moms liver my daughter did some research for me and found that orange juice  helps filter out liver so it wont  stay in liver and do damage. so now im on  Simply Orange High Pulp and im not a  oj drinker  but this stuff is really good   its higher priced than regular oj BUT ITS WORTH IT.. I hope everything works out for your mom.

[1rockinmomma]

she is 52. and yeah all the meds are not working for her. i'll suggest the percoset? like you said. all her doc said when she told him the pain only goes away for a mear hour or 2 instead of the 4-6 his comment was 'well, if i took one of those i'd be out for hours' well, my mom isn't like most ppl and the pills are not working. plus they have her on acedominohine 200mg with the narcotics and she's taking like close to 2000mg of it a day. it's gonna kill her liver. I hope they find something out soon. Thank you.

[pofdog]

How old is your mom? I feel so bad for her. It sounds like she needs to have surgery asap.
I am going on my 3rd surgery and know how it feels. The proof of my nerves being pinched there is on the MRI thqat correlated with my symptoms, allthough BOTH legs hurt. My family doc said it should only hurt on the right side now because I just had surgey Feb. 20th and this is a NEW heniated (slipped) disk. I too have muscle cramps in both legs and no one has told me what or why, because the disks are pinching nerves that causes pain behind, not front, but the cramps and pain in front is real, and disableing when they come.
  Make sure your mom isn't UNDER medicated. Most docs will only give out meds with hydrocodone (Vicodin, lortab, norco....), but they do not work on me. I had to go up the list till finally percocets worked. They do not take ALL the pain away, but they sure do make it bearable. If your mom is elderly, they will be wayy more cautious with the meds, but they still have to try to releive the pain even if its going up the narcotic ladder to find one that helps her.
  Have a blessed Easter and your mom is in my prayers.