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1001737 tn?1324499915

chronic backpain -help diagnose please

hi, i'm a 24yo male. I've been having lower back pain for about 5 years now. And my doctors are giving up since they say that all tests have been done, So I'm hoping that someone here recognizes these sympthoms and could provide me with info/ideas for new tests or diagnoses (that i can ask my doctor to please look into.)

The pain started negligible but since 2years can't work etc. And take 400mg tramadol + 4000mg paracetamol / day just to get me out of bed.
December '10 I had surgery (ALIF L5-S1) but that didn't help.

The pain is there 24/7, and is worsened by the simplest thing that I do.
sleep = about 4 hours /night.
pain to my legs:
- 65% L-leg / 35% R-leg nagging pain (above knee), + nagging pain from shine to to top of my feet.
- Sometimes muscle weakness (when walking collapsing through my knee (but not to a point where i would fall))
- Laying on my back for more than 40min. =leg falling asleep, tingling.
- ± 20x /day shooting pain in my sphincter (??english??)
- If i would try to work for 4hours or so = vomiting and/or loss of conscious.

5 Responses
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1001737 tn?1324499915
Thank you for taking the time for this, i completely understand that it's just the thoughts of an other suffers the same ill faith.
NMR should not be a problem, since everything in there is permanent and those things should be "freaky magnet" safe!
http://www.imagebam.com/image/29f112146429036

eating: breakfast with fruit, yoghurt, thee and 4slices of bread or 2 sandwiches.
one meal = acceptable (pre packed suppermarket stuff) +added some vegetables.
one meal at my parents or grandparents so: the good old, full out meals.
all freash from start to finish, soup, potatoes, meat, vegetables or fruit.

I never got the whole smoking thing, paying WAY to much to inhale SMOG and tarmac/road... All that with the same high as a cop of coffee, cola or red bull. No, I would be more interested in coke or heroin. :)

thanks again, and hopefully a healthier and less pain ridden future for you as well!
Helpful - 0
1432897 tn?1322959537
You have been through a lot.  I had to do a lot of googling to understand what you've been through and I think I get the jist of it.  I am not a doctor.  I just want to make that clear.  I'm just another guy with back trouble trying to help others.  I've been to an orthopedist who told me that when they do a fusion they can't always put the vertebrea in the right spot so they fuse it where they can to keep it from getting worse.  The end result is still living with pain.  That was unacceptable to me so I kept looking for other answers.  I may eventually need surgery but not yet.  Anyway,  You might want to look into getting another NMR if possible.  If you still have rods or screws in you they may not be able to do it.  What you refer to as an NMR is similar to an MRI.  I suggest this so you can get a post surgical picture of what is going on with your back.  I've never had a CT scan so I don't know what they show.

I've been told it can take a least a year for a fusion to heal properly. Also I think nerves can heal at a rate of two inches per month under the right circumstances.  It sounds like you are doing what you can.  Keep at it.  It may seem pointless at times but don't be discouraged.  Are you eating healthy?  Our bodies can be miraculous when given the right nutrients.  Do you smoke?  Smoking is one of the worst things for our backs.  I wish you the best of luck and sorry I couldn't be more helpful.  Just know that you are not alone.  God Bless!!
Helpful - 0
1001737 tn?1324499915
hello, and thank you for your help,
Every exam is in the list below, a lot of medical terms will probably be named differently in english but hopefully everything seems understandable.

06-'08
- 3Fase skeletonscintigraphy of lower back + pelvic area, added "Planairy" images of entire skeleton  + tomographic images of lower back.  RESULT:(bonefase): slight sinistro-convexe scoliose on lower back, no visible pathalogical hot spots.
07-'08
- NMR of lower back RESULT: slight features of beginning degenerative discopathy L5-S1. Limited retrocorporal protrusion of the discus & slight "durabag" impressions.
12-'08
- problems with pain in ...gonads...+ inability to hold my urine. My G.P. sent my to the E.R. because possibility of Cauda Equina. !!ONly ROugh + WRitten DOcuments!! EXAMS:MRI, VSJR, Urine check, leidue RESULT: Nothing documented (good?).
03-'09
- Neurological: SEP Medianus, SET Tibialus RESULT: No abnormalities, No signs of myelum injury, "suggest" for a reumathologist.
04-'09
- Injections on grounds/presence of lumboischialgie by unclear basis. NO IMPROV.
10-'09
- EMG: No results (= good results)
11-'09
- Various facetary injections. NO IMPROV.
01-'10
- Neurosurgery: RX + CT discography lower back. (invoke pain with injections)
L5-S1: pain-response left neuroforamen  !!POsitive Grounds For Operation!!
09-'10 OP
- Operation: ALIF L5-S1: replaced discus with bonesubstitute + plate, screws
NO RESULT
01-'11
- radiographic check + CT-SPECT to rule out pseudoartrose
04-'11
- Reumathologist RESULT: No indication of inflammatory bowel, psoriasis, spondylitis or sondylarthopathie.
08-'11
- Phisical Rehabilitation (exercise)
18x 1.3hours of exercise (give or take) at fisiotherapist: mostly exercises for core stability, and 3x /day those exercises at home.
ended my second series (=36x 1.3hrs  + @home)  RESULT: Good cooperation by me, fisiotherapist is not seeing the results he is expecting from his program. and there is a remaining muscle strength deficit of  ± 60 %

I hope you can understand everything.
Helpful - 0
1432897 tn?1322959537
Sorry to about your pain and thanks for posting.  Have you had anymore tests done? MRI, x-rays etc?  If so what are the results?  If not, why not?  Please let us know.  Thanks!
Helpful - 0
1001737 tn?1324499915
other things to mention:
I had to do exercise after the surgery (stability exercises)
i just finished my second group of sessions ( 18x1hour - so now 36x since February, +3x/day at home) .
And this doctor/fisiotherapist tell's me that I've been very cooperative and did the exercises well..  He does not see the improvement that he expects from his program, and i am still stuck with a muscle strength deficit of 60% (for my age) and he wonders why.

------------
Others: (but probably not related to my back) but hey, you never know right!

- about 1-2x /month when I inhale: It feels like there is something sharp in front of my lunge and feel a sharp pain (so i stop inhaling at that point)

- Sometimes (monthly) migraine: sensitivity to light, gets worse when moving/shifting (my head).

And recently I'm experiencing the same pain as the one in my leg but now in my left arm (the nagging pain, not the sleeping/ tingling sensation)


Sorry that I'm ranting on with all this but I'm desperate since modern medicine is giving up on me.
Helpful - 0
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