calve pain & weakness

[bobby1960]

IN EARLY 2006 I HURT MY BACK LIFTING A POST OUT THE GROUND. I WENT TO A NEURO DOCTOR AND HAD A MRI DONE. AT THAT TIME HE SAID IT WAS NOT BAD ENOUGH FOR SURGERY. I WAS PUT ON A 72 HOUR PATCH FOR PAIN, AND I WENT BACK TO WORK. ABOUT 6 MONTHS LATER AT WORK I WAS SEVERLY DEHYDRATED AND WAS ADMITTED TO A HOSPITAL. DURING MY STAY I HAD 14 BAGS OF FLUID PUT INTO ME THROUGH AN I.V. I WENT HOME AND FOR THE NEXT 3-4 WEEKS WAS SEVERLY WEAK. THE DOCTOR SAID I HAD A REACTION TO THE PAIN MEDICINE (MORPHINE).  ABOUT A MONTH LATER I HAD ANOTHER MRI WHICH SHOWED I HAD BI-LATERAL DECOMPRESSIONS AT LEVELS L-4 ,L-5, AND A DISECTOMY AT S-1.
SO I WENT IN FOR BACK SURGERY ON 10/20/2006. AFTER THAT I HAD ALOT OF PAIN & WEAKNESS IN MY CALVE MUSCLES AND IT WAS HARD TO WALK ANY DISTANCE OR STAND VERY LONG. MY NEURO DOCTOR SENT ME TO A NEUROLOGIST FOR LEG PROBLEMS. HE THOUGHT AT FIRST I HAD C.D.I.P. BUT LATER SAID IT WAS NOT AND THEN HE DID A NERVE CONDUCTION TEST WHICH SAID I STILL HAD A PINCHED NERVE. SO I WENT BACK TO THE NEURO DOCTOR FOR YET ANOTHER BACK SURGERY ON 05/25/2007. AFTER  THAT I STILL HAD WEAKNESS IN MY CALVES WITH PAIN. THIS WENT ON FOR 5 MONTHS WITH NO ANSWERS. THEN MY DOCTOR DECIDED TO CHECK MY HORMONE LEVELS. AND FINALLY A ANSWER . ALL MY HORMONES WERE CLOSE TO NO READING ,SEVERLY LOW. THE DOCTOR SAID THIS SHOULD HELP YOUR CALVES & WEAKNESS.
I HAD A MRI DONE TO CHECK FOR A PITUITARY TUMOR. OF COURSE I HAD A LARGE TUMOR . SO BACK TO SURGERY I WENT TO REMOVE THE TUMOR ON 10/30/2007. EVERYTHING WENT WELL
AND I WAS PUT ON HORMONES AND ALL OF MY LEVELS ARE NOW IN LINE. BUT I STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH MY CALVES & WEAKNESS. SO NOW IT IS 6/4/2008 AND THE TUMOR IS BACK ABOUT THE SIZE OF A GOLF BALL AND I STILL HAVE NO ANSWERS FOR WEAKNESS IN MY LEGS. I WISH SOMEONE COULD HELP ME SOLVE MY PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN OFF WORK FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS.



                                                                       THANKS SO MUCH FOR TIME,

[Charles Rosen, MD]

Dear Bobby,

In addition, although hormonal imbalances can cause muscle cramps, it often is the whole body and not just limited to the legs.  This suggests that the answer is most likely still in your spine.

Dr. Rosen

Charles Rosen, MD
Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Spine Surgery
University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine
Founding Director, UCI Spine Center
101 City Drive, Pavilion III
Orange, CA 92868
[phone]
www.charlesrosenmd.com

[Charles Rosen, MD]

Dear Bobby1960,

This is a complicated situation, but I sense you still do not have a diagnosis for the leg pain from what you relate.  You need that first.  I can only say that often in cases of spinal stenosis decompressions when some compression continues and is undiscovered,  that only a CT myelogram can pick it up.  Perhaps you should suggest this when you go to get another opinion from a spine surgeon just for another idea.  

Dr. Rosen

Charles Rosen, MD
Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Spine Surgery
University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine
Founding Director, UCI Spine Center
101 City Drive, Pavilion III
Orange, CA 92868
[phone]
www.charlesrosenmd.com

[Charles Rosen, MD]

Dear Jockey,

It’s not unusual for pain to continue for a number of weeks after the decompression since the nerves may need time to calm down.  If not better after a month or two, I suggest you need a re-evaluation , and maybe re – scanning for seeing if there is still a problem.

Dr. Rosen

Charles Rosen, MD
Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Spine Surgery
University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine
Founding Director, UCI Spine Center  
Orange, California

[Jockey24]

My mother in law just had a second back surgery.. The first one was done in Feb.2008 through laser treatment.. They treated L34 and L45.. It gave her some minor relief and the pain came back within 2 weeks.. She had a 2nd back surgey not laser on July 1.. They did a laminectomy and discsectomy.. She at home with very strong pain and some crampong to her legs.. What do you think is the problem and what can be done?Do you think that we need to give her more time to heal and recover?
Thank you very much..

Mr. Jaff

[Dee41]

Hi, just reading your problems. I to have this chronic leg pain. I have moderate degenerative discs, spondylitis, and slipped disc, alergic to sulfur used mostly for arthritis (spondylitis), my surgeon said "can't do anything for you", "try steroid shots into your spine, then we will see". Well that i will not do, as i feel it will eventually weaken my back more. When I told him about this constant pain down both my legs, from my lower back to my ankles, that limits my total ability to live a normal life for the past yr and a half, my surgeons reply was, "what do you mean with your legs" and that was that. Someone help me with this. I found I felt fine when pregnant and thats why your story prompted me regarding hormones> Dee41