Invasive Group A Strep disease - pain after infection

[archpot]

Three and a half years ago I was hospitalized for a month with an Invasive Group A Step infection in my abdominal cavity that ultimately latched on to my sciatic nerve and crept into my leg.    I was very sick for a while and had a few surgeries to remove some of the infection.   I was off of work for 3.5 months.  I have always had chronic pain in my abdomen since this infection, but it was getting better slowly.  Recently the pain has  flared up and become very painful.  My abdomen, rectum and back butt muscle and leg- essentially all the places this infection went to are hurting.   It is not a pain that responds to OTC medication.  It's very depressing to feel this all the time.   My questions to the doctors out there, is what is actually causing the pain?  Once an infection is cleared up, why hurt now?  What happens to the tissue after an infection?  Is this a scar tissue thing?  Thank you for any help you can provide.  If I just knew what was happening inside me to cause this, it might at least make me understand it and deal with it.  

[mkh9]

Unfortunately, we are not doctors on here. I am a microbiologist. It sounds to me like nerve damage as long as the infection is gone. Are you on a lot of pain medications? You may want to see a neurologist if you haven't yet. Someone I know takes a combination of drugs to deal with central pain. You also may need a combination of drugs that work together to better handle your pain. Also, as you know pain can cause depression. So hopefully, you find the right combination that can put you back on track to getting out of pain. Keep pursuing this until you get the right doctor to help. Even psychiatrists can give you better pain treatments than say a pain doctor. I am very sorry this happened to you.
mkh9

[archpot]

Thank you very much for answering me.  I don't take any pain medication as it doesn't seem to help in any way.  I was on dilaudid and gabapentin for a long time afterwards but I have no desire to be on any kind of drug again. Thank you again for responding.  I appreciate it.

[mkh9]

Sorry if I wasn't much help I don't blame you for not wanting to take pain meds. As long as you know that you don't have any new infection. You know the symptoms by now. Fever, pain etc. The only other thing can be pain due to adhesions. Those can sometimes get more painful, especially if you have more surgery.
take care
mkh9