Excruciating Electric-Shock Pain in Back of Knee

[smont48]

For the past two years my wife (Age 47, 5'3", 140lbs) has had painfull attacks in the back of her knee that she describes as feeling like electric shocks.  Many times these are so painfull that they bring her right down to the floor where she screams and/or cries out in agony.  There is no pattern of when this happens. They are very random and can occur when she's sitting, walking, running or laying in bed.  They also can occur once in a day or week, or several times in  the same day.  She has had ultrasounds, xrays, mri's, vein tests, nerve tests, etc., and no doctor yet has diagnosed her problem.  It scares the heck out of me sometimes because it comes on so quick that there is a violent jerk reaction followed by cries of pain and agony.  The location of these painfull electric shocks is in the back of the knee about an inch or two below where the knee bends.  We've already checked on it being a Bakers Cyst causing the problem so I don't think it's that.  Because of the electrical-shock like nature of the pain, I'm guessing it has something to do with a nerve or vein being squeezed or pinched.  But how does that exlplain painfull attackes when she's laying completely flat or in a recliner and not moving a muscle?  I should add the she is a nail technician and sits for periods of time with her legs crossed.  But she has had a vein test and everything came out normal.  She does take B12 shots because at time she is deficient in Vitamin B12.  But that doesnt' seem to help.  She did have injections of botox which helped somewhat but not a whole heck of a lot.  We are at a loss for what is wrong. The Dr's. are at a loss. We've been to 5 or 6 specialists and my wife is at wits end.  Any suggestions?

[justadad358]

wow, I am so encouraged no pain for you for 7 months. my wife had a steroid injection and her attacks were once a day, now twice a day and she is starting freaking out. she is on 300mg of lyrica, because gabapentin gave her headaches. do you attribute your lack of pain from strictly gabapentin or anything else? how many mg of gabapentin? we do notice that her shocks seem to be while she is sitting or driving. we are headed back to pain doc next week. the wierd thing is that all 8 docs have no diagnosis yet and have not seen something like this.

[VirginiaW]

No, it apparently doesn't have anything to do with "female stuff"
because in this and other forums there have been posts from men.

I am almost seven months free of the shocks. My neurologist finally decided it is neuralgia and I still take the maximum dose of Gabapentin (Neurontin).

I still have many moments of fear. I'm just afraid my "luck" won't hold out although the neuro said there should be NO break-through pain . . . but there was one major attack back in February.

I have to believe in prayer. I have also become good email friends with a man and his wife because of this mysterious shocking pain.

[justadad358]

My wife has had all your symptoms and all her tests were negative also. It's so frustrating. All these threads are from females and not males. Is this related to female reproductive organs? My wife is on angeliq hrt and has been taking and mirilax for 2 years. I have found that less than 1% mirilax users have nerve compression problems? Can this be? We are now going to a chiropractor and nuerologist to seek relief and cause. Help!

[VirginiaW]

I'm so sorry you are also a shocking person, but am so glad you decided to write about it. I'm still trying to figure out what I have in common with others, so here's the scoop on you and I:

both overweight, close in age, take Lipitor, no pre-episode warnings, both do some sitting but also active, both have some extra spur-type growth in back of knee, I used to be a fast walker before I became shockingly slow,also  take a baby aspirin.

[KarenCamille]

This exact electrifying episode began for me last Fri Feb 25-2011.   I was scheduled to fly to Denver from home in NoCal the next day and cancelled trip for fear it would get worse or be completely debilitating.  No warnings before the episode...I was walking down my hall and not carrying anything.   I caught myself before I fell to my knees and it was several seconds of rocking my left leg back and forth and then it 'caught' and I finally could straighten my leg and go on.  It happened several more times that night and I was extremely frightened.  Background:  I am an overweight 57 yr. old female, living alone with my 2 dogs in a tri level home on 12 acres.  I work at a desk full time but am very active at home with chores, firewood, housekeeping, maintenance, yard work etc.  I love being outside.  Due to degenerative disk disease, I had TKR left in 2003 and right knee in 2004.  Yes, I was young but I was 'bone IN TO bone'.   It was a necessary fix for quality of life.  Both knee replacements have been relatively uneventful until 6 mos ago when both knees started 'popping', primarily in bed lying on my side.  As a result, my orthopod x-rayed both knees last Nov. and said both prosthetics look good still, everything in alignment.  Showed a small bone spur growing that might be causing the pain he said.   After the Fri. night and Sat. am episodes, I phoned Anthem and the on-call orthopod and they both said to go to the ER.   I did, and 3 more X-rays show zilch, which I figured, because I had assumed this was a soft tissue problem.  The ER doctor put me in a Velcro full leg brace and said to see my ortho ASAP.  I did yesterday.  He says an MRI won’t show anything because all of the hardware in my knee will just appear as a ‘sunburst’.   He told me not to wear the brace as it stresses my other knee too much.   He ordered blood work to look for inflammation; I have no swelling or tenderness….and an MRI of my back.  Said sometimes even tho I have NO back pain, something could be going on there causing the pain.  So I am awaiting insurance approval for that.  He also wants me to do 8 episodes of physical therapy, which has me a little nervous.  I am keeping a legend of how often and approx. frequency of these episodes.  I am using one crutch for now, which is extremely frustrating as I am normally a fast walker and always moving.   It ***** to be able to only carry in one piece of firewood at time!   My woodstove is my heat and I cook on it too.
I have taken Lipitor and Celebrex for years; Vicodin AN for pain, baby aspirin and HCTZ.  I have a mostly organic, vegetarian diet and occasional alcohol and marijuana use.  
I will certainly post more as I learn more.  

[VirginiaW]

Also, I've decided this is the year to stop reading so much health information and concentrate on reading the fun stuff!!!!!!!

We are all over-saturated with health news.