HELP

[lindy52]

I had cervical spine surgery on disc c 4/5 almost two years ago.  It went well and about 3 months later started developing pain.  My pain roams from shoulders, upper and lower arms, elbows, wrists, knees, neck.  My pain worsens tremendously in the evenings, this evening pain is very distinct.   Mornings are usually bad with a mild version of the previous nights pain.  Morning pain lasts for a few hours and then sometimes (not always) gets better during the day.  Around 4-5 PM things begin to get worse and then the evenings are spent applying TENS, heat, cold, whatever I can find to try to get some relief.  During the time I have had these symptoms I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and TMJ.  Nothing has shown up in my bloodwork thus far.  I have been taking sulfasalazine and diclofenac for several months and recently my rheumatologist tried a 50mg dose of prednisone for 5 days.  My symptoms continued so I stopped taking the pred.  Many people have suggested fibromyalgia but I can only come up with about 9-10 trigger points, not the required 11.  I would like to know what type of doctor I should go to next.  I have been seeing a rheumatologist and have had a nerve conduction test which was also negative.  I'm tired of feeling like I'm crazy and it is so hard to explain to others just how horrible this is.  I am afraid to make plans in the evening as I don't like  people to see me feeling so badly.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Dr. A. Srivastava]

Thank you for your question. Although without being able to examine her I can not offer you the specific advice on diagnosis and treatment that she needs, but I would try to provide you some relevant information about her health concern.

I doubt that still there may be some nerve is compressing after that scar or fibrous tissue or injured during that knee replacement surgery. Sometimes these symptoms may occur due to other nerve compression. I would suggest consulting another neurologist who would like clinically examine you and/or order few investigations like MRI to reach at probable diagnosis here. Hope this helps.

[seanmom]

I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM EXCEPT MY SURGERY WAS IN 2001 AND I HAD MY L3L4L5 FUSED AND I NEVER GOT OVER IT I HAD PAIN FROM ALL THREE SURGERIES YES 3 THE LAST ONE WAS IN MAY OF 2001 AFTER THAT I WAS IN PAIN MOST OF THE TIME UNTILL LAST YEAR WHEN I HAD AN EPADURL STIRORID INJECTIONS 3 OF THEM AND EVER SENSE THEN I AM PAIN FREE THEY ARE VERY PAINFUL TO GO THROUGH BUT THE END RESULTS WERE GREAT, JUST A SUGGESTION FOR YOU, GOOD LUCK AND I HOPE THIS INFORMATION MAY HELP YOU OUT, DIANA