extreme leg pain

[mom in ohio]

I am awake in the middle of the night with extreme leg pain again.  It is my right leg this time, mostly behind the knee area. (other times it has been my left leg)  The pain is stabbing and makes my whole leg hurt to the point I can not sleep.  Is this DVT or ciatia nerve problems or what?  Sometimes it feels like I have huge bruises down my legs; and most times the next day the pain isn't as bad but my leg(s) feel weak.

[opus88]

HI...I've had the same pain in my legs for a number of years...continually getting worse.
WHAT DOSE OF NEURONTIN are you on?
I began this abt 5 yrs ago at 1200mg with alot of relief, now I go as high as 2400mg to get same relief.
2 years ago I was dx'd with DDD/sciatica/& accompanying neuropathy
heat helps some, warm baths, legs up when laying down....celebrex and muscle relaxants are useless.
good luck with your search, get an MRI and see a neurologist

[Mommybot]

I can feel your pain.  I am so sorry you have been going thru this.  I have been going to doctors myself for 6 months trying to determine the cause of my leg pain.  I have been told by 3 to 4 doctors that I am a "mystery'.  They did finally determine that I have edema.  I have severe swelling from the knee down and alot of days cannot even hardly walk. I to have sharp pains running up and down my legs. My doctor has not prescribed anything for me, so I just have to "live with the pain".  The last resort is to send me to an allergist to see if I have a allergic reaction to something.  The only thing that helps keep the swelling down is prednisone.  Whenever I try and decrease the dosage,  the swelling and pain comes back worse than ever.  So whatever is causing this, must still be around.  I am at the end of my rope also.  Why do doctors not listen to their patients?  You try and tell them your level of pain and they just ignore you. I will pray for you that you find relief.

[zob35]

Sounds like restless leg syndrome to me. But I had back surgery for a herniated disc and I had similar leg pain in my legs from that. I recently had another bout of it and had steriod injections in my spine. I also had the nerves in my spine burned. Both pretty much eliminated the pain. I DO sympathize though. It is the WORST, most frustrating feeling.

[dga]

I have yet to find out what exactly is wrong with my legs. The pain is unbearable at times.  At first, my doctor treated it as a possible sciatica, but, treatments have failed to work so far.  The pain began in one leg about 6 years ago, and eventually moved to the other.  I wouldn't have too much pain during the day, but, once I layed down in the bed at night, the torture begin.  It was the sharpest, throbbing, aching, hurting pain in both of my legs, I had ever experienced, and thought I would go mad.  As soon as I would get up or set up, it would stop.  My doctor put me on Neurontin, Baclofen, and Mobic.  She later took me off the Mobic, and gave me Tramadol, and now Celebrex.  I took myself off the Celebrex, it irritated my stomach.  The Neurontin seems to be helping on most days, my legs have stopped hurting at night when I lay down.   Now after I've been on my feet a few hours at work, they begin to hurt so bad, I can hardly walk.  Nothing seems to help this pain.  I tried to explain to my doctor, its  not like arthiritis, its sharp, intense, throbbing, like someone is trying to to hack my legs off.  I have cried at night, thinking, this must be what it feels like to have a car land on your legs.  It is horrible.  My doctor seems to think I have damaged nerves from working on my feet on concrete all my life.  I have no idea what could possibly be causing me so much pain.  I don't know what other treatment to look for, or where to go, or what kinds of tests to have done.  Any suggestions..........?  I need any input.

[TrayCee]

RLS?

[cali54]

Sounds like my sciatica also, also have L5/S1 ddd,  

[dakmba]

I had the same problem when my sciatica started up.  It was so bad I went to the ER where they performed an ultrasound to rule out a deep Vein Thromosis (DVT).  I would advise you to get that done "just in case".  But my problem was not a DVT but rather L5/S1 nerve compression.  I had a laminectomy in Jan 07 which did not help.  I am now looking at a fusion in July.  Needless to say I am also looking for minimully invasive laser surgeon that can go in a clean up the compressed areas.  I am so against going back in for an open back surgery and having hardware put in.  Good luck to you!

dakmba