excruciating pain all around lower back

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Jetskijo

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Have had back problems for 23 years, when diagnosed with 2 herniated disks. Haven't bothered me lately, but woke up a week ago in debilitating pain all around lower back. Healthy 53 year-old female, no prescription medicine, only homeopathic meRAB. Hurts to bend, stand, cough, sit, but at least sitting still eases the pain. No real bowel movements for 1 week. Had a masseuse/physical therapist work on back for 2-1/2 hours, but still couldn't walk when I left her house yesterday morning. Went home and called 911. Was filled full of morphine (the WORST stuff in the world), demerol and percocet which did absolutely NOTHING to dull the pain. They sent me home where I promptly thew up since I hadn't eaten. No massaging or meRAB will take this pain away. I am ready to kill myself as this pain is absolutely unbearable and I have an extremely high tolerance for pain. I tried to ask the Dr on this website, still waiting for an answer to my second set of questions. Has anybody ever experienced anything CLOSE to this? I am well versed on a healthy body as I jazzercised 4-5 times a week for 20 years, but cannot for the life of me figure out what is going on!
 
About 8 weeks ago I had a bout with sciatica that was the worst thing I've ever felt. I bent over to pick something up, felt a click, and fell to the floor writhing in pain and it felt like the muscles and skin in my right leg were boiling off the bone. I couldn't walk, couldn't lift myself up into the bed, had to lay there for half an hour until my fiance could come help me. He took me to the ER, where they basically treated me like I was faking for the pain meRAB, even though I have no history of ever taking pain meRAB and still have nearly full bottles of the four different ones they gave me.

I was fully disabled for over a week, and then began to take advice from people who told me to move instead of lay around. I started going to the gym, and slowly saw strength come back to my right leg which was mostly paralyzed by the incident. I still have about 1/3 of that leg nurab, and cramps in both calves when I try to stand on my toes. My lower back hurts constantly but not like it did.

I guess my point is, if I had to live in the pain I was in to start, or the lack of mobility, I probably would have eventually taken my own life but it didn't last and it never occurred to me to want to die. I hope you will just be as proactive as you can about working through this- you can recover.

I hope you'll keep us posted on your progress.
 
Yes, this has happened to me. It sounRAB like your disk may be pressing on a nerve, and I hope you go to the doc and get an MRI with contrast to pinpoint the problem. Some back problems come on from an accident, some come on from degeneration, where no matter what you do, it does not keep it from happening. Mine is degeneration. I ended up in the ER with this exact same thing twice and was given a shot of Toridol. It works very very well. It helps with inflammation and pain. It does not affect your head and is not a narcotic. I went from excruciating pain to none, but I was still stiff and it was hard to walk. It stays in your system for about 6 to 8 hours I believe but it was a huge relief to have the pain gone. I am also used to pain, ( 30 years of back problems ) Herniation years ago that caused horrible pain low back and down one leg, 6 months PT and injections, still limped and couldnt stand long, then surgery. Recently, after months of low back pain and leg cramps, I found out that I have a bulging disk that is pinching on a nerve. I go for an epidural soon as I am in bad shape now because I stood too long shopping. I hope you can get an MRI done so the cause can be found and you get the proper treatment. good luck in your pain relief
 
It sounRAB like you need an MRI to see what is going on in your back...and aleve or anything like that isn't going to touch the sort of pain that you are having. If it is nerve pain-which it sounRAB like, even the Class II narcotics aren't too successful on that type of pain. There are meRAB that have been found to treat nerve pain-Nueorontin, Lyrica, Topomax. All of these work on nerve pain.

Although this might abate with time, you should get it checked out to see what damage is going on and what can be done. If the ice isn't helping, try using heat for 20 minutes. Some people see relief for heat instead of the ice. You never know.

Are you haveing bowel movements now? If NOT, GET into a doctor and tell him all of the problems. This isn't something to mess around with.
 
Ouch!!!...:(

JetskiJo....welcome aboard.


How have anti inflammatory medications worked for you in the past?

I have many frienRAB with back pain to the degree of yours. They do
a variety of things to ease the pain, yet some still do not always gain
relief.

With several of them though the medications such as naproxen sodium
taken regularly have helped a great deal until which time the severe
pain decreases.

Currently does your back pain favor the left or right side?

Lots of merabers here who are sufferes with severe back pain. I am
not one of them. Hope you get replies soon!

Janaly:angel:
 
No medications are working, absolutely NOTHING!!! Not aleve, ibuprofin, NOTHING!! The pain is mainly centered all around the lower back. Since I was an avid health nut up until a year and a half ago, I can't stand this debilitating pain. I did get an answer from the Dr on here, but living in a remote town, not knowing anybody and having to DRIVE a distance to get help is looking more and more grim for me. I hate to call 911 to be transported somewhere to have an MRI. I'd like to at least get some relief from the pain. I have freezer burns all across my lower back from the ice pack and that STILL doesn't ease the pain........
 
If needed, you may have to arrange for transportation if you can not drive but this is not done via 911. If you can have an MRI locally you can start with that, then be referred to an Orthopedic Spine Surgeon and/or Neurosurgeon.
 
******

gosh I am so sorry I can't provide more helpful information to you.

When you were in ER recently what route of testing was done before
you were perscribed the pain meRAB?

Also your pain might be radiating from another problem? Not saying
it is but I'm just trying to think this through in general thoughts ya
know.

Have you had any ultrasounRAB done in recent years?

An MRI may reveal some helpful info for you? Being transported a distance
may be not so appealing but if ER or your doctor could schedule some
testing and imaging you might be able to pinpoint things more. I understand
you have had back problems for 23 years. I also understand that you are
in deblititating pain and want relief! I also understand that the pain meRAB
you have taken recently are not giving you any relief either.

I hope further merabers can share some helpful things for you to consider.
 
Thanks for all the responses. I had shots of Toridol, did nothing at all. Only ice gives me a smidgen of relief (I have freezer burns across my back) but the extreme cold taking my mind off the pain is the only reason why. Heat has always only made it worse. I went in for a cat scan yesterday where you have to drink a quart of something. The tech said it would really make me go to the bathroom, but I'm still waiting!! My Dr scheduled an MRI for me, but can't get in until tomorrow AM. Unfortunately, I can't get an epidural, which a Dr here suggested I do, until they read the MRI. Since I live so remotely with nobody around AND the MRI is a closed machine, AND I am super claustrophobic, I have to endure it. I also live on the second story, no elevators. If I can't get this epidural tomorrow, suffice it to say, I won't be around to reply to any messages as this pain is so off the charts. Sleeping (or lack of!!) and morning is the absolute worst. Pain is always in the low middle back, but whichever side I lay on, it seems to also hurt on that side. All the Dr's know I have had no bowel movements, but it seems like they think I'm faking this pain or they just don't give a sh_t!! I can tolerate huge amounts of pain, but I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy - maybe not anyway. I will look up Cauda equina syndrome. Thanks so much everybody!!
 
Did you tell the doctors in the ER that you haven't had a bowel movement in about a week?

There is a condition called Cauda equina syndrome which is an emergency and requires immediate surgery to prevent permanent nerve damage.

Basically it's where the nerves that control your bladder/bowels are being pinched, usually by a disc herniation in the lower back.

The fact that you are having severe lower back pain and haven't had a bowel movement in about a week is enough to warrant a return trip to the ER. Better safe than sorry! You don't want to permanently lose nerve function to your bladder or bowels!

You're better to go to the ER and have them send you home again than live the rest of your life with this kind of nerve damage.
 
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