Fibromyalgia Support Group

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Shooting pain down my leg

Roberlie-Lachance
Roberlie-Lachance
I keep getting this horrible shooting pain down my right leg. Back in July 1996 I had to have a guided injection because I pulled my back out. The doctor went from my leg up to my back with what I think might have been a steriod injection. This was because I was going to be married in just a few days and was in so much pain that I was unfit to do ANYTHING. Well.. right away my thigh was numb. No big deal I thought it would wear off.. never did.. I still have some numbness.. then after about 4 years or so I started having this really bad, what has to be nerve pain, jab down my leg from the side/back of my thigh toward my knee. It's the only place that I get anything that feels like this.. this bad.. will drop me to floor seeking some kind of instant position to make it stop.. but nothing I can do for it.. it has to stop on its own. I saw my orthopedic for this and he said that its some kind of seizure.. lol he obviously wasnt listening to me and when I tried to explain that it isnt he said I should see a neurologist.. the neurologist did tests and said that I have NO NERVE damage.. I find that hard to believe.. but ok. then.. no nerve damage.. I asked what is it then.. he said my FM! I am having trouble believing this too because FM moves.. I know what it feels like because I have it.. this isn't it.. this is the only pain that is this severe.. like want to die pain at 10 on a scale of 1 to 10! My Cymbalta does help ever so slightly.. but I guess I still want answers.. does this sound like anything you have experienced with your FM?
deleted_user
deleted_user
OMG! I just saw my rheumatologist today for something very similar. It could be sciatica which I knew I had and thought was causing this horrific pain that radiated from my hip all the way to my foot that feels more like a burning rod that is inside my hip and goes all the way down to the bottom of my foot-it is sharp and burning versus the throbbing aching pressure that sciatica usually gives me. My pain management doc did another MRI thinking maybe the one vertebrae I have an old compression fracture in had maybe compressed some more. I don't have the results yet, but getting back to seeing my rheumy today (I have lupus too), she moved my left leg into several different positions with my knee bent. She hit one position that made me scream out loud and then start crying. She told me that that position indicated bursitis in my hip was causing the burning rod pain that is fairly new. She gave me injectionof lidocaine and anti-inflammatory and told me to get on a heating pad and not do anything strenuous for 48hrs until it really started working to calm the inflammation down. Your post just struck home with me right away. I don't know what is going on with you exactly, but it would not surprise me if you had sciatica or something like bursitis. Do you see a pain doctor or rheumatoligist? You should talk to your doc about your symptoms because ther are things they can do to help....I hope you get some relief, because the kind of pain you are having will bring you to your knees. I know. Just don't give up. Be your own best advocate. Hollah back and let us know how you are.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Sorry, hon, I reread your post and see that you have been to two doctors already. If your neurologist said "no nerve damage" maybe it is bursitis. I would run it by one of your docs because it is so painful. My first post kind of rambled on-just wanted to help. You deserve to get some answers!
Roberlie-Lachance
Roberlie-Lachance
Thank you so much BWS for your post.. lol running on or not.. except for the 3 people who happened to be present when it really brought me down I feel like no one is believing me. Even the first doctor was kind of whacked out with his initial diagnoses and I felt honestly was just trying to get out of the whole thing with the neurologist.. you know.. gets him off the hook. Thank you for your post.. I will bring it up to my GP.. do you know what tests they do to confirm bursitis?
susanbanthony
susanbanthony
I wonder what test(s) did the neurologist do to give you the NO NERVE damage (small fiber or large fiber tests)? I would ask for a MRI maybe from your PP and then ask for a new Neurologist.

Pain radiating downward is not a good sign and numbness tops the cake and you need to seek out better answers to your pain.
milily
milily
Have you had an MRI of your low back? Many low back problems can cause hip/leg pain, numbness and other symptoms. I have spondylolisthesis at L5- S1 and I have alot of disturbing symptoms. I am also going to ask the Dr about looking into the possibility of pelvis being out of alignment.
deleted_user
deleted_user
It is so infuriating when someone doesn't actually listen to you and pawns off a quick reason why you have your pain. My first rhumey I went to was at a teaching hospital. I was probably 10 pounds overweight but with that pain I was lucky at that point I wasn't more. Any the doctor came in looked at me looked at the student doc and said I didn't have R.A. it was that I was out of shape and overweight. Uhg, if he would have took the time he would have known we didnt' think it was RA but we needed to rule it out. Never in my life..

So for the pain, my suggestion is to search online for yourself. I found my symptoms could be realated to the Psoas and Piriformis syndrome.

I went to so many doctors about my pain and since I was young and in shape they thought it was nothing or just in my head. 15 years later, I finally find something that described my pain and I found some exercises on youtube.

I absolutely love my primary doctor, but he just doesn't have the time to read up on all the new things. I'm still thinking if we would have fixed my initial pain, maybe I wouldn't be the way I am today. But wish in one hand.. no use looking back unless you can find some good. Good luck