Dear Debbie K,

I do know how you feel and the frustrations you and your daughter are experiencing. Spinal injections are not effective in treating MP. Been there... done that. Finding answers on the internet are difficult. Most of the information is directed toward the temporary causes and effects of MP, not the chronic, long term, debilitating, constant type of pain that can happen. I searched and searched for answers, for help, for a doc that seemed to know about MP, for someone that would DO something. It is very difficult and you feel so alone.

You mentioned that your daughter was diagnosed by a neurologist. Is he the doctor that is treating your daughter? Has your daughter seen a neurosurgeon?

I was sent to an orthopedic surgeon that sent me for a spinal injection He also wanted to operate on my back.

I was seen by neurologists that did nerve conduction tests, EMG testing, and of course, these tests do not show MP since the LFCN is a purely sensory nerve. I was put on oral meds including Lyrica. I was given a TENS unit to use. I used Lidoderm pain patches. I was sent to physical therapy. Nothing worked.

I demanded to see a neurosurgeon and he said that surgery might be an option and they might be able to move the ligament off of the nerve but he retired and was the only one I found that would have been willing to perform the surgery.

I was finally referred to an anesthesiologist that specializes in pain management. He suggested a direct injection into the LFCN. Because of my age and other medical conditions, he did not use a steroid. I had immediate and total relief before I left the procedure room. I was amazed. I was ecstatic. I got home and a few hours later, the pain returned. It was like going to the dentist and having novacaine that wore off in just a few hours. At my follow up appt. I told him what happened and he consulted with my other docs on using a steroid. A plan of action was developed that would allow me to have a steroid injection and I was scheduled for it and took all the precautions required due to my other health issues. The results were minimal at best. We then discussed radio frequency ablation as our next option. We mutually agreed to try one more abdominal injection directly into the LFCN before doing ablation. He used a combination of drugs and I left the procedure room unchanged. Keep reading. About 10 days later, I noticed that I was not in "constant" pain. All the electrical shocks, the lightening bolts, the stun gun feelings had stopped. I could sleep without feeling like I was being electrocuted. The burning was a bit better. As time went on, improvement continued. This was the BEST thing that happened to me. It was not gone but there was so much improvement, I was a happy camper. The effects lasted for months.

I could write more and more but don't want to take that much space and make you read too much. As you have probably learned already from your research, the LFCN, may present differently in different people so using a fan-like injection helps get the drugs in the area of the nerve even if it is a little off course.

I don't know if you came across the article written by a doc in Ohio called, "Meralgia Paresthetica, The Elusive Diagnosis" but it is good reading. It is written about surgery for MP and would be good to read before considering that option. I suggest that your daughter try an additional injection into her abdomen to reach the LFCN before proceeding to either ablation or surgery.

What type of physician did her LFCN injection? If not being done by an anesthesiologist or a neurosurgeon, I would seek someone that uses ultra-sound guidance. It is my belief that a neurosurgeon or an anesthesiologist can hit the LFCN without ultra-sound but I personally would desire ultra-sound guidance if done by someone else.

First we go through doctor after doctor trying to get a diagnosis and then once we finally get one, we then can't find someone willing to help us. Of course, this is all based on my personal experiences and not offered as medical advice in any way shape or form. I really do know what you are going through. Your daughter is much too young to spend her life as I did with no help until recently. This purely sensory nerve can become debilitating due to the pain. No one seems to take it seriously because it is not a motor nerve. Yes, we can sit, stand, walk, ........ it just is very painful to do it. There have been times when I wanted to amputate my leg. Because your daughter has had MP for several years, the numbness may be permanent but it is not painful. She will just have to be careful not to injury herself in that area as she may not feel the injury. The pain comes from the other symptoms of which there may be many.

I hope some of this is of some help. If you have any other questions, please ask. Also, please stick around and keep me informed of your daughter's progress. Wishing her the very best and hope that she will find someone willing to help. Oral meds for ONE sensory nerve is useless in my opinion. Why treat the entire peripheral nervous system for ONE nerve?

I know finding the right person is a major task. It is not like you can make an appointment with every neurosurgeon in your area until you find someone that will help.

I suggest that you find someone that is good at injecting the LFCN and try that once again before moving toward more drastic measures. PLEASE keep in touch.

Hopeless