Hello. I have just been diagnosed with 2 severe herniated disc. I have the pain that you have and it is going down my leg and my foot is numb. They said that my disc is pressing against my siatic nerve and that 's what is causing my pain. I have been living with this only for a short period of time but I know what you are going through. I have been to the doc, to the chiropractor, which I would n't recommend, and now the nero surgeon. I am going to the pain clinic for epiderals and pain shots because the meds they are giving aren't doing any good. They said that eventually I will have to go get surgery and they will go in and shave the disc so it won't be pressing against the nerve. I feel your pain. Go to a specialist and have them check it out. I had a MRI done and they now know what to do.

I had 3 level C4/5-6/7 ACDF done April of 2005 and the pains have never gone away. I have the same pains as you on my left leg and tingling sensation on my right arm. The pain on my left leg is especially bad before I fall asleep. I don't know what to say...other than just living with it. I hope, someone in this group can disagree and suggest there is solution. I'm tired of this pain and feel the fusion surgery was for nothing...
By the way I need to google 'Meralgia paresthetica' because I don't know what it is.

Dear Confused,

Depending on how severe the pain is, and how much the pain is really messing up your day to day living, there are always more options worth considering.

After being on oral narcotics for quite a few years, yet with the pain growing ever worse we finally tired an Internal Morphine Pump. I had my first one installed around 6 years ago. When the battery died this past October we decided to hold off till my other much larger surgery was over before replacing it out. When I got my new pump installed a month ago I was blown away with just how much good it's doing, I mean big time!

My pain levels backed off 80% or more off the top, and finally I'm getting back into the swing of things again. I am on the highest concentration of morphine and it is requiring a refill every 7 weeks, but trust me, it's a realy a godsend.

If pain is driving you nuts, who knows, maybe this might help you. Good luck and take care, Bob.

I have severe leg pain throughout both of my legs and my lower back. I know your pain. At it's worst, my legs feel like they are both are on fire and have big boulders sitting on them crushing them. Severe pain in the front of the thighs is coming from the discs.
After a discography test, my doctor discovered that I have torn numerous discs in my lower spine. The fluid in the disc seeps out constantly and hits the nerves entering both legs. The fluid is crippling me. Numerous neuro surgeons have said this condition is inoperable.
Lumbar Discogenic Syndrome'
I need help. I cannot live with such high levels of constant pain.

Sounds like you're getting a huge amount of advice ... and I'm going to add to the pile.

If you are also experiencing weakness in your legs, pins and needles, or numbness in your toes along with your other symptoms, you may want to see a neurologist for a nerve conduction test to check for nerve damage.

There are many peripheral neuropathies: CIDP, CMT, etc. Check them out on the internet and see if it all sounds familliar. (These can also affect your arms and hands .... ).

Di

Lloyd Vaughan, no number just signed up today] I've had this ever increasing leg (Feet to thighs) and arms and hand shake so bad I couldn't type without the backspace key, feet are at 30 degrees below zero with hundreds of grimlins pounding nails into my feet and toes constantly and the sinus headaches from the 2nd surgery to set my broken and unhigned jaw with wires inserted into the sinus holes under my eyes, and my mouth and lips burn constanly and my lower lip on the left side doesn't close right and I can't eat in public, and this has been continueous pain for over 43 years now. The pain includes: aching pain, numbness, tingling, sharp pains, etc.. I've been on various pain medications, with no luck. Medically I am treated the same as a "terminally ill Cancer Patient." My doctor also had me get various tests
(blood, bone scan, ultrasound, MRI, X-Ray etc.) covered with Agent Orange for seven months in every thing we ate and drank and the water we showered in, many who had not been circumsized at birth had to be at the age they were there!! And the VA only pays me 10% for type II Diabetes, and not for peripheral Neuropathy which caused the Diabetes, or for PTSD or for anything else!! Why??? In April this year I was in Critical Care Unit 1 accuse of intentional drug overdose and had my property confiscated from me. And they did not understand that for the three days preceeding that I had been reliving all the times I was a gunner on an Armed Huey Helicopter and never knew how many people (women and children) I may have killed. And out of all thoes killed there how come I wasn't when the others might have had a life and I don't!!!!
And now from my last blood test my PSA number is 13.9 when 4 is the normal so prostrate Cancer is almost a certainty, I have an appointment with the VA Hopital on Jan. 13 @ 1:00 PM.

Does my pain sound like it could be a case of Peripheral Neuropathy ?
:confused why I don't get any benefits to pay for the supplements I have to take because I have less than 1/2 stomach and can't eat all the nutrients I need in my diet, I have to pay $250 - $300 a month for the supplement which are health products and so priced high and taxed :[/QUOTE] I do really wish I was dead already but, am not suicidal, I have a Daughter a Grand Daughter, who will be 13 next month, and a 24 yr. old Son whoose lives mean much more than mine does!! They don't come to see me they can't stand to see their father in the pain I live in with my legs jerking up and down uncontrollably!!

Hello Lloyd,
I made a copy of your post and placed it as it's own thread so members can reply & welcome you.

here it is-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread110561.html

here's the main index link to all or forum topics, you might want to copy your post to on some of those also.
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/index.php

I thought I had meralgia paresthetica but that term is really reserved for femoral nerve entrapment.....
What I've discovered I actually have is L2 root nerve impingement that affects the femoral and femoral subcutaneous nerve etc....

One clue is that I can reproduce the burning by light pressure on the area of my L2 left side....
The anterior thigh surface numbness never goes away...
on my second epidural that at least got the correct lumbar
vert this time