Its my first time here so ill explain whats wrong. Well i don't even know whats wrong yet since i just got the mri results back and i don't really understand it yet. I haven't talked to the doctor yet that's next Monday.

Impressions:
1. Prominent, moderate multilevel degenerative disc disease and moderate to severe facet arthropathy are present throughout the mid and lower portions od the lumbar spine. The most significant abnormality occurs at the l4-l5 level tere is mild to moderate central canal stenosis degree diffuse bulge the superimposed right paracentral disc protrusion. There is severe right subarticular recess stenosis with mass effect upon the transversing right L5 nerve roots.
2.Mild central canal stenosis is present at the L2-L3 and L3-L4 levels 2 small central disc protrusions.
3.No areas of neural foraminal stenosis identified.


If anyone can help me understand this that would be great. Or at least point me someplace that could explain it to me.

Second before we found out whats wrong the doctor has been giving me tramadol 50 mg. I am a big guy 6'3" and 305 lbs.(Yes i know i am fat. getting ready for gastric bypass next month) and this tramadol doesnt do crap. I have talked to him before and he just told me to double what i was taking. so now i am taking about 200mg twice a day and it does absolutely nothing for this awful back pain. it shoots from my lower back into my hip and legs down to my knees along with my groin, and thats not fun at all.

Correction the only thing tramadol does is make me itch really bad. No hives or rashes. just itching. any advice?

Welcome to NeuroTalk:

We had a recent discussion about this on our PN forum.

Tramadol has to be activated by the liver to its active metabolites in order to work. Some people have a genetic variation in the liver enzymes that do this, and so they do not get much benefit from this drug.

This link has information and links that go into further detail, which you can print out and take to your doctor. There are DNA tests for this, but they are expensive and still there are doctors who don't understand this subject. The only for sure way to know what is going on with you is to have the liver enzymes measured. Some insurance plans will cover this, and some do not.
It is pretty expensive still.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...light=tramadol

Welcome to Neuro Talk. Many people here have back issues. There will be someone named Leesa that will help you with your MRI. I ususally wind up looking up each individual word, and I am still learning. I came here for the same reason you did. Leesa was the first to help me out and calm me.
I know just a few things for sure, a second and even third opinion is the best possible thing you can do for yourself. Keep a pain journal and bring it with you to the Neurologist. Also if you have a friend or spouse that can go with you it will help you if you should miss anything the neurologist says.

There are key words in an MRI. Mild, Moderate, Severe. When your MRI leans toward the severe word, there are some problems that need those opinions. Surgery is always a last resort after all concervative measures have been tried. I have had two cervial fusions, I have DDD also. My own surgery was successful.

I am sorry that all this happened to you. There is support here while you go through these issues. ginnie