I hurt my back and was told I had 5 bulging disk L1 through L5. After 2 months of bed rest with no luck and still having pain in lower back and down left leg was told I needed to get an epidural to help with the pain.
The first epidural reduced the pain in the leg by 50% but did not help in the lower back. I was then given a second epidural and it was painful. I was told to stay off my feet for 48 hours and did so except to use the restroom. 30 min after getting up on the third day I started to jerk in my lower back. My back was pulling in toward my stomach. It has progressive got worst as time went by, now 6 months. The only way I can get it to stop is to lay flat on my back for a period of time. The longer I am up and put pressure on my lower spine the worst it gets and the longer it takes to get it stopped by laying flat.

Have seen several Drs and told everything from caused by stress to it being Myoclonic jerking. But none of them know what caused it or what to do about it. The jerking will even start while sleeping if I roll on my side and but pressure on my lower back.

Can anyone but some light on this or had similar condition after an epidural.

Welcome to NeuroTalk Jerky!

I'm sorry for what you're going through. Have they tried any medication to calm the jerking? I'm thinking maybe anti-spasmodic meds like Topamax or something similar?

I don't have experience with that, but I have had migraines that would go on for weeks or even months at a time and I took Topamax for a long period and after I weaned off the headaches were gone.

I was amazed that they stopped but my MS neuro said something about it stopping the cycle (or something to that effect.)

Yes they have tried seizure meds, muscle relaxers, anti- depressants and so on.. I have so many half use bottles of meds that I could be a drug store from where they try something and then take me off of it. I have seen other posting were after a epidural the same things started and looking for what was found to cause it and what if anything was found to cure it Thanks

have you had any luck in finding out what is going on. I had an epidural post op pca pump and since have been having tremors, jerking and cramping in my right leg. It will feel like pressure builds up in my spine then after sharp intense pain across my back, my leg goes crazy. It is just effecting my quad muscles and my hamstring. the hamstring will cramp up and twist my leg around from toes to hip.

God be with you and hope you are doing better by now

No I have not.. It like the Doctors do not believe me that this started only after the epidural. Now they are trying to say it is in my head!!! But funny it happen while I am sleeping if I roll on my side and put preasure on my lower spine. It also increase if you just push in on my lower spine. But as they say once there is a chance that a Doctor screwed up none of the others will step up and take the time to see what is going on do to possible suit.. It is a tight group and they cover for each other.

I saw a movement disorder neuro in Omaha NE and he said "i'm leaning toward the epidural being the cause."

Just got local results of MRI's of head and thorasic spine and they say they show nothing. So now they want to do C-spine mri. I have had soooo many blood, urine, and the mri's that it is crazy that they say "oh, we didnt find anything everything is "normal"... well then why does my leg jerk around all the time now. I am so dang sick of taking pills and when have a problem with one of them they just throw in another to try and stop the problem caused by the other ones.
I'm in trouble at work because of missing so much. My supervisor is great and heck one day when my hamstring decided to cramp and twist my leg/foot around she would not leave my side. She has been so sweet and feels bad that I have a warning coming, never had one in the 10 yrs been working there. I'm out of FMLA as it ran along with the short term disability back when this got so bad that I was off for almost a full 12 weeks from Jan 18th. I honestly dont know what to do or which way to turn next. I have already passed my deductable and out of pocket for the year (6000.00) but you still have to pay the co pays for the office visits and at 35.00 PCP and 50.00 specialist and not being able to work because if I take the meds to get my leg calmed down they knock me out. I should be asleep now as in 1.5 hrs my alarm to get up for work will be going off and here I am because my leg went nuts and got wrapped up in the bedding, good thing i'm single or would be kicking the cr** out of anyone who was in bed with me LOL
Hope you have better luck than I am having in this mess...

God Bless and may your Special Angels wrap their wings around you and bring you comfort.

Well almost 18 months after I got the epidural I finally have the answer. I do not think for a minute that the 16 doctors I have seen did not all know the answer but rather did not want to tell me what was wrong due to the fact that they did not want to be in a malpractice suit against one of their brothers. I just was diagnosed with a tear/hole in a disc that is leaking spinal fluid. I have been told that it is leaking onto a root nerve which looks damaged also. They say when spinal fluid hits other nerves it causes them to reach with sever pain and kind of short out. This explains my pain increasing and the uncontrollable jerking. Check out this website if after a epidural you have complications. chirogeek com/000_Anular_Tear_1.htm[/url]) At least now I have an answer to it all

Going to check it out... getting off the drugs is calming my leg down more than they were doing... MD neuro in Omaha wants me clear off them... my leg was actually better before they started drugging me up at least I had times when it would be calm. will check out the site.. thanks for sharing and finding an answer to this H ----- Jo