[Mylegshurt]

I am not quite sure how to subscribe to a particular forum. I am interested in discussing treatment with others living with meralgia paresthetica. I am an Occupational Therapist and had never heard of MP until I was diagnosed with it last year. I have had it for 6 years but it was very mild until 2 years ago. It began with mild discomfort in my thighs usually with standing. The main symptom, which is very embarrassing to discuss, is severe leg pain before having a bowel movement. Does anyone else experience this?
Anyways, I finally went to the Dr. when the pain became very severe and was basically all day long. I also began to have numbness in my thighs that I describe as being like the numbness experienced after going to the dentist and your cheeks and chin are numb. I have been treated with several rounds of oral steroids and several anti-inflammatory drugs, which only give relief for a few weeks. I have found that pain meds such as ultram or hydrocodone work, by taking left over medication that I already had at home for previous reasons. Do these meds help others with MP? If so, are your MD's willing to prescribe them? My MD never mentions pain meds and I feel as if he thinks they will not provide relief since this is nerve pain. However, it does on the really bad days.
Has anyone had trigger point injections? Do they work? Please help me.

Also--I am so glad to know that others are out there that know what this is like. I feel like people think I am crazy when I describe this to them. I am so tired of hurting.

[Darlene]

Mylegshurt,

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Great to see you have come to be with us. You will find a great number of caring, supporting members here willing to help each other as they can.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene

[glenntaj]

I see you've found the subforum for meralgia parasthetica. It's not that active, but there's some good info on it, especially in the googled list of info links Jo55 posted:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread14108.html

The condition itself is not well understood, though it seems to involve compressive forces on the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. Most neurologists would tend, for such nerve pain, to prescribe anti-epileptics before opioids.

Some have had success at symtpom relief with these, some with radio frequency ablation of the nerve, some with losing weight and physical therapy--no one size, unfortunately, seems to fit all here.

[Mylegshurt]

My docotors will not try anti-epileptics because they feel they do not help. I am willing to try them but am concerned about the dosages and side effects. I am scared of them.
I am a therapist and have tried physical agent modalities with zero relief. I have also seen a chiropractor with little long term effects. I am not over weight, so weight loss is not an option.
What would you suggest I do? If I could get relief just on the bad days I would be happy. I can live with the numbness. I just want to ease the pain.

Thanks for you input

[gary777]

I have had this problem for a couple of years now. First my right leg started having problems when I was working a lot doing remodel work on my house, standing on a concrete floor a lot, so I just figured it was that. My doctor didn't seem to have much idea what to do about it, but said he thought it was meralgia paraesthetica.

What's weird is that about two years later my right leg doesn't bother me much, but my left leg has it worse than the right ever did, and the ache, which seems to get worse when I go to bed, makes it very hard to sleep. Foturnately I have Oxycodone from my recent neck surgery. Ironically I had a very severe disc herniation in my neck that was pinching a nerve that went into my right shoulder and arm.

I don't know what to do. I just had x-rays, and A CT Scan that show nothing. I am running out of pain medicine and without it my nights might become living nightmares. Not sure what to do.

[ali12]

Hey,
Welcome to Neurotalk, if you need anything just ask, I will try and help you if I can.
Thanks

[pairoftrigeminal]

Hey Gary...just wondering, does the oxycodone really help to alleviate the pain or does it make you feel different about the pain? I ask because I am having a lot of nerve pain and I find that the oxy only makes me have a different attitude towards the pain...that's the only way I can explain it. I don't feel so down, so angry, so aggravated by it. However, I have been on Tegretol, Neurontin and now Lyrica and I have to say that they do take the edge off. You might want to consider trying the anti-seizure meds but just ensure that the drug level of especially the Tegretol are kept track of because you can become toxic on it.

[pairoftrigeminal]

Mylegshurt...I don't understand why you are afraid of the anti-seizure meds. I can attest to the fact that they do help with nerve pain and while I have been over-medicated in the past by a neuro that just wasn't paying attention, if you are pro-active and ensure that you are having your blood levels tested there shouldn't be a problem. I have been on Tegretol for 14 years for seizures with NO side effects whatsoever until the neuro added Neurontin and didn't keep track of my levels. I have had some side effects unfortunately but I am happy to say that things are back on track now. The dr. has decided to stop the Neurontin and start Lyrica (low dose) and see if the pain level improves. It might be worth a try honey...you seem like an intelligent patient that is capable of ensuring that your levels are watched...remain pro-active and you might get the relief you are so desperately looking for! Good luck and I hope that your doctor's might consider this option.

[mrsD]

read this thread.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...899#post208899

MP is only the involvement with the lateral femoral sensory nerve.

It does not cause diffuse leg pain or aching, is rarely bilateral (but can be) and should not cause pain during defecation. MP pain is typically sharp, lancinating, and confined to a specific area of the thigh. In between sharp, can be numb tingling etc. I liken it to 100 bee stings all once. Another person described it to me like a lightening bolt. Stretching the leg, extending the leg, often brings on a stab. If your legs are not the same length, you can get this too, when the shorter one overextends. There is typically no weakness or change in ability to walk (except from the pain aspect).

Sometimes the term gets loosely applied to "thigh" pain. But it does not affect muscles in the thigh. Muscles do not get "weaker" or fail.

Hip pain, groin pain (hernia), back pain/disc issues, there are many other causes of thigh pain.