I have a ruptured disc in my back!

[Sunrisedrp]

I had an MRI and I am unable to walk and am in so much pain it’s unbearable. I’m scheduled for surgery next week but what should I do in the mean time? Should I go to the hospital emergency room?

[Madlegs1]

Yes.

[Krawlins]

I had to, though they didn't want to keep me in. I had two attempts and insisted they keep me in the second time. I was bedridden and could not walk, I was taken in by ambulance but had to walk down my stairs. I remember every step was sheer agony and I cried all the way down. I was so frightened as I didn't have a clue what was causing this immense pain. I couldn't have an MRI as I was in so much agony and was stuck in foetal position. I was catheterised and put on morphine. It was Easter and apparently there was no specialist available as he was on holiday. I was in a week before I could have the MRI and first Dr on call told me a bone had moved in my back!! What a way to describe it! I would later find out it was an extremely bad disc herniation at L5S1, when the consultant returned from his holiday he sat beside my bed and quite concerned told me this. He also said it was an emergency, even though I'd had it about a month by now, with the last fortnight having been the most excruciating in my life! Told me he would have to cancel his following morning's clinic for me and so finally I got my op. Prior to this in the beginning physios tried to get me out of bed and walking on a daily basis. I cried continually, it was just so awful them making me do that. They even had the cheek to tell me I could go home at the weekend and see the consultant in the clinic! I couldn't believe this suggestion as I couldn't move, was catheterized and don't even think I could have spent weekend in wheelchair. I just had to lie on my left with legs locked and not move an inch. I could barely eat and lost a stone and all my leg muscle went.

The good news is I had the op, discectomy and lumbar decompression (I think) it was never recorded and months later when I mentioned to my GP I'd had emergency surgery in the end, they knew nothing about it, were never informed by the hospital. Finally after about a month of sheer agony I could straighten my leg and weight bear again. Had to have physios and hydrotherapy but I had a good recovery.

If you're as bad as this and can't wee or walk or weight bear then I'd say its an emergency, there are red flag signs which any good medic will know such as numbness down below and inability to wee. Good luck with your op, it should bring you so much relief!

Take care

Kay

[Sunrisedrp in reply to Krawlins]

This sounds like me! Worst pain ever. It’s now Saturday night and I have to wait until Tuesday afternoon when the surgery is scheduled. Thank you so much for your response. I don’t feel alone now. This is exactly what I have! A herniated disc at L5 S1

Thanks so much,

Dawn

[Krawlins in reply to Sunrisedrp]

Ooh bless you, no one else can understand that pain unless they’ve experienced it. Had my surgery 2012 and I was really good after it. Unfortunately something strange happened just over year later on a night out and I now have chronic back/leg pain which is being treated with physio, back strengthening, injections and medication. Chronic I can deal with but that acute pain!!

It will be such a relief for you once you’ve had the op.

I likened the pain to labour pain but with no pain relief and lasting days, even weeks!

Wishing you a good recovery after the procedure. Couldn’t drive for a while but once I did I went back to work.

Kay x

[Krawlins in reply to Sunrisedrp]

I do hope your operation went well and wondered what you decided to do? Did you visit AnE beforehand? I hope now you are free of pain

Kay x

[Emma2017]

Hi there, I had exactly the same start to mine nearly. I had back pain for a short while and found it helped lying on the floor for short times. One day just over 2 and a half years ago I laid down again on the floor in my bedroom but could not get up again. I was in sheer agony. Eventually I somehow got up with the help of my husband. An MRI was scheduled for the next day and I laid in bed thinking how am I going to get there. Somehow I managed to hobble down the stairs and into the car. At the hospital I got a wheelchair. The MRI showed a large disc extrusion at the L5/S1 level with slow onset cauda equina.An operation was scheduled for just under a week later. I managed to get through that week somehow as I was scheduled with a top surgeon and did not want to end up with just anybody if going to A&E. It is the most debilitating thing ever. I felt so much better after the op after some initial hassle. (Since then I have had 2 more ops but this is rare as most people are fine after just the one) I would just stay in bed till Tuesday as it is not long to go and it is bank holiday weekend. The only time it becomes an emergency is when you loose control of your bladder and/or you become numb in the saddle area.

Good luck

[Krawlins in reply to Emma2017]

Hi, may I ask what further surgery you had. I’ve been awaiting a fusion but in the meantime been given various types of injections to relieve chronic pain. I’m really not sure about the fusion, I’m concerned I could become worse. I can walk ok apart from when I leave work because I have been sat down for 6 hours. The last injection was foraminal and I’ve had a root nerve block, facet joint injections and other steroid injections (cortisone, which didn’t suit me at all). Has your herniated recurred, apparently mine has but nothing like the initial time

[Emma2017 in reply to Krawlins]

Hi I had a microdiscectomy 2 years ago which helped but left me with leg paralysis which cleared luckily after 4 months. I then kept on having pain and had various foraminal and dorsal root block injections. Then facet joint denervation on 3 levels both sides which helped a lot and then an SI denervation which also helped a lot. Life was looking up when I herniated again at the same level and had another microdiscectomy last year which unfortunately failed within 2 weeks. After that I was in so much pain and could do absolutely nothing whatsoever and got an emergency MRI which showed the biggest herniation to date. My surgeon felt I might be able to get away with another microdiscectomy as that is far less invasive then a fusion and so far so good. Strangely enough I managed a broken vertebrae in January but luckily it healed by itself.

Most surgeons don’t like to perform 3 microdiscectomies at the same level as it is technically quite difficult I believe due to scar tissue and the feeling it might not work but if you can find one who is willing I think you would be better going for that. I have since had another foraminal 10 days ago which (touch wood) has really helped. I unfortunately am behind now with the physio due to the vertebrae but hope to start that soon.

Good luck, let me know what happens.