Hello, new here.

[Clazzy78]

Hello. I'm not sure if I'm in the right place but I think I may have a condition called meralgia paraesthetica. I am female and 38. I had twins nearly 4 years ago.

Does anybody else have this?

My symptoms are : numbness, tingling and burning pain on my right upper/outer thigh. Walking and sitting for long periods make it worse. It is a funny pain but painful enough to warrant regular strong analgesia. Sometimes it stops me sleeping and when I wake in the morning I can't move my right leg straight away. It's like it's stuff, sore and numb all at the same time. Heat and massage help a little bit but not enough to get rid of the pain.

Any help much appreciated.

[Laura333]

Hi, I have had this for years. It's caused by entrapment of the femoral cutaneous nerve as it goes through a ligament in your groin. It's made worse by standing and walking for long. It usually eases off when sitting.

Mine always goes when lying down with straight legs.

Started with a small numb patch on one side, and the patch got bigger, then it started in the other thigh. Both thighs are now numb in the central outer bit all the time, but if I stand or try to walk for long, it spreads right down to my knee on both thighs.

I do have degenerative disc disease and it's been suggested it could be from the main nerve in my spine before it branches off down both kegs.

The stabbing from nerve pain is horrendous if I try and stay upright for too long.

The last attempt at treating it was to have injections in the groin with local anaesthetic and steroid, but it was very hard for the consultant at the pain clinic to get the right area, and unfortunately didn't help, just made the front of my thighs numb for a while.

The numbness isn't the problem, it's the pain.

I am overweight and don't think that helps, but not very mobile so weightloss is difficult.

I was diagnised by a neurologist, and referred to the pain clinic.

The next step if I choose to go there is injections near the nerve in my back, but this would be short term and not guaranteed to work.

The best thing would be if you are overweight, get the weight down if you can.

Sorry I'm not sounding more positive, but I've been trying to find an answer for around 20 years for this debilitating condition.

[Clazzy78 in reply to Laura333]

Thankyou for your reply. I am maybe 1 dress size to heavy. A size 14 instead of 12. I am trying to loose weight.

The pain is horrible. I've had it all this morning, ended up lying in bed with hot water bottle which seemed to give temp relief.

May I ask if you have found any medication that helps? I took 100mg of Tramadol this morning and that didn't help. Ibuprofen doesn't help, nor cocodamol. I'm hoping my GP will be able to help in that dept when I see her on Tuesday.

[Laura333 in reply to Clazzy78]

Lyrica helped for a while, that was about 10 years ago, but I piled on weight taking it.

I'm taking Gabapentin now, but really for nerve pain in lower legs from my back, but maybe it's all connected.

That's the type of drug you need as pain killers really don't help. Anti inflammatories help, but nothing really gets rid of it, the stabbing pains are the worst, hopefully you haven't got this bad.

If it's trapped in the groin, by holding up that side when standing up you will get some relief -- did you have a section by any chance?

I'm sure that having an abdominal hysterectomy, that left an apron overhang has contributed to this, when I get back from shopping I can't get out of the car unless I press and hold up my right side.

To be honest I think the only thing that will make mine better is a surgical release, but the pain clinic wouldn't refer me due to not being totally sure it would work in my case.

I've researched this a lot over the years, and it can just go on it's own.

I hope that is your outcome.

[Clazzy78 in reply to Laura333]

Hiya,

Yes I did have a csection. Very painful.

I do get relief by raising my right leg.

Driving is difficult as sitting for long periods causes pain to get worse.

I have read about gabapentin and pregabalin.

I was going to ask to try duloxetine as I have anxiety and depression at the moment. Suffer a bit with that. But I've read dull either can be prescribed for neuropathic pain. She may offer something else.

After the csection I had pain in my hip joints/ pelvis for about 18 months. It did go eventually. I wonder if that is related? This pain is totally different and only on the right thigh. I though it was sciatica/sacroiliac joint pain as I've had that before but again, it's a totally different pain and sensation than both of those.

Thanks for the info X

[Clazzy78]

Hello - just an update. I saw my GP on Tuesday. She agreed the pain is neuropathic and sounds like the meralgic paraesthetica. She has switched my anti depressant to Duloxetine at my request, to try and help with the neuropathy and help with depression. But it can take up to 2 weeks for pain relief. It may help it may not.

Have you tried Duloxetine?

Anyway, it very painful today. Took cocodamol to hopefully ease pain a bit.

It hanks again for your detailed info too.