Spine Center

[janeike]

After talking with a friend, I have decided to make an appointment with a Spine Center for my RLS and Peripheral Neuropathy.  I have had low back pain for years and also (very embarrassed to say) very little control over bowels.  I am wondering if all of this is linked together.  So, I made the appointment but unfortunately they cannot see me until August 30th!  Yikes!  That's a long time to wait but I guess in comparison to how long I have had these problems, it is ok.  Has anyone else gone to a Spine Center?  My Pcp is reluctant to do any testing saying the condition is not curable but treatable.  Taking it into my own hands.

[Hidden]

I'd imagine there is a chance the bowels and back could be linked, (on of the problems associated with damaged backs is that it can cause incontinence).

RLS and peripheral neurology  are both neurological conditions so may be linked I suppose.

What's a spine centre and where is it?

[Kaarina Administrator]

Hi Janeike, have you ever made an appointment with a gastroenterologist re your bowel problems?

Am I right that you are not in the UK?

Kaarina

[janeike in reply to Kaarina]

Hi Kaarin,  thanks for responding to my post.  Yes, I am not in the UK.  I am in the USA.  I have seen several gastroenterologists and have had numberous colonoscopies and other GI tests.  Nothing really was found.  a couple of polyps that were removed.  It is pretty bad when it happens and I find that I have to wear a pad daily for "just in case" .  I am just wondering if all of this is connected.

[Madlegs1]

Sounds like you're having a  rough time. - I  presume you've been  through the whole opioids / Neurontin route and checked out food intollerances/ allergies - IBS/ Crohns etc? 

There are so many interconnections between stomach and back- I  do hope your appointment will bring you relief. 

If your GP is agreeable,  check out oxynorm. Good luck. 

[janeike in reply to Madlegs1]

Hi Madlegs, thank you for your reply.  Unfortunately, I have not had any testing other than colonoscopy.  I am taking ropinarole, gabapentin and clonazepam.  That is all.  They have not done an xray or any other testing.  This is why I have made the appointment with the Spine Center.  I just wish I didn't have to wait until August but I guess a few more months won't matter.  I'll keep you updated.  What is oxynorm?

Thank you for your concern.

[Madlegs1 in reply to janeike]

Oxynorm  is a low grade opiate- it would give pain relief and go some way to bunging you up. Gabapentin is another name for Neurontin - good for nueropathic pain- but needs to be titrated up slowly - at high doses>1200- it can cause some side effects for some people. It's  very easy for  medications  to counteract each other . I don't know  about your other meds. Others on this site are better qualified to  comment. 

Good luck. 

[Hidden]

Hi Jane. Just wanted to throw my two cents in. I do believe that your lower back pain can worsen your RLS.  I know one person on here who does a nightly inversion table and it helps not only her back but her RLS. Secondly I think the fecal incontinence is nerve related if you literally can't sense the presence of feces as it approaches your rectum. So in that case it might be related to peripheral neuropathy. If you sense the feces but don't seem to have the muscle control then I think it might be a pelvic floor issue in which case kegle exercises might help. Taurine is the well known amino acid for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. It remains unproven for PN of unknown origin. I too have lower back pain due to degenerative disc disease. Disease is really a misnomer because everyone's discs degenerate.  It's just that some people feel it more. The other common cause of lower back pain is spinal stenosis. They don't normally due surgery for DDD but occasionally for spinal stenosis. Anyways I wrap my back with a cheap Velcro rubber belt that I paid $10 for at a sporting goods store. It's supposed to take inches off your waist. Yeah right. But it does make me sweat in that area and before I know it the pain is gone.   The other thing is motion. "Motion is the lotion". Sitting is your worst enemy.   

One more thing if the incontinence is due to diarrhea then you're talking about a whole different ball game.