Sorry I tried to keep it concise but its still a longish read :) April 28 2012 - husband moved to stand up & collapsed on floor - the pain was from his lower back right down to the toes of his right foot - he was beyond being in agony. Phoned the emergency no and a duty Dr eventuall arrived - told him it was sciatica - gave him a Volterol injection, left 4 diazapam, told him to take ibuprofen and see his own GP on the monday. The Voltarol and diazapam did nothing and after a sleepless night and another phonecall a different Duty Dr came out - this one was more interested in our bedroom wall paper than examining my husband - he also said it was sciatica and to see our own GP the next day (Monday), he left a prescription for dihydrocodiene. Phoned our own GP the next morning - heard him tapping on the keyboard - he said he had read the other 2 Drs reports and it was sciatica - rest, keep taking the tablets and make an appointment to see him in a week or so. The dihydrocodeine didnt do a lot for the pain but it did make my husband feel very sick with stomach ache and severe headache and totally spaced out, he could hardly string two coherent words together. It took 5 days before he managed to drag himself out of bed and come down stairs - he was still in a lot of pain with frequent spasms shooting down his right leg and his foot felt numb/dead. We got an appointment and saw our Gp a few days later - he diagnosed sciatica - keep taking the tablets - another week passed and we saw another GP - his diagnosis - you guessed it - sciatica - husband told him the dihydrocodeine was making him feel very ill on top of the pain and spasms - another prescription - naproxyn this time - I told him *sciatica* was a symptom NOT a diagnosis - we wanted a diagnosis - he got a tad huffy but when we did not back down he said he would send husband for an MRI. 4 weeks later he has MRI - 2 weeks later we see our GP for the results - he brings them up on his screen and after studying the screen he announces the my husband has *suffered a severely prolapsed disc* - how long have you been in pain he asks...about 8 weeks he is told, *it shouldnt have been allowed to go on for this long* says he of the *see me next week & heres a sick note*. - *you need an urgent referral to a Neurosurgeon* he says typing away on his keyboard. So long story - short version - saw Neurosurgeon mid August - 16 weeks after initial collapse (urgent referral remember)...Neuro decided a nerve root injection @ S1 will do the trick so does another referral to the guy who specialises in these - appointment for injection arrives - 3rd December 2012 (16 weeks from seeing neurosurgeon or to put it another way - 32 weeks from initial collapse on 28 April 2012). Injection done - no difference - see neuro surgeon for follow up appointment mid December - he decides another MRI is needed and anothe nerve root injection @ L5 - MRI done Feb 2013 - 2nd nerve root injection done march 2013 - instant result = much more pain and spasms than before - follow up appointment with Neuro April 2013 - tell him the pain has increased since 2nd injection - he agrees that it has actually made *matters worse* and says he can do no more for my husband so he is referring him back to our GP. In the meantime - 1 house move and several GPs later husband is referred by GP to a pain Consultant - he decided that if 2 nerve root injections have failed to help all he can do is give him more tablets - by this time I have an increasing list of tablets that my husband reacts very badly to so i give him a printed list of what they are and the severe side effects they cause - so he gives him Pregablin - see me again in 6 months he says. Initially pregablin seems to help but after a couple of months the sickness, headaches and stomach ache starts again followed by severe night cramps in his right leg. (his foot is now totally numb by the way). He perseveres another few weeks on the pregablin but he is so ill he decides the pain is preferable to the side effects. We see our new Gp and show him the list of tablets - including Morphine and the Morphine based ones which made him very very ill - GP issues a prescription and says try these, they are a very strong pain relief - he did not lie about that bit - we get home and husband takes 1 tablet - I go off to shops - come back 30 mins later and find husband in bed - he has been very sick, is dizzy and cannot stand or sit up - tablets we think - I phone Pharmacist who dispensed them and explain the symptoms - his reply *do not take any more, see you GP and explain, he will give you something else* - are they an Opiate I ask - *yes they are* he replies *they are a controlled substance so if you could hand them in or give them to your GP please, do not throw them out* - so the GP has given him more of what they know he is allergic to. Husband has had enough and stops all tablets - is referred to another Neurosurgeon In Feb 2014 who has another MRI done - decided on more nerve root injections @ L5 & S1 this time - says if they fail he can do no more - surgery is not an option apparently. Husband decides to give them 1 more try - nothing to lose - appointment 19 May 2014 - remember husband has stopped all meds by Feb 2014 - by the time the 19 May arrives husband is feeling quite good, the spasms have eased down to infrequent, the leg cramps have stopped completely and he is moving around without his walking stick - his right foot is still numb and he still has sharp unexpected spasms but to a lesser degree and he still has bad days with severe back ache but if he takes it easy it subsided in a couple of days to a dull ache (like toothache he says). On the morning of the injection he tells the Neurosurgeon how he feels and the neuro decided there is no point in going ahead with the injection - says give it 6 months and see how you go, if it flares up phone me and Ill book you in for the injection otherwise there is nothing more I can do for you - (we are becoming so familiar with that expression). As of todays date my husband has had good days and bad days and a few really awful days but he gets by the best he can - due to his having severe reactions/side effects to every tablet so far the GP says husband has exhausted the list and there are no more that he can suggest. Have asked GP for referral to a Physio who also does Acupuncture (husband had 5 sessions @ special offer price last year and it helped a lot) GP says no funding for Acupuncture in our area - asked him to refer to another Hospital but he wont do it. So this is where we are right now - 2 years of wasted time - useless & arrogant GPs and still no help in sight - back very unstable - slightest wrong movement and its back to agony again - vicious circle - there is no real help out there if you have back problems - unless you can pay for treatment the NHS do not want to know.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 22:17:06 +0000
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