Anyone with meralgia paresthetica
Discussion
I've had meralgia paresthetica (MP) for some years. The severe pain is more frequent and one cause is sitting.
It was diagnosed when I had an MRI and I was told the 'tunnel' is furred up and it is progressive. It seems that MP might eventually stop control of my legs. I've been told that if I suddenly fall over, or am unable to control my bowels, to seek hospital help immediately. Glad they told me that.
Most of the advice online, and from the physio, is not to sit/stand/walk for long periods, long here meaning 30 mins or so, without getting up/sitting down/walking. I'm finding that sitting is a problem and was wondering if anyone has managed to find a way to sit that doesn't exacerbate the problem.
MP has meant auto cars for some time - had to get rid of my TVR. I didn't think it would cause anything worse, but one's legs dropping off and being covered in excrement just about tops it.
It was diagnosed when I had an MRI and I was told the 'tunnel' is furred up and it is progressive. It seems that MP might eventually stop control of my legs. I've been told that if I suddenly fall over, or am unable to control my bowels, to seek hospital help immediately. Glad they told me that.
Most of the advice online, and from the physio, is not to sit/stand/walk for long periods, long here meaning 30 mins or so, without getting up/sitting down/walking. I'm finding that sitting is a problem and was wondering if anyone has managed to find a way to sit that doesn't exacerbate the problem.
MP has meant auto cars for some time - had to get rid of my TVR. I didn't think it would cause anything worse, but one's legs dropping off and being covered in excrement just about tops it.
I have had it since before last Christmas , it manifests itself as total loss of skin sensitivity from my knee to almost crutch level , and covers the front area of my upper leg .
It ( I am told ) is due to trauma to the nerve that deals with sensation in that area . My GP has offered little in the way of treatment , only a steroid cream ( prescribed after a telephone consult and photo) for the skin rash that has appeared in the last month or so, which was ineffective .
As it requires a hands on investigation by the GP little is being done at present as it is not debilitating .
It ( I am told ) is due to trauma to the nerve that deals with sensation in that area . My GP has offered little in the way of treatment , only a steroid cream ( prescribed after a telephone consult and photo) for the skin rash that has appeared in the last month or so, which was ineffective .
As it requires a hands on investigation by the GP little is being done at present as it is not debilitating .
Thanks for that.
I broke three vertebrae, way back in 1979. I was told I would probably have problems around later middle age, presumably 55ish, so 74 isn't too bad.
It responds to ibuprofen (or something spelt similarly) but it dulls not only the pain but my brain as well.
I think I'm sitting incorrectly. I go by the 90deg angle at the knee, and use a chair with a sprung back, but after 30 mins I'm in pain. Ruins films on TV. I've got expensive chairs, with advertising that includes orthopaedic, but I recently sat in the garden of my daughter's house, in a patio chair, for nearly 90 mins without problems. It was remarked on.
Every time someone sees the X-ray of my back, I'm told I was lucky. I used to think that not really lucky to be thrown against the only table that was bolted to the floor. However, after sitting with some other patients waiting to see the consultant, some of whom were quite young, I could, at last, accept I was very lucky. I feel a bit wimpish for moaning, but the pain stops me using a computer. I've got sophisticated voice-recognition software, but I still have to use the keyboard.
I broke three vertebrae, way back in 1979. I was told I would probably have problems around later middle age, presumably 55ish, so 74 isn't too bad.
It responds to ibuprofen (or something spelt similarly) but it dulls not only the pain but my brain as well.
I think I'm sitting incorrectly. I go by the 90deg angle at the knee, and use a chair with a sprung back, but after 30 mins I'm in pain. Ruins films on TV. I've got expensive chairs, with advertising that includes orthopaedic, but I recently sat in the garden of my daughter's house, in a patio chair, for nearly 90 mins without problems. It was remarked on.
Every time someone sees the X-ray of my back, I'm told I was lucky. I used to think that not really lucky to be thrown against the only table that was bolted to the floor. However, after sitting with some other patients waiting to see the consultant, some of whom were quite young, I could, at last, accept I was very lucky. I feel a bit wimpish for moaning, but the pain stops me using a computer. I've got sophisticated voice-recognition software, but I still have to use the keyboard.
elanfan said:
Might be worth investigating Gabapentin as I believe that is specific to nerve derived pain.
Thanks for that.I've got problems with pain killers. They all have a significant affect on me. My heart stopped beating under a general, for a minor op, some years ago for some minutes and they gave me a name for my condition. I only take half a single pill, a quarter dose, of ibuprofen and it all but knocks me out. I will not drive until I feel a bit sharper. The same with paracetamol. Opiates are banned.
On the other hand, had I ever taken illicit drugs, such as cannabis, it would have given me a decent hit from, say, the weak stuff that was available back in the 60s.
When being told of the problems during my minor op, I asked the anaesthetist and the surgeon, did that mean that I died on the operating table, and the answer I got was, 'It depends what you mean by die.' Life, don't talk to me about life. I woke in intensive care, with two nurses fiddling with bits, and a tremendous pain in my chest. I later found two dislocated lower ribs, which have never been satisfactorily explained to me.
Look up it’s uses etc and maybe speak to your consultant. Apparently it changes the way your body senses pain from nerves etc. I was on 6 or 8 a day (not sure that is full dose) post amputation and slowly weaned myself off them, I take none now. In fact I take no pain meds at all but it has been 6.5 years. You ought to be able tolerate 1 or 2 a day I’d hope.
elanfan said:
Look up it’s uses etc and maybe speak to your consultant. Apparently it changes the way your body senses pain from nerves etc. I was on 6 or 8 a day (not sure that is full dose) post amputation and slowly weaned myself off them, I take none now. In fact I take no pain meds at all but it has been 6.5 years. You ought to be able tolerate 1 or 2 a day I’d hope.
If I took the full dose for a couple of days, I'd be out of it. All but comatose. It's come in handy a couple of times, most notably when I broke my vertebrae, but the problem I have is that the pain is chronic.I take half a tablet of paracetamol every night so that there’s no pain when I’m going to sleep, so, again, there are some positives.
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