Discussions that mention lyrica

[QUOTE=WalksGINGERly;3255492]Hi,
Just wondering what symptoms you are having for a doctor to say you have Piriformis Syndrome??? Are you seeing a spine doc?

I have burning pain from my knee into the ankle on the right side of my calf. I also have tingling and numbing. I have muscle pain down my right buttock too. I also have low back pain. I assumed the muscle and back pain is all related to my post op fusion pain. It is over a year now. But the dr. said the buttock pain is that muscle. He said it could be pressing on the sciatica. I had an MRI of the lumbar spine and everything looks fine. They see something which can be scar tissue pressing on the nerve. Don't know if the pelvic MRI will show that. I already take 2400 mg of Skelaxin and 300mg of Lyrica. He is increasing my Lyrica by another 150mg. I have 3 dr's i see for my back. One is the surgeon who just gives me the Oxycodone and says give it time. I see the physical med dr. that gives me the muscle meds. I see the Neurologist for Narcolepsy but he gives me the Lyrica. I hope they figure out what is causing the pain. You start to think that they think you are making stuff up. No one has said that. Just me being paranoid.

Brief history (can't remember what's in my signature and am too lazy to look :dizzy: :dizzy: ) Am a 3 separate low back surgery survivor. Fusion of L5/S1, removal of hdwr at L5/S1 and Dynesis at L3/4 and plif at L4/5 at the same time.

Was having HORRIBLE right leg pain prior to the 2 level 3/4 & 4/5. Had the surgery and was better for a time and then came back with a vengence. It starts in my right butt cheek, down the back of my leg and kind of moves to the outside of my thigh to my knee. Then, jumps to the inside of my knee and then to the outside of my calf - that's the worst. It's like a HUGE butcher knife that is being STABBED in my calf, twisted, jerked up and then out. Ahhhhh relief for a brief minute and then the whole thing starts over again. The pain in my cheek is like a branding iron.

All of this happens when I'm sitting for any period of time (5-10 minutes) and is relieved for the most part when I stand and move around.

It had my surgeon stumped and because all of my lumbar discs (that remain) are compromised and then the fusions, etc. He just started injecting partly for diagnostics and for pain relief. None of them helped AT ALL. I had tried lyrica - baaaaad news. Was on the max of neurontin and that must have helped a bit because when I tried getting off of it - omg, what pain!

So, he sent me to a neurologist. I told her my symptoms and she told me where the sciatic nerve ran and BINGO! "True Sciatica" caused by Piriformis Syndrome. What she said was that referral nerve pain from nerve roots although painful wasn't true sciatica. I dunno - that's what she told me.

So.....injections at SI and piriformis. She normally injected morphine as well, but because I'm allergic didn't. So, the first 2 injections didn't work so well - not for any length of time I should say. The 3rd injection she doubled up on the cortizone and it lasted a blessed 3 months almost. Wow! What relief! Now, sadly it has come back, but I can have 3 injections in a given 3 months so I'm about to go in again.

Her injections weren't too bad - didn't feel it at all, but the flare after was pretty brutal for the last one. But, well worth the relief.

Jinx, it makes sense. The dr. said my nerve was tied in a know. I don't know if they meant Sciatica or another nerve. I never think to ask those questions at the time. The surgeon said it was inflammation. But over a year? It did not hurt before the surgery. Today it is killing me. I'm tempted to take a Percocet. I usually take only at night. It is burning pain from the knee to the elbow on the right side. What good is the Lyrica? Doesn't do a thing.

I'm convinced my burning pain is related to the sciatic nerve. For a little less than a year now I have been dealing with pain extending from my left buttock all the way down to my foot. Sitting and laying down always trigger it. I have had an EMG which was negative, and the neurosurgeon doesn't see any disc problems. She also doesn't see anything necessarily pressing on the spine. I take Lyrica which takes the edge off slightly. I did PT which didn't improve the pain. I also experience tightness on the leg when I wake up in the morning, especially near my ITBand. Although I'm not convinced it's ITB syndrome. It's sensitive to lay on that side as well. I have no problems with numbness or tingling. I was diagnosed with spina bifida oculta as a child, although the neurosurgeon doesn't see any relation. She was concerned that surgical scar tissue could possibly be the cause. Any help? Thanks.