Re: MRI next step
From: Christine M. Smith (smithy@maine.rr.com)
Mon Jun 7 16:41:51 1999
At Mon, 7 Jun 1999, Helen Dynda wrote:
>
>Chris,
>What previous surgery have you had? Have you had a hysterectomy? Do you
>still have your ovaries?
>
>- - - - - - - - - -
>At Mon, 7 Jun 1999, Christine M. Smith wrote:
>>
>>Hi Everyone:
>>I'm going nuts. My pcp has suggested an MRI as the next step to search
>>for the cause of the pain I continue to have.
>>He finally did call me, was very caring, (so I guess I won't fire him
>>yet :<) but admits he is stumped. My complaints do not correlate with
>>my physical exam. When a doctor has said that to me in the past, it has
>>always led to a dead end. At first he suggested CT Scan of the abdomen
>>and pelvis and then decided on the MRI of the lumbar sacral spine
>>instead.
>>The everyday lower right side abdominal pain that I had two
>>laparoscopies for continues. This is pain #1. Pain #2 is the symptoms
>>of bowel obstruction which have subsided since I cut out all the extra
>>fiber I had been eating. I read that some people never adjust to
>>increase fiber (I did it for 6 months) and although the symptoms were
>>suggestive of a partial bowel obstruction, there might not be any reason
>>for such an obstruction other than the increase in fiber. (then there
>>could be the adhesions causing it) This is the pain that occurs on both
>>sides, and feels just like menstrual pain. (my gyn told me most
>>menstrual pain is bowel pain).
>>It is now pain #3 that is getting to me, combined with pain #1. I
>>sometimes wake up early morning with severe (as in don't want to move an
>>inch) lower right sided pain that is dramatically alleviated by a change
>>in position. (although the area remains sore the acute pain is gone)
>>This severe pain never happens in the daytime, nor does it ever happen
>>on the left side of my abdomen. It happened a few times during the
>>period I was having the laps (1 year) but has increased since March
>>which just happens to be when I started a course in step aerobics. When
>>I get out of bed I expect to have to hobble to the bathroom hunched over
>>in pain but am surprised to find that I feel almost normal. a full
>>bladder seems to make it worse, in fact a full bladder during the day is
>>the closest I can come to duplicating the pain. My pcp says this relief
>>by getting up and walking around is consistent with certain kinds of
>>back problem. Am I getting muscle spasms? What does that feel like? Add
>>to pain #1 and #3, pain #4-this is the pain I now feel on the lower
>>right side of my back and into the buttock area. Of course my question
>>is, is this connected to pain #1, the lower right side everyday pain? Or
>>just a coincidence? Kind of odd that's everything is on the right side.
>>It is possible that adhesions are involved in this, or it might be
>>something entirely different. (and may have been all along) If the MRI
>>gives no explanation I guess the next step will be drugs that affect
>>perception of pain such as antidepressants.
>>Does anyone have adhesion pain with strange patterns of occurence such
>>as I have described above? It sounds as if everyone's pain from
>>adhesions is more or less of a consistent nature. I'm afraid I'm
>>barking up the wrong tree!
>>I'm trying to post on the neurology MD forum but they are really backed
>>up.
>>Finally, has anyone had an MRI? What can I expect? They just called with
>>my appt-next Monday at 9 PM!!! Weird? The daughter of a friend had one
>>and she normally has no problems with things like this, found the MRI
>>very, very difficult to tolerate. She said it took intense mental
>>imagery to keep from panicking in the enclosed area. She advised
>>pre-medication. Help!
>>
>>Chris S.
Hi Helen:
I've had a TAH in 1986 (ovaries left in. They are in good shape, no
endometriosis on them) and two laparoscopies, in Mar 98 and Sept 98. Why
do you ask?
If adhesions is involved with my back somehow, this is very bad news. If
its another problem now (or was all along) that isn't necessarily any
better because from what I've read on the neurology forums those people
are just as miserable as adhesion sufferers are. (and some of their
problems are adhesions of course) None of the options seem very
good-live with it, back surgery (no thanks) etc. I've had
musculoskeletal problems for about 12 years, on and off. Coincidentally,
that's how long its been since my hysterectomy. I saw a neurologist for
4 years during that time period who treated me with low dose
antidepressants for leg pain after a EMG revealed no neurological
problems. The leg pain disappeared after 3 months on Lupron. (the
neurologist agreed that endo can cause leg pain with negative conduction
studies but then he retired) Previous to that I saw a rheumatologist for
a couple of years with no diagnosis after a gazillion tests. So is this
new back problem part of all of this, or something different. And is
what I thought were adhesions problems really part of it too? What a
mixed up mess! Guess I just have to wait and see what the MRI shows.
Chris S.