Update on Hawianesegirl's Numb Leg - Page 2 - ThinnerTimes

Hawaiianese Girl · 05-19-2008, 05:02 PM

Wow Katie...I bet the same thing happened to you that happened to me. It seems suspicious that no one told you that they probably laid that damn bovie machine on top of your leg! That's one thing I AM thankful for, is my surgeon's honesty. He told me right away that they laid that thing on top of me in that exact area. I remember feeling shocked because no one told me that any kind of machine would be laying on top of me, yanno?

Doesn't it seem wrong that this is happening to people? What on earth can be done to keep this from occurring? This just seems so wrong.

Here is the definition of what I have and probably what you had:

MERALYGIA PARESTHETICA
Meralgia paresthetica is a condition characterized by tingling, numbness and burning pain in the outer part of your thigh. The cause of meralgia paresthetica is compression of a nerve — the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve — that supplies sensation to the skin surface of your upper leg.
Common causes of this nerve compression include tight clothing, obesity or weight gain, and pregnancy. Meralgia paresthetica can also be due to nerve injury, from a disease such as diabetes or from trauma.
Treatment for meralgia paresthetica is directed at relieving the compression and usually consists of self-care measures, such as wearing looser clothing or losing weight. In severe cases of meralgia paresthetica, treatment may include medications to treat the discomfort or, rarely, surgery.

Katie, the doc has started me on something called "Gabapentin". Have you tried that and did it work?

Also, someone posted and suggested I go see another neurologist that has nothing to do with the hospital that I've been going to and I'm already planning on it. I want a second opinion.

Thanks so much for your well-wishes, kindness and support. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have all of you.

~Mahealani~

princesse · 05-20-2008, 09:27 AM

Gabapentin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tonystark04 · 05-20-2008, 10:38 AM

Hope you feel better soon with the meds prescribed.

AnnieH · 05-21-2008, 01:09 AM

Man that sucks girl!! I cant believe it, and like everyone else - never heard of this before!
When are you seeing another doc for a second opinion? I know nerve issues are generally difficult to treat because nerves take SO long to renew themselves, but my gut instinct was also for you to get a second (and third?) opinion.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Hello Katie · 05-21-2008, 08:43 AM

I just searched through my posts and found the post I made back in December about my leg. I think you're exactly right about what I had... funny that the doctors couldn't figure it out but someone over the internet knew right away!

I'm SO scared they're going to re-damage my leg when I got back in for surgery next week to have my gall bladder removed. Reading this reminded me how bad my leg used to be. It was just miserable

I didn't get any medicine except some muscle relaxer which would just make me tired. I had more luck with my Lortab but it would only slightly take the edge off so that I could sleep. I just dealt with it, looking back I don't even know how. Later as time went on, I would get these HORRIBLE sharp pains out of nowhere, I would be sitting there and it would feel like someone shot me in the leg.

"I've been having problems with this since 2 days post-op last week. It started out being really itchy, then the next day itched and burned like someone was holding fire to my leg, and then it was itchy, burny and numb. It's very localized with me though (a portion of the top right thigh more towards the outside) and when I let the doctors know they said it was probably a nerve thing but not permanent and could have been from the position they had me in during the operation or that they may have nicked a nerve. It sounds similar to what you're going through. The only thing that makes it feel better is walking and I have to get up about every 2-3 hours at night because the pain wakes me up. I also get those weird "crawly" feelings like mentioned in the article. Let me know what your doctors say. I keep wondering if it really will go away or if I'll ever get a good nights sleep again. You're not alone. I hope you feel better!"

Hows the meds working?

sherry7 · 05-21-2008, 09:29 AM

Mahealani, I'm sorry you're feeling bad, and hopefully the meds will do the trick for you soon. I'm really glad you posted about this. I've been having pretty bad problems lately with my right hip and my sciatic nerve on the same side. My surgery is next week, and having that Bovie machine (lol, I spelled it Bovine the first time

) lying on that particular side would probably flare it up even worse I'm sure. Before I go in to surgery, I'm going to ask the doctor to rest it on the opposite thigh if possible.

Is there a particular leg (left or right) that they usually put it on, since the camera goes in on the left port side hole?

RebeccaNV · 05-21-2008, 09:34 AM

LOL Sherry...Bovine machine. Well the OP did say that it was heavy. Thank you from making me laugh this a.m.

Hawaiianese Girl · 05-22-2008, 05:03 AM

Good Morning Everyone,

Thanks for your comments, concerns and questions. Someone asked me when I'm going to go get a second opinion and I'm not sure when I can do that. I've missed so much work that I'd have to carefully plan a day pretty far out from today. The problem with it is that I'm on the meds that the first doctor gave me (Neurontin) and I'm afraid that when the second neurologist does his "hands-on" test, that I won't be able to react the same because of the meds. Did that make sense? I feel as if I would need to get in to see another doctor like NOW before the meds take away the pain and burning so that the second doc gets accurate results. I don't know..am I thinking too hard?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherry7
Is there a particular leg (left or right) that they usually put it on, since the camera goes in on the left port side hole?

I don't think there's a particular leg that they use. I guess it just depends. Mine was put on the left leg but I think Katie's was put on her right. Just tell the doc what has happened to me and a few others on this board and let him know that you're concerned.

Quote:

Originally Posted by: Hello Katie
Hows the meds working?

Girl, it was not a fun situation. I took my first pill on Monday night and didn't notice anything strange. I took another pill on Tuesday afternoon (lunch break) and an hour later, while I was sitting at my desk at work...
all hell broke loose. My eyes dropped, my head was spinning, I felt like I coudln't control my arms and I just basically felt drunk and high at the same time. I told my boss, who sits practically right beside me in the next cube, and then my co-workers saw me trying to walk (while holding onto the walls) and they thought it was hilarious...lol I grabbed some food and tried to walk to the breakroom to heat it up because I had an empty stomach and was hoping that food would help. But before I left my cube, I called the neurologist's office and left a message. The thing was, that I could HARDLY form thoughts to speak. It was difficult to think! It was so scary. I hated it. But thankfully, it wore off after about an hour and a half. I'm not sure if the food helped, or what. So, the neurologist HIMSELF, which I appreciated, called me yesterday and was laughing (with me) about my symptoms and was fascinated because he had given me the lowest dose possible. I guess it's because of my little tummy? I don't know. So, this medicine has to be built up in my system. I WAS to take one a day for three days and then gradually increase to taking 2 a day for three days until I could get up to THREE a day. That's laughable to me because there's no way in hell I could even imagine taking 3 of those things when ONE practically had me on the floor. He said to scratch those directions and just take one a day (at night) until this weekend comes around and to increase the dosage then. He's hoping I'll get used to it over the weekend so that I'm not all high at work during the week. Soooo.....I took one last night around 9:00pm and I'm still tired as hell right now (it's 8:00am) so I guess I need to take it a little earlier in the evening. I haven't felt a change in my leg but it's probably because it takes time for the meds to build up. I can't wait!!!!

~Mahealani~

fisher1000 · 05-22-2008, 05:49 AM

Hi Mahealani...

I must have missed this thread earlier!

I'm glad they are at least doing something--but I too would want a second opinion before the meds get well into my system. Maybe if you called another doctor's office and told them that it specifically was for a second opinion but that you are on meds and need to see someone quick before your symptoms are covered over.

Good luck honey--you're in my thoughts!

-Mike

Godsblessedme · 05-22-2008, 07:37 AM

oooh honey i'm sorry i sure hope that doc is right with the meds that symtom doesnt even sound funny

Hey i noticed that your numbers are on the way down again woohoo