Back pain relief = amazing leg cramps

[kansasgal]

I have been getting steroid shots in my back over the last few months to see if it will help with my pain.

First shot, I get it and leave, go home, go to bed, get woken up at 3am screaming due to leg cramps. After this, I get cramps almost every night, and sometimes during the day.

Second shot: More leg cramps, this time the left leg decides to go into permanent cramp mode and I have trouble walking. Take one weekend and load up on muscle relaxers to the point where I'm REALLY relaxed (cue couch, hubby getting me drinks and me not moving). Leg decides that it well get out of cramp mode. Shot works for about a week, then I'm back into pain.

3rd shot, the doctor tries a new method and does a Trans-foraminal shot, which if you have never heard of one it's shooting the steroids into the nerve instead of the general spine.

http://www.bidmc.org/CentersandDepar...aminalESI.aspx

Doctor also gives me drugs that block nerve pain. After one week, the back feels better, but the drugs are whipping my behind. I read up on the drugs and see that not only are they nerve pain suppressors, but they also STOP MIGRAINES! Double win as I have not had a migraine since I was on the drugs. I get aura's, but the migraine then goes away.

[Koalio]

Ooooh, the trans-foraminal shots do wonders. Did they put you on Neurontin, Gabapentin is the generic? I'm on that too, it helps somewhat with me. After the first couple months the pain went back up, so be sure to have the doc monitor. We're currently tweaking dosages to try to get the pain stabilized. Good luck!!

[kansasgal]

Yup, they put me on Gabpentin. I ADORE this drug, it not only helps my back but helps my migraines as well. Hopefully this will work for a while..we will wait and see.

[Draper Mel]

I got some hellacious leg cramps right after my back surgery, while I was still in the hospital. All I had to do was move wrong and my legs would cramp. But that was because the pressure was finally off my spinal cord and the nerves were getting impulses they hadn't felt in a while.

Glad they figured out the problem for you. It sucks when the treatment causes more problems than you had originally.