Caudia Equina or MS or something else..no pain now !

firstly the symptoms-

3 years ago - apparent slipped L5 disc ( cycling up a hill ) causing severe pain for a Month ( not confirmed by MRI ), severe pain but resolved after 2 Months. Some urinary problems which was thought to be Prostate related ( PSA was normal ) and moderate Erectile dysfunction soon after ' slipped disc '.

3 years later !!

No back pain or sciatica pain ( at the moment )

Bladder - appears nueorgenic ( urgency ) and made worse with excercise

Bowel sphincter seems weaker ( difficulty controlling gas and I believe very slight leakage )

left leg - Sciatica pain - six weeks ago ( pain has gone after 4 weeks ) but has left leg with weakness and atrophy , reduced reflexes.

Right foot - periods of numbness and occasional sciatica pain in right butt.

Erectile dysfunction - started 3 years ago when i had 1st attack of pain. ( now less sensation in tip )

vibrations and fizzing in rectal area

wasting of muscle tone in left leg

Saddle area - less sensation on left side, normal on right side

Pain - Well the sciatica pain is gone, so no pain , everything elses stays.

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I went to the Emergency room out of desperation due to utter despair and was there for 5 hours and was seen by their assessor who then called for the Orthopaedic Consultant.

The bladder problem is not retention. They did a bladder scan which showed empty when my brain is saying full. Maybe linked to the nervous system, ie messages being sent from the brain / spinal cord so I get the constant urge to urinate.

However they found things that the GP'S overlooked, ie, loss of important reflexes on left side leg and wasting of muscle tone in leg ( even I didn’t notice that ). The other symptoms I have are erectile dysfunction ( 3 years ) and some difficulty keeping gas in and some pain and strange vibrations in rectal area.

I have some tingling in both legs and although I can feel the saddle area, the pin tests showed that the right side more sensitive than left. The left leg is weaker and has lost a lot of reflexes and the consultant noticed muscle atrophy which I didn’t realise.

The upshot is that the consultant was concerned but not overly concerned. I wasnt rushed in for immediate surgery or MRI ( as indicated by many medical establishments ). I have an apointment at outpatients in two weeks, no doubt to go through the embarassing probing again.................

The consultant said that he wouldn’t get the knives out just yet because he thought that surgery isn’t critical at this point, an option based on MRI findings.

I am concerned about further damage. Bearing in mind this started nearly three years ago and has been left until now / not taken seriously until I went to the emergency room who in their oppinion did not jump up and down and cart me in for immediate medical attention.

Thanks for reading and looking forward to your comments tony

Health can be cruel. One day the sun was shining with blue sky and the next day, the storm clouds were here. I try to take each day as it comes though this is not easy, thinking the worst , etc.

Im based in UK so most of us have a free health service ( NHS ).  Unfortunately I do not have private cover, most people in the Uk come under the NHS. Clearly the medical staff are under alot of pressure to deal with so many people but I do sense sometimes that you have to be horizontal before you get any treatment.

best wishes

tony