In pain......need help!

Symptoms and Treatments
1

Hey everyone…I am in some pretty bad pain and I have no idea what is going on. This is the second time this has happened this month…

I am having severe pain in both my lower legs. The backs of my calves, and the longer it goes on the higher the pain goes. It has reached my lower lumbar area.It is a burning stinging pain. It is NOT joint pain. It’s more like muscle/tissue pain. Both times it has lasted 3 - 4 days. It starts gradually and then it hits all at once and I can barely walk. I have resorted to sitting ON an electric blanket for relief. I have been taking NSAIDS but the pain is so severe nothing is touching it! Not even taking the edge off. I am not currently on any prescription pain meds.

Does anyone have ANY ideas what this could be??? It is interfering with my daily activities.
Any insight anyone can give is GREATLY appreciated!!

Lisa

2

I’m sorry you’re having so much pain. When I hear words like burning and stinging, I think of nerve pain. If you have no history of this type of pain, then you need to get it checked out. I would probably start off with a phone call to either your rheumatologist or your GP. They can direct you as to whether they want to see you or refer you directly out.

Let us know what happens.

3

I think you’re right Stoney. My current Rheumy prescribed Neurontin but I just can’t take the side effects. So I am without any relief at the moment. I do have an appointment with my PCP tomorrow so maybe she can give me something (besides Neurontin) until I can get an appointment with my new Rheumy.

Thanks for your reply!!
Lisa

4

Some of the side effects can be mitigated by working up to an effective dose. There aren’t a ton of meds (that I know of) for nerve pain, but there certainly are others besides neurontin.

5

I have been doing a little research and found that Topamax can be helpful and I am already on it. Have been for several years now (off-label for Bipolar). So I am going to ask if it might be possible to slowly increase my dosage of Topamax (on 200 mgs daily total now) a bit in hopes that, that MIGHT help just until I get an appointment with another Rheumy.