Lower Back and Leg pain.

[Carious]

Hi, I am a 21 year old female who has been having lower back and leg pain for the past 3 years. I am not sure what that caused it. It wasn’t until two years ago that I realize it was getting worse. I started have headaches and skipped monthly periods. I have been forgetting a lot of things and it has started to become a habit.
At first, it was just like a pinch here and there. Then it started to spasm. The pain started getting unbearable, so I finally went to see my family physician. He said that it was probably just spasms. So he prescribed anti-inflammatory medication for me. I took it for at least a month and a half. Just when I thought I was getting better, the pain came back. This time it was sharper. The worst thing about it was that when I get this pain, it’s always on the left buttocks and when it occurs, it doesn’t matter what position I am in, I have to stick to that position as if I was locked or frozen. If I don’t, then the pain will become much worse, and sometimes, I end up fainting (other than that, I just cry) . I went back to my doctor, and he said that it was just spasms, so again, he prescribed me anti-inflammatory medication; but stronger then the last time.
It went away for a couple of weeks, but it came back again, worse than the last time. So I went back to my doctor again for a different opinion. I finally got a MRI. When the results same back, they said that there wasn’t anything major and that it seems to be a bit of arthritis on the lower lumbar. After that, I received an EMG, and the results came back with a negative. There was nothing wrong accept that on the lower back, the S-1 was weaker than the rest.
So my doctor recommended that I have an ESI done. So I had that done in June of this year. For a whole month, I have been feeling better, but just a few days ago, my symptoms started coming back. And I am afraid that if I go back to the doctor, they will say the same thing to me again.
If anyone has any advice, let me know. Thanks.

[Carious]

Thank you for the advice. I will definitely find and set an appointment with a rheumatologist.
I have already been checked for sciatica (slipped disc, prolasped disc), blood clots, obstructions of arterys that lead to death of the hip muscles, myofascial, and many others. Everything came back normal.
I forgot to mention my weight. My height is 5'5. After this pain started, I started gaining weight. I was 180 than and at the beginning of this year I was 240. So my doctor told me that maybe it was the weight. So I was put on strick diet, I am now 207. I am getting there. But it seems to not be the problem for the leg pain either.
Just last night I realize that when my left leg is not in pain, my right calves started getting a tangling sensationup and down with sharp pain. If I spend about a good 15 to 20 minutes hitting it with all my might, then it goes away. It is nothing like a charlie horse. Oh, and I get that alot too. Not just that, I have sleeping legs. They sleep alot. I hate it. And when I try spreading my toes apart or sometimes when I stretch with my leg, and I have my toes point toward me, it creates a ready-to-freeze mode, so I have to quickly push my toes back to prevent a Charlie horse or other pains.
As of right now, it's fine. I just hate it that when I go to the doctor, it does't happen than. I can't make it happen, but when it wants to happen, it does it on it's own. I am getting along with my leg right now, but I just wish I know what the problem is so that I can have some peace.
Again, thanks.
If anyone else has any idea, please let me know. Thanks.

PS. My hearing is getting worse. It is not that I don't want to hear, it's just that I didn't hear the person say anything.
This morning, my husband was in front of me and he told me to grab the keys for the car, I didn't even hear him and I was right next to him. Now he has a loud voice. What is up with me?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Various possibilities for your symptoms are nerve impingement due to a herniation (or bulging) of the disc between the lower back bones like in sciatica,degeneration of the intervertebral disc, spinal stenosis(the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and nerves),spinal degeneration,fibromyalgia, osteomyelitis or sacroiliitis (infections of the bones of the spine).

I feel that you need to consult an orthopedician or rheumatologist to find out the confirmatory diagnosis.

Hope it helps. Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing.