As a surgical nurse I seldom step outside the medical bubble for ideas about what in the world is going on with my back, or other parts, but after four months of pain I'm doing exactly that. I need you guys' thoughts, ideas, experiences because I am freaking lost.
This "thing" started mid-October. I awakened with what felt like a toothache in my left buttock. I nursed it through the day with a heating pad but it never let up. I got a therapeutic massage. Nada. I finally saw a chiropractor, first time ever for me. He helped but it was coming and going. A toothache in my buttock which made me scream for Jesus on some occasions when I sat down. He told me I had "SI Joint Syndrome" and that with the treatment he was providing it would eventually resolve.
Persiflage and I also had a trip to Italy planned about a week and a half after I first woke up with this and almost cancelled it but went ahead. I had some really painful moments on the trip and have no desire to fly for nine hours one way anytime soon. I made it, I'm a trouper kind of gal, but I did ride the "beep beep" cart at the airport when we arrived back in the states, in tears, holding my left butt cheek off the seat.
After arriving home and being sick from a bug we caught on the trip I resumed chiropractic treatment. Things seemed to be improving so I slacked off a bit. Over Christmas it came roaring back. Sitting down really triggered it. A new dimension was muscle spasms. To add to the mix, due to a rare blood disorder that requires I take low dose Prednisone every day, I have been on and off treatment for Osteopenia, mostly with IV Boniva, but as of December a shot of Prolia, given every six months. One of the first side effects listed on the LONG list I had to sign off on before the injection is muscle spasms. Two days after the shot my limbs were spasming all over the place. The buttock pain went from one sight to several in my hip and leg. Really bad when sitting.
I figured I should be sure I wasn't barking up the wrong tree so saw my regular doc who felt this was classic SI Joint Syndrome and ordered me muscle relaxants and pain pills. The muscle relaxants I take at night even though the damn pain awakens me. I tried the pain pills one time, no big help, no thanks.
So, I have an appointment with the doc who prescribed and administers the Prolia. Could the spasms that are a side effect of this be making the SI joint worse? I hope to find out. I'm sure there is no antidote to the Prolia, it should run it's course in my body by June, when I will NOT agree to taking that again, back to Boniva.
I'm trying to figure this out, I'm at the point I'm afraid to sit down. I've had a microdiskectomy, this pain is very different. No numbness or tingling like before. This seems muscular, as is the SI joint pain. I'll know more next week when I see the Osteopenia doc.
I thought it would be really worthwhile and helpful to me so see if anyone else out there has experienced anything like this. I'm sitting now, scared witless to get up, hoping I won't have the pain and spasms.
I appreciate in advance any thoughts and ideas y'all have. Experiences. Questions I might ask my doc next week. I'm starting to live my life afraid of pain and that isn't who I am, not who I want to become. I'm getting desperate.