Convinced it's a spinal tumour...

[Aussie11]

I recently posted about my IBS type symptoms and fact I was worried it was bowel cancer. I had a colonoscopy last week and apparently it's all fine. So I've stopped stressing about the bowel related stuff and now don't really seem to have any abdominal pain, just a slight discomfort in lower left pelvic area.

But the back ache I've been complaining about for weeks is now constant and has gotten much worse over the last couple of days. It's low down, near my coccyx bone and hip area, a really strong dull ache. Feels like a migraine in my back! Have taken nurofen plus but doesn't help and even wake up in the night with the dull burning feeling. Have also been experiencing frequency and urgency with urination which also wakes me up at night. I've also got random twitches in my hands and feet on and off, and also numbness/tingling a few times a day too. The back ache is worse sitting down and not great lying down either. Only time I can get my mind off it at all is when I'm walking.

I went to the doctor Friday night and she has referred me to neurologist - she initially just said I should go to physio but I said the tingling etc was getting worse so she said I should go to the specialist. I'm hoping the specialist does a scan because I'm now petrified that I have a spinal tumour.

I even went to the walk in clinic today and nurse did examination and said that it's not sciatic nerve as I don't get pain down my leg and didn't think it was anything wrong with the discs either. This has just made me panic more because I was hoping it was a bulging disc or something. Maybe I've got fibroymalgia - but would this wake me up in the night and be constant? I know I shouldn't have googled but did, and I can't see what else this could be....

[MidnightCalm]

Fibro can be constant yes, sometimes I wonder if I might have it, a neurologist is a good start even just to put some worries to bed. Bring up Fibromyalgia with your GP?

[Aussie11]

Booked in to see neurologist on Thursday night so will see how that goes. If neurologist doesn't think it's anything nervous system related and suspects it's bone related instead, does anyone know whether he would refer me for MRI or to another consultant, or I'd just have to go back to gp again? Just wish one person would be able to help me get to the cause of these problems, should be gp but bit hard when it takes 2 weeks to get in there each time, only to be fobbed off.

Went to physiology last night to see if she could help. She said my muscles are fine but my spine doesn't move or bend like it should, said it's really rigid. Not sure whether that's relief as something she can fix, or a symptom of something worse like im scared of.

[Aussie11]

That meant to say physiotherapist not physiology, predictive text mistake!

[nikki3158]

Hi, ive been seeing a neuroligist for over a year. I have a bulging disc which should have been operated on last year but for differant reasons didnt, althought im ok now so dont really need it. I too stated with constant lower back pain and intermittently have pain in my coccyx. I couldnt work because sitting was so uncomfortable and liying down didnt really releive anything but walking helped. Unfortunately eventually walking was really painful but this was only because i had a severe degree of bulging which is why they wanted to operate. As for numbess and tingling, I have numbness in my left foot and was in my lower left leg, the sensation has returned to my lower left leg but never to my foot, this is due to nerve damage. I really wouldnt worry to much, I have had two mri and both my gp's and neurosergon both said that i was one of the lucky ones as a bulging disc showed. They advised that unfortunately a large percentage of people with back pain dont find anything and its really mostly age related. When my back first started which was years ago i never suffered from the sciatic nerve that only started in the last two years. I really wouldnt worry at all this sounds like a run of the mill bad back

[Aussie11]

Thanks for your replies. Neurologist referred me for whole host of blood tests, nerve conduction test and MRI. I get the results when he gets back from holidays in a couple of weeks. Had the MRI yesterday, took 1.5 hours as it was brain and whole spine. Wasn't exactly fun to get through but not too bad. It's frustrating having the images disc but not being able to get the results for 2 weeks! Of course I've looked at the images when I got home and have no idea what I'm looking at....those things only make you panic more because it all seems to look bad!! At least I'll know what's going on soon.

[crazyhayz]

How did u convince ur specialist to give u an MRI of brain and spine?? I want that as i get same symptoms plus loads more and even though ive been referred to a neuro, i rly dont think they r guna refer me for MRI as they r so expensive on the NHS. Do u know if bloods are accurate?? coz ive had bloods done (triple test, ldh levels for cancer, thyroid, liver function, all normal) does this mean im not seriously ill?? I hardly ever feel anxious, only when i get the nasty symptoms! xx

[Aussie11]

I was hoping that the neurologist would refer me for MRI but I didn't even need to ask him for it - he did the normal neurological examination (e.g. follow his finger, ask if I could feel the scratch on my feet, reflexes etc.) and then said that he didn't think there was anything too much neurological going on because examination was fine. But he said just to put my mind at rest and rule out anything serious he wanted me to have brain and whole spine MRI; nerve conduction test; and blood tests for inflammatory conditions, kidney and liver functions, arthritic and other autoimmune conditions like Lupus. I did see this neurologist through private though as I have private health cover. I would hope that you would get the same service through the NHS though if they were at all concerned or wanted to rule anything out - most the private consultants I've ever been too have also worked on the NHS so it shouldn't change what they decide is needed whether you're going private or NHS. It does sound encouraging that all your blood tests are all fine. I'm certainly no expert, but it seems like if something really serious was going on there would be some indication in blood tests.

[TracyL]

Hi

My daughter has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. She gets terrible pains and tingling also.

Take care
Tracy