1. < Chronic Pain

Pain only on right side of body

Posted by athenamom @athenamom, Jan 22 1:25am

Hello! This is uncomfortable for me to do, I’m not usually a forum user.

I have been dealing with chronic pain for around fifteen years, and the pain was originally focused on the right side of my neck. After a few years it spread to the right side of my face and my right wrist/fingers, and has now reached my right lower back, thigh, calf and occasionally the top of my right foot.

I have always wondered about autoimmune disorders (5 out of 7 of my maternal aunts/uncles have an autoimmune disorder), but I tested negative for ANA. I did have shingles on the right side of my face around 20 years ago, had multiple cysts, fibroids and endometriosis resulting in needing a hysterectomy, and very common unexplained rashes.

Thank you for your understanding and time, it is not an easy process to have so much pain with very little understanding or guidance.

Take care!

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celia16 | @celia16 | Jan 22 4:38pm

I hope you get some responses. I have a lot of issues with the left side of my body….I don’t know why.

REPLY
robertwp | @robertwp | Jan 24 6:41am

I too had different pains on only the left side of my body for a year or so and after seeing two other doctors for it I was referred to a Neurologist. He ordered mri's of my brain and cervical areas. Found out my spinal cord was being compressed from C2-C7 ! I am seeing a Neurosurgeon later this morning to discuss surgery. My spinal cord was "short circuiting" and causing different pains at different times but only on the one side of my body. I'm not looking forward to surgery but sure do feel better knowing what is going on. Good luck.

REPLY
2 replies
celia16 | @celia16 | Jan 24 7:04am
In reply to @robertwp "I too had different pains on only the left side of my body for a year..." + (show)
@robertwp

I too had different pains on only the left side of my body for a year or so and after seeing two other doctors for it I was referred to a Neurologist. He ordered mri's of my brain and cervical areas. Found out my spinal cord was being compressed from C2-C7 ! I am seeing a Neurosurgeon later this morning to discuss surgery. My spinal cord was "short circuiting" and causing different pains at different times but only on the one side of my body. I'm not looking forward to surgery but sure do feel better knowing what is going on. Good luck.

Jump to this post

Thanks for that info. Good luck to you as well!

REPLY
athenamom | @athenamom | Jan 24 10:04am
In reply to @robertwp "I too had different pains on only the left side of my body for a year..." + (show)
@robertwp

I too had different pains on only the left side of my body for a year or so and after seeing two other doctors for it I was referred to a Neurologist. He ordered mri's of my brain and cervical areas. Found out my spinal cord was being compressed from C2-C7 ! I am seeing a Neurosurgeon later this morning to discuss surgery. My spinal cord was "short circuiting" and causing different pains at different times but only on the one side of my body. I'm not looking forward to surgery but sure do feel better knowing what is going on. Good luck.

Jump to this post

Thank you so much for sharing your experience!! I hope and pray that the surgery is smooth and takes care of the pain for you.

REPLY
Misty123 | @leigh123 | Jan 25 7:47am

Hi I am dealing with a very similar issue..
I had a work injury almost 2 years ago, pain started in my right shoulder and right arm, ultrasound showed bursitis I had 2 cortisone injections and underwent physio twice weekly for 6 months with no improvement, dr then ordered mri of shoulder and brachial plexis all results were normal. Next step was cervical mri that showed clear disc bulge, degenerative disease and spinal cord compression at c5/6 and c6/7, I had a c7 nerve root epidural which only caused the pain to worsen and spread to the right side of my neck. 12 months after original injury I underwent adfc at c6/7, waking up in icu I had the right side of face burning and tingling fast forward 6 weeks I was complaining about worsening pain to the neurosurgeon, he sent me for an EMG and nerve conduction tests which all came back normal. 3 month's after surgery I still suffer all the same pains only more severe I was diagnosed with upper quadrant CRPS 6 months post surgery. Fast forward another 6 months I now have the same burning throbbing pain down my thoracic back, right leg and into my foot. Last week I was admitted to hospital for a 7 day ketamine infusion, they suspect it may be autoimmune and did a lumbar punch to check for ms and redid EMG and nerve studies only to find permanent nerve damage at c7, im still awaiting lumbar punch results and the ketamine did nothing for the pain.
I have this week been diagnosed with right sided spinal CRPS so at present the pain specialist and neurologist are discussing either a spinal stimulator or nerve ablation as the next step

Keep advocating for yourself, and I really hope you get relief and find answers real soon xx

REPLY
2 replies
orion7578 | @orion7578 | Jan 25 1:57pm

My sister had an ablation 1 1/2 years ago and she is raving about how good she feels without the pain. She was in a serious accident 5 years ago and was in constant pain.

REPLY
athenamom | @athenamom | Jan 25 3:18pm
In reply to @leigh123 "Hi I am dealing with a very similar issue.. I had a work injury almost 2..." + (show)
@leigh123

Hi I am dealing with a very similar issue..
I had a work injury almost 2 years ago, pain started in my right shoulder and right arm, ultrasound showed bursitis I had 2 cortisone injections and underwent physio twice weekly for 6 months with no improvement, dr then ordered mri of shoulder and brachial plexis all results were normal. Next step was cervical mri that showed clear disc bulge, degenerative disease and spinal cord compression at c5/6 and c6/7, I had a c7 nerve root epidural which only caused the pain to worsen and spread to the right side of my neck. 12 months after original injury I underwent adfc at c6/7, waking up in icu I had the right side of face burning and tingling fast forward 6 weeks I was complaining about worsening pain to the neurosurgeon, he sent me for an EMG and nerve conduction tests which all came back normal. 3 month's after surgery I still suffer all the same pains only more severe I was diagnosed with upper quadrant CRPS 6 months post surgery. Fast forward another 6 months I now have the same burning throbbing pain down my thoracic back, right leg and into my foot. Last week I was admitted to hospital for a 7 day ketamine infusion, they suspect it may be autoimmune and did a lumbar punch to check for ms and redid EMG and nerve studies only to find permanent nerve damage at c7, im still awaiting lumbar punch results and the ketamine did nothing for the pain.
I have this week been diagnosed with right sided spinal CRPS so at present the pain specialist and neurologist are discussing either a spinal stimulator or nerve ablation as the next step

Keep advocating for yourself, and I really hope you get relief and find answers real soon xx

Jump to this post

I’m so sorry for all you’ve been through as well, pain is just so hard to live with. I hope you are able to find better relief ASAP as well, thank you so much for sharing your story. I have never heard of CRPS, I just read about it.

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cjuels | @cjuels | Jan 27 10:59am

Mine is also going all on my right side. My upper area has gotten better, but I'm now stuck with this constant leg pain and discoloration from my right hip down to my foot. My pain has decreased and improved ALOT since this all started in April of last year. So I'm almost hitting a year here.....
I'm still looking for the actual answers and diagnosis. Some drs think I have it and some don't. I was prescribed, amitriptyline by my PCP, that I have not started yet and my pain specialist just prescribed me with Celecoxib, that I have also not tried yet. So if anyone has and experienced side affects, increased the pain, or if it helped, I'd love to hear comments and recommendations 😊

Keep fighting 💪 💖 ,

Juels

REPLY
cjuels | @cjuels | Jan 27 11:05am
In reply to @leigh123 "Hi I am dealing with a very similar issue.. I had a work injury almost 2..." + (show)
@leigh123

Hi I am dealing with a very similar issue..
I had a work injury almost 2 years ago, pain started in my right shoulder and right arm, ultrasound showed bursitis I had 2 cortisone injections and underwent physio twice weekly for 6 months with no improvement, dr then ordered mri of shoulder and brachial plexis all results were normal. Next step was cervical mri that showed clear disc bulge, degenerative disease and spinal cord compression at c5/6 and c6/7, I had a c7 nerve root epidural which only caused the pain to worsen and spread to the right side of my neck. 12 months after original injury I underwent adfc at c6/7, waking up in icu I had the right side of face burning and tingling fast forward 6 weeks I was complaining about worsening pain to the neurosurgeon, he sent me for an EMG and nerve conduction tests which all came back normal. 3 month's after surgery I still suffer all the same pains only more severe I was diagnosed with upper quadrant CRPS 6 months post surgery. Fast forward another 6 months I now have the same burning throbbing pain down my thoracic back, right leg and into my foot. Last week I was admitted to hospital for a 7 day ketamine infusion, they suspect it may be autoimmune and did a lumbar punch to check for ms and redid EMG and nerve studies only to find permanent nerve damage at c7, im still awaiting lumbar punch results and the ketamine did nothing for the pain.
I have this week been diagnosed with right sided spinal CRPS so at present the pain specialist and neurologist are discussing either a spinal stimulator or nerve ablation as the next step

Keep advocating for yourself, and I really hope you get relief and find answers real soon xx

Jump to this post

Wow! I just read your story and I feel so seen and so much better and like SOMEONE GETS IT and I'm not crazy here.

The way mine started and spread, and the areas I had affected are almost identical to yours!!! Wow!
I'd love to chat and ask you some questions. I'm so new to all this

REPLY
1 reply
Misty123 | @leigh123 | Jan 28 10:39pm
In reply to @cjuels "Wow! I just read your story and I feel so seen and so much better and..." + (show)
@cjuels

Wow! I just read your story and I feel so seen and so much better and like SOMEONE GETS IT and I'm not crazy here.

The way mine started and spread, and the areas I had affected are almost identical to yours!!! Wow!
I'd love to chat and ask you some questions. I'm so new to all this

Jump to this post

Ask away, happy to answer any questions.. through my journey I’ve found doing my own research and speaking with others more helpful than any of the drs.

I’ve been put through the rings, I’ve seen multiple neurosurgeons, neurologists and been doing hydro, physio, mirror box therapy and graded imaginary 2-3 times a week for the last 2 years, they even made me complete a 6week pain course which was a complete waste of time, I don’t get how they expect being mindful to relieve this awful pain, I held back but so wanted to tell them where to shove it!

I got discharged from hospital last week after being on ketamine for 8 days, only to have had my meds cut back, be back on opioids and to be told that there is nothing else my pain specialist can do, so now I have to start from scratch with a different pain specialist that is a retired neurosurgeon.
Fingers crossed this new Dr is able to help me

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