Nerve damage - Spinal nerve root pain due to infection

@basvarstad Welcome to Mayo Connect and thank you for posting this discussion on nerve damage. I am so sorry to hear of this difficult diagnosis. How are you feeling now? We would enjoy getting to know you, so if you will, please share with us the history of this problem. For example, it might be helpful to know about your symptoms, tests that your doctor ran in order to come up with the diagnosis of infection in the spinal nerve roots. Our members might also be interested in knowing if this was the result of an accident or perhaps some other systemic infection that you had, also, what type of medication and/or treatment you might be having to deal with this problem. Feel free to share this information as you feel comfortable. Thanks again for sharing with us and joining Mayo Connect - we are glad to have you! Teresa

My right arm and hand continues to still be numb, tingles, and painful. My face around my eyes and forehead are numb off and on. I was bit by a mosquito in the Cayman Islands in Jan. First tests for Zika came back positive. CBC received the blood five weeks later and showed negative results. Mayo ran it again in Feb. showing negative. The Cayman dr. Believe there may have been two virus's involved and the one overcame the Zika. Mayo says it doesn't matter what the virus is, it is in the nerve root of your spine and we will deal with that. Many blood test were run and came back negative. I am currently on a high dose (3600 mg daily) of gabapentin. I feel some of the symptoms may be due to the meds. How do you separate the two? Also take Tylenol (1300 mg) twice daily for pain.

@basvarstad Thanks for sharing more about this rather unique problem. Perhaps some other members will be able to join in on the discussion. Keep in touch and let us know how your treatment is going. Teresa

My back pain started 3 weeks ago. Could not even turn in bed or get up from bed. And as soon as I would get up my legs go numb. After a round of steroid for 6 days and daily gabapentin, baclofen, and Tylenol, I was able to get out of bed. Finally got out to see a doctor this week. Got x rays, and mri, will start on therapy. Even now I can barely walk 2 minutes before my legs go numb, or sit to have tea and toast before my legs are numb. I manage to work almost lying down on a recliner. I use ice on spine only a couple times a day. It helps reduce inflammation but it just makes my nerves go berserk. I hope it gets better. So I can only imagine what you must be going through my friend. It is very difficult to face. But you keep fighting and you will have to persevere. And when needed just push doctors for answers if you have to. I say so because before my back pain started 3 weeks ago, I had to deal with abdominal and severe pelvic pain which took 4 years to diagnose and treat. I was in constant pain, even with nsaids, steroid, Tylenol, gabapentin, muscle relaxants, suppositories I would still be in constant level 7 pain. And every night it would hit a level 10 and wake me up. Through all this I somehow managed to work, take care of my mother on dialysis, and seek diagnosis for myself. It got so bad that I could not stand or walk without a walker, was incontinent completely and bleeding from rectum daily. Was constantly getting iron infusions and b12 shots. My heart rate lying down was in 120s, just going to the kitchen or bathroom my heart rate would hit 150-160. It took great perseverance and not settling for lame answers from doctors, kept asking them please explain why? Why? Why? Until I finally got a diagnosis for the underlying cause of all my symptoms in December 2023 just 2 days before I was scheduled for an exploratory surgery. And with correct medication, i was off off painkillers completely by 15th Jan 2024. And then just a few days later on 18th Jan 2024 my back pain started, and I am on walker again and on max doses of all painkillers again. Another war to fight to get over this life condition. I had barely one week of respite in 4 years, and off we go again. I can only encourage you to fight with everything you have got. That is the only way.

I also have a Spinal infection. I had two Colon surgeries in three weeks,the last one I had a fistula and the infection went in to my spine. I was in the hospital--9-- weeks and when I came home my wife inserted Anti Biotics for --8-- weeks,then two weeks after that she had to do it again for another --8-- weeks. I am able to walk etc but I have pain all day and night--which worse when I lay down. I'm--82--so I don't think it will ever heal

Hello,yes Spinal nerve damage can take a really long time. I still have excessive pain after more than 18 months dealing this. I've posted before today here, I'm --82---but I have in very good shape all my life, played all sports, in high school, was Parra trooper for -2-years out of --6--years, then came home and became a mail man for another 38 years, walking 17 miles a day on my route. I never been ill or even injured until I had Colon surgery two years ago, I developed a Fistula and the infection ended up in my Spinal column . I needed two --8-- weeks treatment of Anti Biotics one hour a day. Now it's been over 8 months since my last treatment and I still have pain must wear a brace to walk up to 30 minutes, and then--SIT. I really do not think mine will ever heal, but at least I can walk and do small things in life, which I'm thankful for.