1. < Prostate Cancer

Bilateral Nerve Pain Following Prostatectomy

Posted by lowth21 @lowth21, Mar 1, 2017

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer 4 years ago. Biopsy advised one agressive cancer and 2 not as agressive. Had a prostatectomy. Woke up from surgery with severe burning pain in and around my rear. This continued in my 3/4 days in hospital. Worst hospital stay ever. As soon as I left hospital for home, I had difficulty sitting due to the burning pain in my buttocks and down the back of my thighs.My cancer was advanced prostate cancer due to it being outside the prostate. Following radiotherapy, my PSA levels have been stable for 12 months at .04. The nerve pain down my thighs have not diminished and has radiated down under my feet. When I sit I have burning pain down the back of my thighs and burning pain under my feet when I walk. I am currently on 450mg of Lyrica a day but does not appear to be helping. As the nerve pain is bilateral (ie in both legs and feet) my doctor believes my sciatic nerve was damaged in surgery in my lower back.Urologist advised that it has never happened before. Just lucky I guess. I was wondering if any man out there has had a similar problem following prostate surgery and what treatment has worked/not worked for them as I am desperate to get this fixed.

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stantallusa | @stantallusa | Apr 27, 2021
In reply to @predictable "I may not be of much help, @lowth21, but I'm prompted to mention a couple of..." + (show)
@predictable

I may not be of much help, @lowth21, but I'm prompted to mention a couple of possibly pertinent experiences. For background, my cancer was in the bladder, not the prostate, but was discovered after a TURP procedure to alleviate benign prostatic hyperplasia. Another difference for me is that PSA tests are of no value in cases of bladder cancer. A total of 12 small, low-level malignant, epithelial polyps were later removed from my bladder by a TURB procedure.

First a question: What can you tell us about the "doctor (who) believes your sciatic nerve was damaged?" About a year after my bladder surgery, I developed pain in my pelvis, buttocks, and thighs. My primary care physician (PCP) sent me to spinal pain specialists, who quickly pointed to my sciatic nerve as a prime suspect, ordered an MRI, suggested I get ready for spinal surgery, and told me to start taking steroid shots to alleviate the pain. All of these fit into the daily routine advice from the spinal pain unit. But first, I needed six weeks of physical therapy, they said.

During that time, I did some research and talked to my PCP a couple of times about possible diagnoses. We settled on trying an anti-inflammatory therapy that only becomes a diagnosis if it works! Looking for a root cause, we assumed it might be inflammation of one or the sacro-iliac joint where the spine connects to the pelvis -- perhaps an after-effect of either the TURP or the TURB surgical procedures. She arranged for injecting one joint with an anti-inflammatory medication, and within a few days, the pain was gone. A second injection was never needed.

This result may be coincidental rather than causative, but I thought you'd like to have it as one of the ideas to discuss with your "doctor." Keep us posted so we can learn from your experience and, hopefully, find other questions you can put to your medical team.
Martin

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Do you know what the anti inflationary was. It’s name. I have an apt with my pain dr this Friday.

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1 reply
Martin Jensen, Volunteer Mentor | @predictable | Apr 27, 2021
In reply to @stantallusa "Do you know what the anti inflationary was. It’s name. I have an apt with my..." + (show)
@stantallusa

Do you know what the anti inflationary was. It’s name. I have an apt with my pain dr this Friday.

Jump to this post

@stantallusa, I don't have a record of the anti-inflammatory injected into my sacroiliac joint, but it was nothing special -- a common medication that your Internist will know. The trick was to make sure the injection was placed in the joint, and that involved imaging technology -- a CT scan as I recall, but maybe not. Martin

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Theodore Anspach | @tjaapa | Jul 11, 2022

I have NOT FOUND A DR. THAT CAN TELL ME WHAT IS REALLY WRONG WITH ME. BUT I HAVE READ THE MESSAGE FROM MAYO-CLINIC ABOUT NERVE CANCER AND I HAVE ALL THE SYMPTOMS THEY MENTIONED IN THE REPORT.
IT ALL STARTED DECEMBER 07 2011 AT THE VETERANS MEDICAL CENTER LEBANON PENNSYLVANIA.
A GIRL STUCK A NEEDLE INTO MY LEFT ARM AT THE ELBOW. WHEN I YELLED BECAUSE OF THE PAIN SHE MOVED THE NEEDLE THEN PULLED IT OUT AND PLACED IT ON THE COUNTER BEHIND ME AND SAID I WILL BE RIGHT BACK AND LEFT THE ROOM. WHEN SHE RETURNED SHE STUCK A NEEDLE INTO THE SAME PLACE AND PUSHED IT INTO THE NERVE AGAIN BUT WHEN I YELLED AGAIN SHE PULLED THE NEEDLE BACK SLOWLY UNTIL SHE WAS GETTING BLOOD. I TURNED MY HEAD TO SEE THE NEEDLE KIT BUT THERE WAS NO NEW KIT. SHE USED THE SAME NEEDLE I SAW ON THE SHELF, WHICH WAS NOW CONTAMINATED.
MY PAIN IS SO BAD AND NO ONE CAN FIND A FIX.
THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 12/07/2011. Can anyone help me, PLEASE!
I CAN NOT DRESS MYSELF, I NEED NEED HELP TO EAT, AND THE PAIN IS NEVER LOWER THAN A 4 AND MOST OF THE DAY IS A 7 TO 10. PLEASE HELP ME FIND A DOCTOR TO HELP ME.
Theodore J Anspach. 1-223-216-1279.
Masonic Village
204 James Buchanan Drive
Elizabethtown Pa 17022
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