Back Pain Forum - Digenerative Disc Disease

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What structures make up the spine? We review basic spine anatomy here...before identifying potential causes of back pain....

Q: Digenerative Disc Disease

asked by: Gattuch23 on October 1st, 2003

New User

I am a 23 year old female with early digenerative disc disease. After years and years of complaining I finally got an mri, that is when they diagnosed me with ddd. I was 7 years old when I first threw my back out and from that day, I have had nothing but problems. Spending the night at friends houses was always a nightmare. Most friends didn't have extra beds, so they would put me on the floor to sleep. Lying on the floor for about 5 minutes would make my legs go numb and I couldn't move from the waist down. I would end up going home or complaining all night long, most of my friends and their parents thought I was a whiner. As I got older it got worse, it ached all the time and it finally got to the point that no matter what I laid on, if I was on my back, my legs would go numb. So now that they know what is wrong with me, I thought I would finally get help. Oh no, it was quite the opposite. They told me that because of my age, they can't do anything for me. First of all I am "too young to have this problem", I agree...But I do have it and something needs to be done about it. Secondly, they won't do surgery to help me because I am too young. The natural course for my back right now is to have the two vertebre joined, but they don't want to speed up that process by removing the degenerated disc and fusing my vertebre together. So the other option would be disc replacement, but my Dr. Doesn't believe that there are any good replacement discs out there yet and wants me to wait about 10 years. I am glad my doctor doesn't want to waist my time with surgery if he doesn't think that what is out there is good enough, in a way I appreciate that. But, in the mean time...What am I suppose to do?! I am in so much pain and it does nothing but get worse. So the last option would be to help cover up the pain, they give me extra strength aleve, naproxem sodium. That is fine and dandy for some people, but after a year on that stuff it starts to tear up ones stomach. Plus they don't really work all that well. They won't give me any real pain killers because they are all narcotics, they said because of "my age" (i am really getting sick of that), they can't prescribe me narcotics because of possible addiction. So, does that mean after you reach a certain age, you get past the point of possible addiction? No! It can happen to anyone, at any age. But I am really tired of this run around, I want something done that will actually help me. Instead of, "here try this and see if it helps" and when it doesn't, then I get the "well I don't know what else to tell ya".
I have also been told to excercise to help build up strength around it. I have tried but then I usually end up in more pain than I was in before. It is all a catch 22.
So after that extreamly long explanation of my problem, here is my question(s). Does anyone have any advice? Is anyone going through this type of back problem? Has anyone had to try to jump though hoops to get help? And did you succeed? If so, how?
Oh, I do know that narcotics will work. My step mother has already had surgery for her back problem and is the only one who knows what I am going through. There for...She gives me some of her meds. The only thing is, they are morphine. I have been taking them for about a year now, but they are hers...I need something of my own. I need something to help me out until the Dr. Feels that it is finally my time for surgery.
Thank you for listening!
And thank you in advance for any advice!

Replies(18)

Suzy

replied on October 1st, 2003

Active User, very eHealthy

Ddd

Dear gattuch,

my husband has early degeneration of his discs, he is 34 years old. He has degeneration in the following discs t11/12,t12/l1,l1/l2,l4/l5,l5/s1. It has been a persistant and painful problem for him for 7 years. In the past 12 months however it has been crippling. He is in so much pain he now uses a walking stick to get around. He has had many mri's done to pin point the problem, the procedures he has had so far in the last 1 months is firstly a nerve root sleeve injection which just flared the problem even more, secondly he had an epidural steroid injection using cortisone, which has also done nothing for the pain. We have talked to many people who have had discs fused and have said definately do not have it done, it is the biggest mistake they ever made. They are very limited to what they can do now, and also have trouble with their body rejecting the metals that are inserted into the discs, not to mention trips back and forth to hospital to treat infections occuring after the procedure. We are now looking into his last option of a micro discogram. Have you ever heard of that ? It is where they remove just a small part of the disc that is pressing on the nerve. My auntie also had this done 4 weeks ago and she is now walking the block again and pain free. Yes we can really understand the frustration you are going through, it seems as though if headache pills don't help you the doctors throw their hands up in the air and give up. So we are looking forward to him being able to have the micro discogram, as it is the last option we have now. He has tried every pain killer on the market except for narcotics with no relief. Doctors are very hesitant to prescribe narcotics, although I am sure that if they prescribed them to my husband he would have taken them as he has had a very hard time dealing with severe pain every day.

Take care,

.::suzy::.

Gattuch23

replied on October 2nd, 2003

New User

Age Doesn't Matter.

Thank you for your reply suzy! It seems as though it doesn't matter what your age is, they just don't seem helpful to anyone who has this. That is pretty bad that your husband has to walk around with a cane. I haven't quite reached that point, but I do find myself walking around like an old lady. Bent over a little and hold my back with one hand and extending the other to brace myself on walls and such. I am 23, I feel like I am 70 .
As far as fusing the discs, that is something that I really don't want to do, and hearing you say that you know people who have had it done and they recommend against it, I deffinatly don't want that done. I am going to suggest to my Dr. However, micro discogram, maybe that could be an option for me. If not, I think I may have to get mean and make him do it Surprised

). As much money as these Dr.'s have pumped out of me, I think I am due for demanding them to do what I want done.
I am going to call the Dr. Today and set up an appointment. Thank you again for your story, it gave me some ideas on what to do.

And if anyone else has a story or suggestions...I would still like to hear them.
Thank you!

Suzy

replied on October 2nd, 2003

Active User, very eHealthy

Micro Discectomy

Dear gattuch,

i'm sorry I just realised I said micro discogram in my last post, I meant micro discectomy, which is the procedure where they take a very small piece of the problem disc away from the nerve it is pressing on. A micro discogram is actualy a different procedure where they inject dye into your spine so that they can find where the problem is on the mri. So micro discectomy is the one I was actually referring to.

Regards,

.::suzy::.

Gattuch23

replied on October 3rd, 2003

New User

Clearification

Thank you for the clearification. I will note it down so I can tell my Dr.

hackle1

replied on October 21st, 2003

New User

Sympathize With You

gattuch, I am sorry to hear that such a young person is having so much pain. I am 50 years old and my back problems started when I was 35 as a result of a coal mine accident. The doctor ( a neurosurgeon from pittsburgh) would only do surgery as a final option. I suffered with back and leg pain for 1 1/2 years. A weakness in my upper left thigh became so bad that I had to actually pick up my leg to move it. I had a microdiscectomy performed on the l-5 disc with great results, that is until I went back to work. Two years latter I had a second microdiscectomy with good relief for about 10 years. Last year, april 22, 2002, I had a third surgery performed on my back. It seems as if the problem was traveling up my spine (degenerative disc disease and herniated discs from l-4 to l-1.) I had a fusion done from l-1 thru l-4 with about a year of relief. However, now I am in severe pain again and the l-5 disc has a herniation and the Dr. Says that I need to have that disc included into the fusion. Only one problem, during the last surgery there was a complication which left me blind in my left eye. Now I have a quandry. Do I have the surgury and risk total blindness or do I try to live with the pain. I guess what I am trying to say here is there are no gauranteed fixes. Any type surgery on the back may or may not work. And there is always the risk of other problems when having surgery. My advise to you is to stay away from surgery until you can't stand the pain no more. Then and only then should you think about surgery.
Mike

Gattuch23

replied on October 21st, 2003

New User

Scary Info

Thank you for all the scary info. I don't want to go blind! But I guess that is with any surgery, there are risks no matter what kind of surgery it is. And if I am in that much pain, I guess that is something I will just have to deal with. Either live with pain or live with a possible slip up in my surgery. I am just too young for this, not that anyone at any age should have to go through this. It's just that my friends call me up and ask me to go hiking, camping, rafting, bike riding, dancing ect... And I always turn them down because when I do go...I always end up in so much pain. It's gotten to the point where they don't even ask me anymore. I just here about the fun they had afterwards. I feel lazy but there is nothing I can about it. I have gained so much weight because of this and yet the dr keep telling me to lose the some weight to take off some pressure. But I can't work out because I end up in a worse way than I am now. I am just so frusterated to have this so young, so know I am going to have to keep dealing with it for another 60 years. Oh boy, something to look forward too!

Thanks for listening!

~depressed Crying or Very sad

Katriel

replied on October 21st, 2003

New User

I have the same problem as you gattuch. I am a 20 yr old female that has been fighting my doctor to give me something for pain. I am scheduled to have emergency surgery as soon as I win my workman compensation case. I got hurt at work when I was 19. It has been a long and painful year. It wasn't just the pain, it was the emotional too. The not being as young and doing what I wanted when I wanted. It's hard mentally not being able to go out with friends because my legs are hurting and going numb. That leaves me alone alot of my time. I am forced to deal with the mentallity of being gimped and the pain of it also. My doctor feels like he can't give me narcotics also....Because I am to young to and he doesn't want me to get addicted. But you know what I think....I would rather have pain meds and get addicted to them and have no pain and have my family help me through the withdrawls then to suffer in pain everyday and miss out on life.

sciaticahelp

replied on October 26th, 2003

New User

Re: Digenerative Disc Disease

Hi! I am not posting this reply to any specific user. But really would like to understand to see if anyone has tried homeopathy for such a case and what the response has been ? I am such a user who had a disc herniation 5 years back and was cured quite well that time. Now I again have a problem in a lighter version and am again undergoing treatment. I should have completed my course of medication 5 years past but did not do so that time. There are no side effects, so it's worth a try.

Right now I am in big pain and have a choice between slow healing homeopathy and a microscopic surgery....Only time will tell.

bootsie840

replied on November 29th, 2003

Experienced User

Im really sorry no one is offering you the help you need, as far as pain meds go, I dont advise it, I have ddd in my neck and lower back, along with herniated disks, bulging disk, I have tried different meds, they offer no real help, they only hide the problem . Maybe for a while you feel a little better, but from taking the pain meds, your going to end up with more serious problems, like stomach, or liver damage. I use a home tens unit, it takes a little time but for me it does help, I hope this helps

troy hale

replied on November 29th, 2003

New User

Pain

What you need is lorcet 10 mg 4 times a day its is a narcotic and will only work for 9-12 months, I suggest you request lower tylenol level in this medican , as far as your doctor, ask, tell him / her your complain and your request for meds. If doctor will not perscribe what you need for releif, request a refferal to a pain clinic

sciaticahelp

replied on December 5th, 2003

New User

Re: Digenerative Disc Disease

Bootsie

thanks for the response. I ran out of time and my condition went to "unberable". My right leg almost died and I could neither sit, sleep or stand. Got my surgegy done , i.E md (microsurgical discectomy) for my l5-s1 disc herniation and to my surprise I am recovering now. Before I went through the process I did get a chance to speak to one of the patients the doc had already performed this routine (70 yr old very happy person!). So I felt safe. Frankly- I had no other option. The pain in my lef went down from 100% to 10% immediately after the surgery...The 10% residual pain is now going down and is bearable.

I hope to recover fuly and get back to work asap.

Thanks.

pjgirl

replied on January 7th, 2004

New User

Dear gattuch,
we are all looking for pain relief. The trouble is, the answer may be different for each one of us.
I am in a similar situation. I am an rn that has ddd. My beginning of this episode was about 2 yrs ago. I have had two epidurals, one of which was good, and one not so good. I have to avoid any medicine that would cause me decreased sensorium at work. Right now I use a lidocaine patch. The only trouble there, is it is starting to break out my skin, and I can only use it for 12 hrs at a time. The rest of the time it just has to hurt. I have had an mri, which shows all lumbar effected. And that isn't counting the degeneration is the cervical spine that I am aware of daily.
Maybe the lidocaine patch would be something you could try, through a physician of course. Good luck, pjgirl

goldilox

replied on January 9th, 2004

New User

I Understand!

Dear gattuch and others,

boy, can I sympathize. My back problems started when I was 23, and i'm now 30. I felt so out of place sitting in the waiting room with all the elderly folks waiting to see the doctor for back pain! (no offense to the elderly folks, of course!). I, too, have a degenerative disc at l-5 s-1, but I also have stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and chronic sciatica. The sciatica is my main complaint. I feel it daily, from my right buttock down the back of my thigh, and I have the wonderful added feature of having it swtich legs so I can feel it in the back of both buttocks and thighs sometimes. I, too, got the "you're too young for surgery" statement from the very first doc I saw. Since then, i've seen multiple docs, neurosurgeons, physical therapists, etc., and the scary thing is, spinal fusion is no guarantee for relief. I was very close to having fusion, until I recently saw a neurosurgeon who told me not to. He said not only could it fail to cure the sciatic pain, it could make it worse, or cause the other discs above it to collapse! I just joined this site, and i'm hoping to have continued contact with people just like you who are young, trying to love the prime of life, but having chronic pain. It's incredibly frustrating and depressing.

sciaticahelp

replied on March 18th, 2004

New User

Re: I Understand!

Well, I lived with my sciatica for almost 5 years, wearing belts and taking homeopathic medicines. Homeopathy did help me! But the last attack in october 2003 left be almost like a rotten vegetable. I could not sit, sleep , walk nor stand....Finally decide to go in for the surgery....
Carefully looked for a local doctor and spoke to a few of his patients at the physiotheraphy unit and good good feedback that encouraged me.

Between the surgery date and the attack I went to the emergency couple of time and was living on heavy medication...The medication was for every 4 hours but within 3 hrs I would start trembling in pain!

On thanksgiving, I had my discectomy done for l5/s1 and followed every single rule the doctor advised me in terms of postures, resting, food habits, work etc....

He was very clear in what the results would be - good/bad/death/paralysis/etc.

I am almost without pain now..There is slight numbness once in a while and that is when I stress a lot. But this is something that is fading away too. Believe me the care you need to have in the first 2-3 months is very important! (the phase!)

well, this might not be the end.....Because there will be pressure on theother discs maybeand thats why some get additional discectomies at other levels...But the best bet is to follow the exercises everyday without fail to maintain very good flexibility....

In the last 5 years I could not lift my legs more than 1-2 feet above the ground. Can you believe I can lift it 90 degrees now ? Well, that's what I worked my self into...I am not 30 years and have a 10mth kid almost 24 lbs who wants to play super man with me...Boy!

I just pray that I don't get this again...My only hope to maintain this condition is by exercising my entire back and hamstring to maintain very good flexibility.....Stiff hamstrings are one of the main causes for pressure in the lower back!

Let me know if I can be of any assistance...I have faced a lot of pain myself too and I understand and appreciate each one of your pains...It's different.

Sr.

goldilox wrote:

dear gattuch and others,

boy, can I sympathize. My back problems started when I was 23, and i'm now 30. I felt so out of place sitting in the waiting room with all the elderly folks waiting to see the doctor for back pain! (no offense to the elderly folks, of course!). I, too, have a degenerative disc at l-5 s-1, but I also have stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and chronic sciatica. The sciatica is my main complaint. I feel it daily, from my right buttock down the back of my thigh, and I have the wonderful added feature of having it swtich legs so I can feel it in the back of both buttocks and thighs sometimes. I, too, got the "you're too young for surgery" statement from the very first doc I saw. Since then, i've seen multiple docs, neurosurgeons, physical therapists, etc., and the scary thing is, spinal fusion is no guarantee for relief. I was very close to having fusion, until I recently saw a neurosurgeon who told me not to. He said not only could it fail to cure the sciatic pain, it could make it worse, or cause the other discs above it to collapse! I just joined this site, and i'm hoping to have continued contact with people just like you who are young, trying to love the prime of life, but having chronic pain. It's incredibly frustrating and depressing.

readytogiveup

replied on September 20th, 2005

New User

Hope U Find Something to Help Since You Are Sooooo Young!!

Dear gattuch,

nothing to help u with. Just wanted to let u know that, i've had ddd since 02-19-95. I was in a car accident, and my back was broken and my collar bone as well. I had never had any problems with my back, before that accident. For 7-8 months, the doctors just left me lying in my bed, and said..."i hope for the best.".......Ha! They were not the ones laying there hurting, and not being able to walk....And the worse thing was, they could not tell me why I couldnt walk. Then finally I went to the er and a Dr. There told me that I had a broken back and collar bone, but where I had been left untreated for sooooooo long there wasnt much at that point that could be done......Except give me meds. I seen a nerologist in nov., 1995 and when the doctor came in, he looked at me really funny then said he had the wrong room. To make that short......When he came back in and I asked why he said that......He told me that he was looking for a much older woman, than I was at that time. I was 25 yrs. Old, at that time. He said from looking at my x-rays alone, I had the back of about a 60-65 yr. Old lady. That really made my day.....Not!! But since then, i've seen all kinds of different doctors, and had all kinds of meds, and diff. Treatments. None of them help. Now they keep saying that maybe surgery would help. I dont want a maybe, I want specifics!!! I also have arthritis, along with the ddd. I have a bulging disk in my left hip, that when it swells, my leg goes numb and I have no use of it, for as long as 2 months now. I have disk bulges, hernirated disks, and ruptured disks, up and down my spine. Im a single mom of 2 wonderful little boys. I cant do what I want to with them, much less what I need to do with them. And it really stinks, when all the doctors say is......" I cant promise u that this or that will help, but we can try." like I said, they arent the ones that are missing out on life in general, much less having a 5 yr. Old, begging u..."mommy please come jump on the trampoline with me??" it really hurts that I cant do what my boys want me to do with them. And the pain .....After 10 years and tons of pain meds.......Still hasnt gotten any better. I can tell with each passing day now, that its gotten worse, and sleeping, is becoming a task within itself. I hope that as young as u still are, that u can find a Dr. That can help u, and not just let u keep going untreated, the way they did me. I wish u the very best with this. And like u said about the pain meds........Taking the risk of addiction is better than letting them cut u open and making things worse than they were to begin with. So keep looking and u will find somebody, and maybe ......Hopefully I will too, and if I do find somebody I will be sure to let u know right away.......Nobody deserves to have to go through life, wondering what the next day holds for them.......I go to bed hoping that tomorrow will be better (tho I kow it wont be) .......Hope is all I have and the support of my family and friends......When I want to just give up......They wont let me, and I just keep fighting the pain and every day as it comes.......Just taking one day at a time...........Goodluck young lady

xine

replied on February 1st, 2007

New User

Help For Gattuch

It was weird reading your post. It could have been mine. I am now 44 yrs. But my ddd was diagnosed when I was 26 (although like you I had problems before then that were always dismissed by my parents).
For me, it was the lower discs first, l 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, and s 1. I've done everything...Really, everything except fusion because of the number of levels. The surgeons were worried that they would make me worse.
I've taken narchotics for probably 18 years. During the better months I have taken as few as 1 1/2 pills a day of hydrocodone 10/650. On bad days it can be as many as 5. On bad days I just don't fight it, I just sack out, read a book watch a movie or two or three. But I think they key to my success, and I do consider my mobility a success, is when I have good days, I live. I do as much as I can without crossing the line into a flare-up. I keep my weight as low as possible (i know it's hard because you can't exercise) by not eating junk, drinking lots of water, and taking fish oil and vit. C. Also, I don't allow those close to me to patronize me, feel sorry for me or ask me if i'm in "pain". I've asked them to refer to it as sensation, so my husband will say...Gee it looks like you're really feeling it today. It's weird but it helps. For me the word "pain" has so many negative aspects to it, and when you have to live with the feelings everyday it's just too much to deal with.
Keep moving, keep stretching, work on your core muscles (these are really small muscle inside and even we can do the exercises without causing flare-ups!) I work on my stomach all day long...If you're going to go the distance, you're going to have to learn to use all the muscles around your spine to hold you up! You can do this, I know you can. Even with the four lower discs gone, and now my neck too (i did have fusion on that, big mistake, the disc above and below are problems now!) I still have a great life, lots of love and a family (you can have a baby too) god bless you and be well.

bizarre

replied on February 21st, 2007

New User

Back Pain.

I am really sorry to hear about your problem.
When I first got hurt I blew my knee. I was told I was too young for a knee replacement. I was limping so much that now 7 yrs later, my back is also shot. My hands don't work too well either and although no one knows why I had a foot turn purple. I have had injections in my back, I am now on major pain killers. I have lost my job and home and of course some of my friends due to getting so depressed.
So, if I could go back into time I think I would have hunted down a doctor who would have listened to me and done the replacement, really pushed for it.
One of the problems with going on narcotics is Dr's will treat you as if you are nuts as opposed to hurt or disabled. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A WOMAN. I kept getting "oh you are just stressed out" or ' you just need a rest blah blah, I just needed some solution for my pain!
I was a respected community member. Great job. But it all got so over-whelming and the pain! I just shook all the time. I am now on hydo-morph. I refuse to take enough to make all the pain go away. I just wanted it so I could manage, so I could sleep. I can only sleep on my right side. I have to have a pillow in between my legs and I bought a new bed but I am now making it work for me. I do what I have to do to make it through the days.
I got hurt when I was 29 yrs of age and I am now 36 yrs. I am doing so much better today at handling it but without the medication it would be a whole other story. I am not saying go on the drugs because if you can do it without them or a surgery then I would.
Don't get a surgery if you think it may make it a tiny bit better either.
But if a doctor tells you that he/she can definetly help you I would try. But that is just me. I would try anything at this point to get my life back.

I wish you all the luck. Just remember there are so many people with back pain and just because you are young does not mean you don't deserve treatment or respect.
all the best.

1tensile

replied on January 28th, 2008

New User

Susy's message concerning her husband

This message is for susy in regards to her husband needing a micro discectomy. I just currently had a mirco discectomy on 01/15/2008. It was the best thing I could have ever done. One thing I realized after agreeing to undergo the surgery was that MRI'S are not that accurate. My MRI did not show that my disc had already cracked and a piece of the disc was sitting in my spinal canal pinching a nerve. If your husband is in severe pain he should really think about having the procedure done. This is my Third surgery since I have multiple disc's with problems each time I have had my surgery I have never regretted it. I am a 37 year old female. A fusion is a the next procedure if needed and I am hoping it doesn't come to that. I hope your husband feels better and gets the relief he is looking for.

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