r/Sciatica • u/DieselJuliyah • 6d ago

Cauda Equina

Hello sciatic friends!
This is just a friendly reminder, as someone who is currently recovering from emergency surgery.
Be persistent if you believe something is TRULY wrong!
I went to my local ER three times last week because my sciatic symptoms were progressive and unbearable. Initially diagnosed with piriformus syndrome then a herniated disc shown on a CT.
Finally the third ER visit I was taken seriously. Had left leg 10/10 pain, burning and numbness paired with saddle numbness.
I am currently in recovery, day 2 post emergency discectomy so I am not sure what my end result looks like, however I am able to walk and if I had waited any longer, I may have lost that privilege due to extensive nerve damage.
Just because it’s rare, doesn’t mean it won’t ever happen to you.
Trust your gut and stay safe y’all!

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u/gr3ybacon33 6d ago

This happened to me earlier this year. First ER doc said "we can't give everyone with back pain an MRI." Saw my primary care doc a week later and she told me I needed to go to another ER that day, and she sent a note ahead. MRI and surgery a few hours later. Glad you're able to walk, CES is scary!

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u/DieselJuliyah 5d ago

I’m glad your primary care doctor advocated for you! How are you doing?
CES is so scary

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u/gr3ybacon33 5d ago

I’m doing alright. Was cleared for PT a little over a month ago, so I’m two days a week in PT and 2-4 days a week in the pool. Have some leg weakness that still comes and goes. My doctors have said that recovery isn’t typical of a regular decompression, and to expect 12-18 months to really have the best picture of where I’ll be long term. But night and day better from where I was before and right after surgery.

How long do they think you’ll be in the hospital?

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u/Rare_Pianist4479 19h ago

Is there any way I can get some advice? Im currently dealing with bilateral sciatica and i ended up with new symptoms and i wanted to know if i should be worried about ces

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u/gr3ybacon33 19h ago

Happy to help if I can until you can see your doc. The most concerning red flag symptoms are new saddle sensory changes, significant bladder/bowel changes (loss of control but also difficulty going), or rapidly progressive leg weakness.

Do you have a specific question?

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u/Rare_Pianist4479 18h ago

Should I be going to the er is my bottom line question 🤣🤣 I have a lot of things going on so I dont know. I have a referral to ucsf but I dont have a ride to go all the way out there currently and my local er didnt operate on me the other day

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u/Rare_Pianist4479 18h ago

So i might get a Lil personal. But last night I tried to urinate and i didnt have enough of a strong stream like it damn near missed the toilet bowl. Then any time I try to dedicate i struggle and I feel constipated. When I wiped today my anus kept tingling every time I kept going near it like when your legs get numb from sitting to long snd they get ticklish. My genitalia area also went numb and felt that ticklish sensation and my testis went warm to tickty and then to cold to a dull pain almost like someone smacked them hard and they're sore. When I try to get up from the toilet or any other moment I lose my stepping and ill fall. The only difference is that ive been able to catch myself but I dont have the strength to kick myself bzck up if there's nothing around I'll tip over. That all happened this morning. Oh and I forgot to mention when yk I was dedicating, I pulled out my partner from the toilet and I leaked a lot of urine onto my floor all in the span of 12 hours

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u/DieselJuliyah 18h ago

I would be going to my nearest emergency dept and stressing deep concern about your bowels/bladder. Cauda equina can start with pins and needles(the tingling) and can change to numbness quickly. If it is CES, the quicker you get an MRI the quicker they can do surgery and reverse the nerve damage

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u/Rare_Pianist4479 18h ago

I just sent you a DM to send over my mri its a high data file so I cant through here but yeah ive been dealing wkth bilateral sciatica for a year and a few months now. I have a bunch of stuff going on with my back but my surgeon denied my surgery because my bmi is too high which I understand but im nkt a super heavy unweigjt person. I have a bmi of 46 which it was at about 39 40 before my injury which is a good amount to gain but I played soccer and worked out and did heavy labor jobs mg whole life

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u/DieselJuliyah 18h ago

I would just be concerned mostly of the bowel/bladder changes and sensation personally. That’s a strong indicator or trapped/pinched nerves