Hi my name is Kathie. I don't know if I suffer from Arachnoiditis but
from everything I have read I am beginning to believe that I too
suffer from Arachnoiditis. Let me tell you a little about my medical
history and maybe someone on the group can tell me if I fit into this
category or not.

I have had 6 back surgeries, 2 laminectomies & 4 fusions. I am fused
at levels L4, L5, L6 and S1 with 4 Rays cages, 2 plates and 8 pedicle
screws. I have also had 3 attempts at a spinal cord stimulator that
did not work. I have had numerous epidural steroid injections,
trigger point injections and every other test known to man done to me.

A little over a year ago I re-injured my back and was in more pain
than I had been in for a very long time. My doctor thought that
giving me a trigger point injection would help ease my pain. Due to
all of the scar tissue that I have my doctor had to put all of his
body weight into inserting the needle into my lower back. Shortly
after the injections were completed I began to get a tremendous
headache. By the next day I was unable to sit or stand without
feeling like my head was going to explode. I called my doctor and he
ordered an MRI. The MRI didn't show anything so I was sent home. My
headache continued to intensify with time so once again I called my
doctor. This time he ordered an EMG. The doctor that did my EMG could
not get a clear view of my spinal cord due to all of the bone growth
that I have from my fusions. They were able to see a pocket of fluid
to the left of my spine but they couldn't say if it was from my
spinal cord or not. To be on the safe side I was given a blood patch.
By the next day my headache was more bearable. After a few days my
headache was completely gone but the pain in my back and legs was
just as intense as it was before I received the trigger point
injections.

I have pain that starts at the base of my head and stops at the tips
of my toes. My legs feel like they are on fire and I have shooting
pain (sciatica) down both legs, the pain radiates from my left
buttock down into my left foot/toes & the pain radiates from my right
buttock down into the back of my right knee. I am unable to turn my
head to its full extent on either side. I have pain in the thoracic
area of my back that feels like I have been lifting weights at the
gym for longer than I should have. The pain in the lumbar area of my
back feels like someone is squeezing (feels like my spine in being
put in a vise grip) that area so hard that I can't breathe. I also
have pain in my right shoulder that causes me to loose the feeling in
my right hand. There are a lot of other aches and pains in my back
and body that are too numerous to count.

Now for the big question. Do my pain "symptoms" sound like
Arachnoiditis to anyone on this group???

Thank you for any help and information that is offered.

Sincerely,
Kathie Ribblett