back-sciatic-pain related to fibroids?

Hello ladies,

I am new here too. Surgery is booked for Mar. 27/03. Abdominal, due to non stop bleeding dispite many bc pills, anemia and fibroids. I'm keeping ovaries, and hopefully cervix.

My DH found this site for me, and reading all your comments really has helped the scardies. One thing that has amazed me......there were many posts I found yesterday that mentioned back and left leg pain (sciatic) that disappeared after surgery. My back pain surfaced on this Valentine's-it hits three to four times a year. I finally had to make the decision to start my medical leave tomorrow, as the gyn. said he would not operate if my back is not better. Sitting at work for 9 hours a day has been unbearable.

Any feedback on this? Does this mean I may well be free of the sciatic problem as well as all the other 'stuff'?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Toodles,
Suki

Welcome!
I'm sorry that you had to find this site, but glad that you did

I'm waiting for surgery due to fibroids and endo. The fibroids have caused a lot of pain in my lower back due to increased pressure. I figure they are pressing on the surrounding area and of course will land on nerves as well.

I had a bout with sciatica a few months ago, it did finally go away.

I did some really good stretches... sitting on a firm chair (or I use our coffee table) I cross my legs then stretch down towards the leg that's crossing, then do the other side. You can also put your ankle on the opposite knee and lean forward.

I also used a tennis ball, lying on the floor I put the ball under my bum and try to put some pressure on it moving it to different muscle areas on my bum.

Sciatica is basically a pinched nerve, I found these exercises really helped me to relieve some of the pressures. Now I'm not a doctor, I only know that these helped me in my dealings with sciatica!

Hope this can help you too!!

The last post had great hints for soothing you soreness. It is common to have back pain and and radiationg pain associated with gyn problems. I had severe endo and I had crazy radiating pain on and off until my surgery. It got much worse just before my surgery because my hyst. had to wait until my darling hubby got home from Afghanistan....those were the LONGEST months ever!!! WHen my pain was the worst I went to the ER and I was told that the pain in my back and down my legs was refered pain. That means the pain is not originating from where you are hurting.

I am 2 1/2ish months post surgery and still have some pain radiating down the right side. My incision puckers some on the right which most likely means there is scar tissue adhesions. I am not sure how they will correct this, but the pain can be almost as bad as before surgery. I would still have it all done again even if the right side pain never goes away. I feel so much better overall.

My favorite way to soothe the pain is with a hot bath or a heating pad and some Aleve.

Best wishes with your surgery and if you have any specific questions you want answerd from this side of the castle feel free to send me a private message!!!

Hi Janiez & Elizabeth,

Thanks so much for the messages. It helps to feel connected. Elizabeth, you're from BC? I just moved from there (well, it seems like just, 6 yrs now). And Janiez, your husband is in the military? My fiance (since Valentines this year) is in the Navy and on a ship headed for the Gulf. He'll be back before the surgery date tho. Small world, ladies.

Thanks for the support and exercises, also. Why don't the medical professionals tell us these things? No one has connected the back pain and the fibroids. One gyn just said to bear with it all till menopause is over, and gave me more BC pills, and the next one I saw two months later, wanted me in immediately (early Dec) for surgery, but I had to wait till DH would be home for an extended time. I'm new to this city, and have no family or old friends nearby. This site has been great for support and information.

Please keep up the chats. I'm starting to depend on them. And you two ladies feel free to email me.

Toodles, Suki

It took awhile before my dr could put the two together as well. I've always had a history of back pain, but I knew this was different.

You can look up sciatic pain on the internet and may find more useful ideas too. I found Ibuprofen a great help as it is an anti-inflammatory, but I'm not perscribing!! just passing along my personal view!

Odd, but very true about the referring pain. Our bodies are quite amazing and are all interconnected, particularily with back issues, I always feel my sore back down my leg or my knee and its nothing to do with my knee!!

I go to a chiro quite regularily as well, perhaps they could help you?

yes I'm in Victoria, the other side of this great big country!

I have had back pain for a year now.. what was determined to be sciatica, (although I could remember no injury) on the right side, with pain shooting down my leg, unable to sit, sleep, etc. Finally went to gyn and he found 8 cm tumour on right ovary. Now I'm going for surgery on 19th for TAH/BSO and hoping that pain will be gone forever!!
Good Luck to you, hope you are soon pain free .

Hi Elizabeth & justwaiting,

Thanks for the replies. Yours is in just a few days, justwaiting.....I'll be thinking of you... I wish you all the best. Sorry it took a while to reply. I was using my worksite mail, and they accidently removed me when I took med leave on Monday.

I have been going to a chiro for a month, and he has helped greatly. I saw an Osteopath before I moved to this city, and she definitley believed in the whole body approach. She could have me walking out of her clinic as if there had never been a problem, in just one to two visits, compared to four or five with the chiro, and I'm still not 100%. But he is great, and very open minded, and if I could remember exactly what she did, he would do it!

I'm hoping all the posts are right, about it disappearing after this surgery. In the meantime, Ibuprofin is working well, with a prescription anti-inflammatory when the going gets rougher.

Elizabeth, I lived in the Yukon and Prince George for over 20 years....lucky you to be in Victoria! Thanks again ladies. Toodles, Suki

I had very low back (just above tailbone) pain along with addominal cramping. My gyn did not think that the back pain was related to anything female related, so she referred me to the orthopedic specialist first before she did anything else. I told her that this was not my usual back trouble, but she asked me to humor her. So I did. After the orthopedic guy cleared me, my gyn did exploratory (arranged the surgery room for 20 minutes - took 1 hr 45 min) and was surprised to find scar tissue over all the areas that my previous gyn had removed endometrial growths from. Some of the scar tissue was tugging on my intestines.

After she took care of this tissue growth, the back pain went away.

Lately I have been having back pain again along with cramping. When I went to my gyn I did NOT mention the back pain. I KNOW what it is. So now I am scheduled for TAH for an enlarged uterus, large fibroid, and probable recurrent problems with endometriosis.

Anyway, I think that there is a good chance that the back pain will leave after the other problem is fixed - just my uneducated opinion.

Hi Val,
Are you afraid that your gyn will dismiss your backpain again? Mine is very low back, leg, knee & ankle. Is scar tissue-adhesions- a problem with TAH? Has anyone found them to be a recurring problem?

On another vein, I've decided to ask the gyn to keep my cervix. He gave me the option at the beginning to do either vag or abdominal, but said because of the size of my uterus, and the fibroids, that he may not be able to do a vag., that he wouldn't know until he started the procedure. He may have to just change the plan and go with TAH. I thought the first way would be the best until I had a friend say that her doctor shortened her vagina substancially, and that she really regretted going that route-both she and her DH very unhappy with results.

So in the last week, I decided to go with the AH, keep my cervix, which gives me great pleasure : and put up with the longer healing time and the scar. Does anyone have any advice to the contrary?

Val, I think you will be going in for your surgery just as I am coming home from mine. I'll try and keep in touch. All the best.

Toodles,
Suki

Val in Az

Sorry you have to wait so long, when you are in such pain. I have only 6 days to go, and am frustrated with the pain. Went to my post - op clinic last week and they said no meds 2 weeks before surgery :cry: Have been lazing around unable to hardly walk, and I'm all hunched over when I do get up. A couple hours sleep in a row would sure feel good!, I have to sleep on my side, sitting up, hanging half off the bed with my sore leg straight out on the floor. My DH can't believe I can sleep like this. I can't imagine waiting another 9 months as you are!
Does anyone know any pain relief, besides heating pads and baths? Going crazy!

TC