Sciatica and WLS

TheonlyGuyonthisboar
d

on 12/26/07 3:47 am - Mars, PA
Anyone ever have Sciatica and have it go away after WLS?  I've been having this on and off for about 8 months and I just can't shake it.  Gets so bad that my legs go numb when I walk too long.   The odd thing about this is that I still do a good bit of weightlifting, including deadlifts, and always thought that even though I was MO, at least my back would hold up.  Then I gained about 25 pounds during the summer because of bad eating habits and work travel, and bam, my back and legs go to hell. After a wicked Saturday in pain and in the ER room, I went to my primary, and that's when the WLS subject came up.  Now I'm 1-2 weeks away from approval (praying) and hoping that RNY will help me fix my bad habits, comorbids, AND my bad back.   I know it's only a tool, but judging from everyone's experiences, it motivates and fixes many side effects.  If it would help with my back, that would be a major bonus.  Oh, and btw, the xrays on my spine were negative, just a small amount of degenerative arthritas, so this condition is mostly nerver compression. Thanks all.
Wolfgore
on 12/26/07 4:59 am
I had a bulging disc in my back tha****ing the sciatic nerve and causing a lot of pain. I actually had surgery to remove the bulging part of the disc about 4 months prior to WLS. My reasons were: 1) I wanted the pain gone so I could work out and make the WLS successful. 2) My PCP told me that what I had probably wasn't going to get better even if I lost a lot of weight. He said he has younger, athletic guys come in with the same thing. He said with what I had, the only real answer was probably the surgery to get that disc off the nerve. So far it has worked and I don't have any sciatic pain anymore. Losing the weight will definately help lessen the chance for it to bulge out again, or another to do the same though. You often hear horror stories of back surgery, but I had a great surgeon and am glad I had mine. It seems to have done the trick.
----- 
Even the toughest criminals become remarkably docile
once separated from society by six feet of soil.

(deactivated member)
on 12/26/07 6:22 am - Houston, TX
My Back is a lot better.... Now this is a good question for Blob.... If memory serves...he has a bad back....weight lifting...did not get better....and the pain meds tore his stomach up.... Russ
jimD
on 12/26/07 6:54 am

No 2 backs are the same but I will give my two cents.  I have had problems for 7 years with mine and I had emrgency surtgery in 2001 after I lost the ability to pee and walk(remove a Large hernia).  Well I was able to work my way back into shape and continue on with life for 4-5 years.  well 2 years ago my back started to worsen as I gained more weight.  My back prior to surgery was very bad.  Sciatica back pain the whole bit.  After p/t and injections Docs told me I had to lose weight.  I am now down from 384 to 200.  That is the good news.  Bad news is my back still hurts and limits what I can do.  Seemingly for no reason my back will cause me extreme pain for a week or two and then go back to "my" normal. I am on some meds that help but they are narcs so I am trying to get off of them. I hope u have better luck in this dept than I. JIm D x-rays don't tell u much if u haven't had and mri get one.  I waited and toughed it out the 1st time, needless to say doc says I am lucky to be walking

Beam me up Scottie
on 12/26/07 7:28 am
My back issues have not resolved....I am more mobile...but still in pain  and still limited in what I can do. Scott
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