After years of low back pain legs that feel like they have acid running through them and feet that feel like raw battered meat I am finding out many people were being treated as if Cidp was chronic back pain. Now I am trying to get a spinal tap. No money at this point but have a call into non profit hospital and friends will help also. I just want a diagnosis for piece of mind. Did anyone else start out on this journey being told its chronic back pain. Thank you!
Hi Greg, I'm a newbie as a member and also a CIDP patient. Just a few months back I realized that my back hurts after standing for and hour (I do wood working as a hobby so I always have to stand up). Then I realized the same symptom after walking about a hundred yards (I used to play golf) and also low back pains and tingling sensation on my left leg. In a span of less that 3 months. Right I am now sitting on a wheel chair.
Just the same, I thought my condition is about a pinch nerve from my spinal chord (sciatica) and I was contemplating on surgery. However after undergoing X-ray, MRI of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar, the spine surgeon couldn't find anything wrong. The doctor advised me to go to a physical therapist for a couple of weeks to give him more time to assess my situation. I decided to visit a rehab doctor for a physical therapy procedure and after hearing my case he told me that I should undergo an EMG procedure and bring the results to a neurology. When I got the results the impression was "kindly consider it a case of CIDP" ..and this was confirmed by neurologist. I am now taking regula steroid pills (3xday/15days + nerve vitamins).
When I visited the neurologist I walked using a cane from the door of the clinic to the chair in front of his desk. 24 hrs after that my right leg does not respond anymore. My left leg is numb and foot swollen. But in the last few days and a regular dose of prescribed steroids, my right leg is moving again but the numbness and tingling sensation (like an electrical current and muscle spasm) still exist.
I am giving this time and hope to improve like the 75% of the people afficted with CIDP. If I went straight to a neurologist and had this EMG done, I could have save a bunch financially and time spent. I'm still wondering why the ortho doctor and the spine surgeon never referred me to the neuro earlier.
Good luck Greg