The Aword

Hi Becky
This is my second attempt to reply - first one got lost! My A was caused by steroid epidural. I'm a member of COFWA, but stopped receiving e-mails because I found it very depressing!
How long have you had A? I've had it for 8 years and it's gradually crept up the length of my spine - I believe the drugs got into my spinal cord via a Tarlov cyst, as I have numerous ones in my sacral canal! Radiologists can see them on MRI scans but don't bother to report them because they're not considered abnormal. I tried to get the Royal College of Radiologists to change their attitude but my attempts fell on deaf ears.
Best wishes, Helen

Hi Helen,

I believe I got it also from a steriod injection. I immediately I a headache after the injection, the dr swore that he didn't see any fluid in his syringe and was trying to call it a stress issue. He tried the blood patch and could not get back in there b/c of the swelling. One week later I ended up in the hospital with severe vomiting and a migraine headache from hell.
The Dr. still denied stabbing my dura sac. He had so much trouble trying to get in there with that injection, and he did it blindly. I will never let that happen again. My dr's say now that there with be no entry into my spine for anything. It is not to be touched again. Oh well.
I was dx with this disease in aug of 2005 thru an MRI. None of the Dr's said a word about it. I had to pick up the dx of the MRI around feb the next yr this is how I found out. My Pain dr also dx me with it, along with several other problems.
I had surgery in 1994, a laminectomy on the L4-5 area. Now I have no disc there, only bone on bone which is painful. I had another mri a few weeks ago. Now it reads that I have 3 bulging disc along with L5-S1 degenerating. My Dr's won't let me work anymore, and that scares me, I have already applied for SSD and waiting on a decision.
I couldn't even tell you if I have any of those cysts you are talking about is this normal?
I do know that I have a blockage of spinal fluid in my lumbar spine. Would this be a similar problem?

Wishing u low pain today,
Becky

Hi Becky
Some Tarlov cysts are large enough to be clearly seen on MRI's, but they are nothing to worry about as they occur naturally. The trouble begins when doctors blindly inject because if they inject into one, it leads directly to the arachnoid layer and spinal fluid. I only found out about this AFTER treatment when a neuro surgeon pointed one out on my MRI and tried to convince me it was the source of my problems (which of course it wasn't). I don't think these cysts are related to your problems.
Bye for now, Helen