u/jahangirqazi

I’m 38M and in 2021 I had a fairly severe L4-L5 disc herniation. I had bilateral weakness and numbness from the waist down and was unable to walk normally. I went 7 weeks between injury to my discectomy with partial laminectomy. Post op was normal but I was left with lasting neuropathy in both legs, feet, and toes. I occasionally have numbness in my arms and hands too.

This became my new normal, living with constant burning nerve pain. I go through periods of relatively low pain and then it can flare up. I did see my neurosurgeon for a follow up in 2023 with a new MRI and everything looked normal for 18 months post-op. My neuro prescribed gabapentin for the nerve pain and that seemed to help.

The pain had gotten quite severe and the lower back pain is also back. I have been trying to get back into my neuro’s office since June 4, 2026 and the earliest is November. I am starting PT in September but am I expected to just hang tight in excruciating pain until then? How is that humane?

I’m seeking advice on how some of you folks have articulated your amount of pain to your primary and also neuro doctors because I feel I’m not saying the correct things to them. I explain that every waking moment of my life is spent in agonizing pain. That sitting causes me to be in pain and that standing for more than 10 seconds soon becomes excruciating with the burning nerve pain in my feet and legs. I’m not sure what else I can do to convey to my medical team that what I am experiencing is severe and I want some relief from the constant pain.

Disclosure: I’m scheduled for an appointment with my Neurosurgeon in September 2026, and a new MRI.

Howdy, y’all. I’m 4 years post op L4-L5 discectomy/ partial laminectomy for a broad based disc bulge effacing the ventral thecal sac. I’ve had mild to
Moderate neuropathy with pins and needles in my feet and lower legs but it’s been manageable over the years. I can walk and run again and overall it’s been a good recovery.

The past two weeks I’ve had extreme pain around the L5 zone and increased neuropathy in the lower extremities. I find I’m very stiff when I get up from a seated or horizontal position. I’m curious if anyone here has experienced a second herniation of a disc after a similar surgery and if it felt like what I’m experiencing. Just want to know some signs to look out for and to mentally prepare myself for the possibility of another surgery or a fusion.