Description of Event or Problem · 1
IN 2008, I BEGAN TREATMENTS FOR OAB - OVERACTIVE BLADDER - AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF MY UROLOGIST. THE RIGHT LOWER LEG JUST ABOVE THE ANKLE -INNER SIDE- WAS USED AS THE INSERTION SITE OF THE NEEDLE. THIS WAS A PAINFUL EXPERIENCE, BUT I DID NOT HAVE THE RESIDUAL TRAUMATIC RESULTS AS ON THE LEFT LEG THE FOLLOWING WEEK. ON A WEEK LATER, THE LEFT LEG WAS USED FOR THIS PTNS -PERCUTANEOUS TIBIAL NERVE STIMULATION-, A PROCEDURE FOR OVERACTIVE BLADDER -OAB-. WHEN THE ATTENDANT INSERTED THE NEEDLE INTO THE INNER SIDE OF MY LOWER LEFT LEG, JUST ABOVE THE ANKLE, I EXPERIENCED A GREAT DEAL OF PAIN. THE ATTENDANT SAID "THAT'S GOOD; WE'RE CLOSE TO THE TIBIAL NERVE. NOT ONLY DID I EXPERIENCE PAIN, BUT MY ENTIRE LEFT FOOT FLEXED. WHEN SHE ADVANCED THE NEEDLE, I EXPERIENCED MORE PAIN. WHEN SHE CONNECTED THE ELECTRODE, IT WAS AGAIN PAINFUL. BUT WHEN SHE CONNECTED THE ELECTRODE TO THE BATTERY-POWERED STIMULATOR AND TURNED THE POWER UP, MY ENTIRE FOOT AGAIN FLEXED WITH A GREAT DEAL OF PAIN. AGAIN, SHE REMARKED THAT THIS WAS A GOOD SIGN. AS SHE TURNED THE BATTERY'S POWER DOWN, MY FOOT RELAXED AND THE STIMULATION WAS TOLERABLE WITH ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF TINGLING OF MY TOES. THE INSERTION SITE WAS VERY SORE FOR 24-48 HOURS -AND CONTINUES TO BE SORE TO DATE-, BUT THE FOLLOWING DAY, I NOTICED TINGLING OF THE BOTTOM PADS OF ALL OF MY LEFT TOES. FOR THE NEXT WEEK, I EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT TINGLING OF MY TOES. MY NEXT APPOINTMENT WAS A WEEK LATER; I KEPT THE APPOINTMENT, EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT GOING TO TAKE ANOTHER TREATMENT, IN ORDER TO REPORT THE PROBLEMS I HAD EXPERIENCED: THE TINGLING OF MY TOES WAS STILL PRESENT AND BOTHERSOME, EVEN AT NIGHT WHEN I WAS LYING IN BED. AT THIS POINT, THE TIP OF MY LEFT GREAT TOE WAS SORE IN ADDITION TO THE TINGLING. THE INSERTION SITE WAS ALSO STILL RESIDUALLY SORE. I NOTICED THAT WHEN I AM IN A SITTING POSITION, THE TINGLING IS MORE PROMINENT. ON THE NEXT DAY, I USED THE TREADMILL FOR A HALF AN HOUR FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE BEGINNING TREATMENT. AFTER WALKING, I NOTICED MY HEEL, BALL OF LEFT FOOT, AND THE BOTTOM OF MY TOES TINGLING. I CALLED DR'S OFFICE, THE ATTENDANT WAS BUSY, BUT I LEFT A MESSAGE FOR HER REGARDING MY SYMPTOMS AND TO RETURN MY CALL. THE OFFICE CALLED BACK AND RECOMMENDED NOT TO USE THE TREADMILL BUT TO REST, ELEVATE AND ICE MY FOOT -WHICH I DID WITH NO APPRECIABLE RESULTS. IN THE SAME CONVERSATION WITH DR'S OFFICE, I TOLD HER THAT I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD CONTINUE WITH THESE WEEKLY TREATMENTS. SHE SAID, "WE COULD ALWAYS JUST USE THE RIGHT LEG FOR THE REST OF THE TREATMENTS." I SAID I WOULDN'T DO THAT IN LIGHT OF THIS OCCURRENCE. ON TWO DAYS LATER, THE TINGLING OF THE BOTTOM OF MY LEFT TOES WAS STILL PRESENT AND OCCASIONAL STRONG TINGLING OF THE BALL OF MY LEFT FOOT, BUT MILD TINGLING OF THE BALL OF MY LEFT FOOT ALMOST CONSTANT. I WAS STILL CONTINUING WITH ICE AND ELEVATION OF MY FOOT. ON THE FOLLOWING DAY, SITTING WITH MY LEFT FOOT ELEVATED, MILD TINGLING OF THE BALL OF MY FOOT WAS STILL PRESENT. ON THE FOLLOWING MONTH, I WAS RIDING IN MY CAR FOR 8 HOURS DOING ERRANDS; THAT NIGHT IN BED, MY LEFT GREAT TOE TINGLED AND WAS VERY SORE. POINTING L FOOT DOWN CAUSED TINGLING IN TOES TO BALL OF FOOT. I FINALLY ELEVATED MY FOOT ON A FOAM WEDGE AND A PILLOW. SITTING POSITION AND CROSSING L LEG OVER RIGHT CAUSED L FOOT TO TINGLE. ON TWO DAYS LATER, I SLEPT WITH AN ORTHOPEDIC BOOT TO KEEP MY FOOT IN A NEUTRAL POSITION. LEFT GREAT TOE TO TIP CONTINUES TO HAVE DULL SORENESS. ON THE SAME DAY, I HAD A STANDING APPOINTMENT WITH DR'S OFFICE; I WENT TO THE TREATMENT OFFICE TO REPORT MY 2 WEEK SYMPTOMS AND TO TELL HER THAT I AM OPTING OUT OF THE TREATMENT. SHE SAID "I CERTAINLY WOULD IF I WERE YOU. I WOULDN'T WANT THE FEELING OF MY FOOT FALLING ASLEEP." AT THE TIME OF THIS OFFICE VISIT, I HAD NO SYMPTOMS OF TINGLING, JUST DULL SORENESS OF MY L GREAT TOE TIP. I CANCELLED ALL REMAINING APPOINTMENTS. I WENT TO LUNCH IN FT. MYERS. DURING LUNCH, TINGLING OF MY FOOT RETURNED SO MUCH THAT I HAD TO TAKE MY SHOE OFF FOR RELIEF. PUT SHOE BACK ON AND WALKED THE MALL A BIT; TINGLING SENSATION WENT AWAY. ON THE NEXT DAY, RIDING IN CAR, L FOOT BEGAN TO TINGLE. REMOVED SHOE; SUBSIDED AFTER ? HOUR. THAT NIGHT, LYING IN BED, PAIN IN L GREAT TOE AND BALL OF FOOT. ON THE FOLLOWING DAY, 6:00AM, I WOKE WITH COMBINATION PAIN AND TINGLING OF L FOOT AND SORENESS AT NEEDLE INSERTIONS SITE. LASTED ABOUT ? HOUR. SORENESS ALSO NOTED AT RIGHT LEG NEEDLE INSERTION SITE DONE ON ORIGINAL DATE -FIRST TREATMENT-. BY 9:30 AM, HAVING BEEN "UPRIGHT" SINCE 6:00AM, EXPERIENCED SLIGHT TINGLING OF ENTIRE LEFT FOOT. AT 12:10PM, RIDING AS PASSENGER IN CAR, LEFT FOOT HAD SLIGHT TINGLE. FROM THE FOLLOWING MONTH TO PRESENT, TINGLING OF TOES AND BOTTOM OF LEFT FOOT CONTINUES INTERMITTENTLY. DIAGNOSIS OR REASON FOR USE: OAB. EVENT ABATED AFTER USE STOPPED: NO.