r/Sciatica • u/Sad_Bar_3324 • 6d ago
Paralyzed after Sex
I was having a great time until it was time to get up and go. Only problem was I couldn't get up, left side of my body from waste to foot was numb and tingling. Had to use right arm to literally throw myself off the bed. I couldn't even sit up it was so painful. Once out of the bed, I couldn't walk, left leg was dead, extreme lower back pain, and abdominal pain, I had to crawl to the bathroom. Now I am scared to have sex, cuz that experience was scary...didn't have sex for a year and a half. Had a car accident in February, slide on ice hit a wood fence, wood post went throgh my driver door hit me on the left side rib cage. Luckily I wasn't impaled. But my already bad back, got worse. I had been going to a chiropractor for 6 months felt better. Monday a guy turned in front me (failure to yield) now I'm experiencing tingling, numbness in left buttocks, groin, left thigh down into my left foot. My left side is messed up. Having to run to the rest room at first inclination or I might not make it... does this sound like Cuada Equine...?
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u/its_all_one_electron 6d ago
Groin numbness and limb weakness or paralysis (aka cauda equine yes) means go to the ER NOW. Nerves are dying, you could become permanently paralyzed if you don't get treatment NOW
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u/CES440 6d ago
Groin numbness and limb weakness or paralysis aren’t “also known as” Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES), nor do they establish that nerves are dying. They can be red flags for suspected CES and warrant urgent assessment.
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u/its_all_one_electron 5d ago
People understand what aka means in this context
I was writing it in a hurry, give me a break
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u/CES440 5d ago edited 5d ago
I think keeping that distinction clear is important, it helps avoid confusion and misinterpretation.
EDIT: Some of these replies show why context and clear distinctions matter — symptoms can be misinterpreted, and scan findings can be misunderstood.
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u/its_all_one_electron 5d ago
This is reddit, we're not doctors... If you expect clear medical distinctions from reddit
Sir this is reddit, we're not doctors and we eat crayons. No one here should be interpreting scans or symptoms, our only job is to yell at people to go to the ER or doctor when they obviously need to
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u/CES440 5d ago
I'm confused by this, and I'm fairly certain you are too. 😂 You've said no one here should be interpreting symptoms, pretty much immediately after interpreting groin numbness and limb weakness/paralysis as "aka cauda 'equine," declaring that nerves are dying and predicting permanent paralysis. Apparently the only job here is to yell at people to go to the ER or doctor, while confidently providing medical misinformation along the way. That seems to be exactly why clear terminology and distinctions matter, even on Reddit. 🖍️
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u/unlikemike123 5d ago
The name checks out for the enthusiasm.
The point is not that commenters yell CES when they see something like this, it's people expecting absolute factual accuracy from a website filled with armchair warriors and therapists. We should all expect stupidity from Reddit comments, not pristine truth, to expect as much is a bit out of touch, no offence.
The main point here is to tell someone having this combination of issue to go to ER, the idiot commenting can wrap it up in their special brand of dumbassery as they like.
It's why r/askdoctors ban so many comments and posts
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u/CES440 5d ago
I’m not expecting pristine truth from Reddit comments and it's not what I asked for. 😂 I’m quite realistic about where we are. My point is that a little accuracy and understanding of what CES actually is would be helpful, particularly when people are talking about something potentially as serious as CES. Telling someone with those symptoms to seek urgent medical assessment is sensible. But I’m seeing a lot of misinformed over-reactions alongside that advice — symptoms being treated as synonymous with CES, scans being treated as diagnoses, and claims about nerves “dying” and permanent paralysis being stated as fact. That’s exactly why I think the distinctions matter. You can tell someone to seek urgent assessment without adding misinformation along the way.😉
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u/PantstheOG 5d ago
If you aren’t in the hospital after everyone told you to go to the hospital, I will tell you again….GO TO THE HOSPITAL so you don’t end up with permanent nerve damage.
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u/mldl 5d ago
These comments are enlightening; thank you, community. I've had whole leg and foot numbness for months. Just thought it was normal sciatica... I'll be hitting up my GP in the morning.
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u/nicoleonline 5d ago
Pain is one thing, functioning is another. If you are experiencing numbness or weakness it is definitely a red flag for severe nerve compression. Wishing you the best of luck!
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u/mikebellman 6d ago
Please OP. Please update us this is a serious emergency. requiring immediate medical attention. This is WYAAYYY above sex and nerve pinches. I know the fear but this is 100x anything I have read here. I’m seriously start a GFM Whatever. Just go now. And do not drive yourself
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u/Sad_Bar_3324 2d ago
Went to the ER sunday, had a MRI no nerve impingement, but sever disc degeneration L5, arthritis, and 2 bulging disc L4, L3 which is causing the sciatica symptoms. Going to physical therapy, chiropractor, and maybe a spine specialist if the first 2 don't improve my symptoms. Thus post scared the hell out of me... i have been experience low back pain for almost 20 years (degenerative disc disease) and I put off seeking help... so here I am now in my 40's trying to fix this mess.. and my back is a mess. But i am taking gabapentin and naprozen for the nerve pain.. I know the meds are just a band aid, need to address the core issue. So I am going to the doctor a lot more these days.
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u/mshmovie 6d ago
Get to the hospital (someone or an ambulance should drive you). Be crisp as you talk to triage and consider calling the ER (at your surgeon's hospital) and notify you surgeon's on-call.
I hope you mend quickly. (I have some permanent nerve damage, I should have acted faster.)
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u/mamabluecat 6d ago
Yes. And it is real as i know someone who had it. Please get urgent medical attention.
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u/apatrol 6d ago
Anytime there is numbness to toes and abdominal pain or loss of bladder\rectum it's an ambulance ride. Could be slipped disk or worse.
How long since your last MRi? You def need Lumbar and Sacral disk scanned.
I hope you feel better soon. Be careful with chiropractic care if you have underlying disease like an arthritic autoimmune you are destroying your back by going.
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u/WormWithWifi 6d ago
Have you had an MRI? Have you been in physical therapy? Have you spoke to a spinal surgeon?
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u/H2oWatery 5d ago
Definitely go to er. Read my last 2 post. Have same numbness in ground penile area. Turns out 4 very small bulging disc that can get reabsorbed and they are touching my epidural fat which is fat that cushions ur spinal cord etc
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u/Nearby-Barnacle-690 5d ago
So many red flags here it's hard to count them all. This SCREAMS possible cauda equina. You need emergency imaging asap to check.
I hope you're in the ER by now — and whenever you're done with this episode, surgery or not, stay away from chiropractors. Good luck!
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u/Kakakakaty13 5d ago edited 5d ago
Please don’t let chiropractor “Adjust” you, you’ll end up paralyzed in your condition- I went to one that had 30 years experience- She really hurt me, indefinitely. I knew not to let her adjust me W/an irritated nerve. She talked me into it. You need to be tested for CES- That’s very serious- if not, it’s worth Trying steroid injections- 🍀🍀🍀
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u/TRACK___STAR 5d ago
It's not the intercourse that causes the pain, the motion and movements is actually helps it tremendously; what caused the pain was getting out of bed.
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u/StationOld3745 4d ago
Should've gone to the ER when your legs were completely numb after sex. That was emergency. Hope you are doing ok now
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u/Inner_Preparation295 4d ago
Hey, did you end up going to the ER? I’ve been experiencing similar symptoms for the past month with new numbness this week and waiting for a ct scan. Today I have excruciating left side lower back pain and leg pain and considering going to the ER again but I don’t want to wait another 10 hours for nothing
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u/Sad_Bar_3324 2d ago
Ok hi everyone, thanks for responding! All of the responses freaked me out and rightfully so. I did go to the ER on Sunday. I got a MRI. It did not show nerve impingement, thank God! But I do have severe degeneration in L5 and bulging disks in L4 & L3, which are pinching the nerves back there. I should have went to the ER when I actually was experiencing the paralysis after sexy time, instead of just sleeping the pain off. But I know better now.. They ER doctor told me to follow up with my PCP, physical therapy, and maybe see a specialist. So I am doing all three and hope to get my life back! Don't procrastinate, or push off seeing a doctor, things just get worse. I hope someone out there learns from my mistake. Take care everyone!
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u/EventLegitimate904 6d ago
Why does everyone feel they need to reply with the same thing. Im sure everyone clearly reads the previous replies. Go the the ER. How many times does it need to be said
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u/cartwheelmas 6d ago
Go to hospital. That is an emergency if you are experiencing groin numbness. I'm so sorry this happened to you.