Hi my fellow Back Surgery guys/gals. I had spinal surgery 7 years ago L5 S1. The surgery went ok then I had the checkup after and then a few months after that and was then told that my spinal fusion did not take, my surgeon told me he would not do the surgery again. I have had pain over the years to which I am on medication for. My question for all of you is this I have had this really bad pain for 6 days now the only meds that take the pain away for a few hours is Diazepam and Paracetamol. an 8 for me in the bottom Lumbar region, I am getting no pain down my leg with this pain or in my bottom. I do not think it is Sciatica as I have had it both sides before and it did not feel anything like I am going through now. I just have a gut feeling it could be to do with my surgery. I have Titanium L5 S1 with screws. I am seeing my Dr on the 3rd of Nov but I am tempted to go and see her tomorrow if my Dr is in. I want to ask her if I can have an x-ray at least i can see if the metal is still in place, it could have moved somewhat. Any thoughts would be great to hear. Thanking you x
Hi, Iv just found out that my screws are loose and fusion never took my opp was 14 years ago, I have just had a severe flare up?? Which had me laid up for 5 months were I could not stand, walk or sit and the nerve pain in my legs and feet was unbearable, it has settled a little bit terrified of another flare up.
Can I ask how you have managed for 7 years with loose screws and do you have flare ups or has the pain just been constant until now, thank you😊
Oh and go and see your doc tomorrow if you can, taking diazapam long term is highly addictive and Iv done withdrawal from them once before and it was awful, you may need some anti inflamitories 😊
Carolineq8 cheers for getting back, I do not usually take Diazepam only if I get Muscle Spasms in my back. I was on Anti-inflammatories and my GP took me off of them because now i have recently gone on to HRT Patches I am 58 now. I have A rthritis both knees and my left hip, I had hip surgery last year on my other hip. I also have Arthritis in 2 toes. I recently had my blood pressure taken is was high so at the time my GP could not put me on HRT patches until my BP went down, I am on AMLODIPINE 5mg. for my BP. I have to take 9 Gabapentin a day 30mg, so many other meds too. I do not know if my screws a loose I am just guessing they may be ok, I will not know until I have an x-ray. Mri Scan. My meds are just masking the pain i need to get to the root of the problem. When I walk the pressure is taken off of my back so the pain is a little less. I do not sleep much I only get a couple of hours a night. My back problems are my facet joints. Before I had my surgery I had the spinal injections which were great which took the pain away so then that was the go-ahead for surgery. I can't have the Titanium taken out as it acts like scaffolding as my discs are fine, well i hope they are, The difficult thing is that all the middle of my back takes the pressure goes into spasms, I go out for a walk and it takes me 4 days to get over it, my body takes ages to recover just from a walk, my whole body hurts when i get home.
Sorry guys 300mg Gabapentin not 30 lol x
I have the faucet joint and SI joint injections 3 time per year, why are you not still having them? You should ask to start them again, I know I would have no life at all without them.
I also have upper back and neck spasms (rhomboid and trapezius) the operation caused a thoracic arachnoid cyst compressing my spinal cord and I take diazapam but very sparingly after withdrawals I don't want to go through that again, Iv also done withdrawal from opioids and Ye they did mask my pain as well.
I can't walk to the bottom of my path now without wanting to buckle with the pain and just had a letter saying he won't be operating or removing the screws so I'm waiting for a second opinion.
Hopefully it's a flare up your having and will settle soon without any more surgery, it seems youve had a lot to cope with😊
You should ask for a second opinion😊
Also you say your fusion didn't take but the screws are being used like scaffolding, now this is guess work but I'm assuming that when my fusion did not take my screws also acted like scaffolding but eventually wirh the added weight on them this is how they became loose, now like I say I'm not a doc but seems probable to me😊
I have not been back to see my back surgeon. I trained as a Holistic Therapist many years ago so I know how the systems of the body work. I have had so much happen to me since my spinal surgery one thing after the other. I forgot to mention to you that I have had neck pain for months, i am seeing a Physio in November. I am one of those people that before I had back pain many years ago I hardly went to the doctors. My neck cracks and is so loud I am unable to turn my neck to the right very well. Will let you know how that goes. I was working at the time many years ago and my back just started hurting and did not stop, it got so bad I had to give up work. Caroline, what was wrong with your back originally? if you do not mind me asking what meds are you taking?, Having hip surgery twice last year was the pits it almost broke my spirit. x
Your story sounds like mine, I also have cervical spondylosis because of all this and like you was never ill, I was a personal trainer and beauty therapist and my back got really bad while doing beauty treatments to the point my back started going into spasm and I would be laid up every other week for a week and couldn't take care of my children.
I started on fentalyn but became really ill then one opiod after another but I don't think I tolerate them well but then was put on palexia/tapentadol 300 mg per day for 2 years, I went down to 6.5 stone (5ft7) and was basically surviving on chocolate because I could not eat, I new I was unwell but looking back the drug had altered my thoughts, got the strength from somewhere to stop them and went through 6 months of hell, I still get PAWS a year on and in chronic pain but despite all this I'm in a much better place mentally.
If I was you go back and see your GO and ask to be referred again to a new surgeon, can I ask what you do now for faucet joint pain? 😊
What part of your back was fused?` x
Sorry, l4/5 I had a prolapsed disc, they removed it used artificial bone from the spinosis process a cage 4 screws and 2 plates, still didn't work😂😂
My neck has c2.3.4.5.6 bulging discs, multi level bone spurs and lordosis, never had a problem with any other part of my spine until this op, wish I'd never let them touch me, I was 32 at the time now 46 😊
My spine as it is, my discs at the time were fine, he told me my facets joints had basically had it, so he put Titanium rods and the screws it. Because I had L5 S1 done it restricts that part from moving rightly so hence having all the metal in it. I remember when I tried to wash our grandson's bottles at the sink I could not do them thank goodness for my darling husband who is on hand. Just brushing my teeth I have to lean against the sink. You know what I am talking about. I would say that the pain I get aches in my middle and upper back and the spasm in the middle, I can't even lift my grandson up so upsetting. I do not get the pain I had before my surgery which is a blessing. Are you on Facebook? What do you think is wrong with my neck?, If I am laying still say on my side it is fine, I only have 1 pillow. I never lay on my tummy as is suppresses my spine and it hurts. When I had hip surgery I had to lay on my back for 16 weeks I am not a back sleeper how I did it looking back I will never know, I have 2 walking crutches x I think I have Arthritis in my neck. I have read that some people have the hardware taken out if they are in pain, but I am not in that sort of pain and I could not have mine out anyway it is acting as my facet joints x
Hi, was reading your post. I myself also had surgery on my spine 3 years ago. Needless to say, I have never been the same. Can't remember all the L somethings but I'm sure if I take out my CD's to go over I will know which ones I had screws put in. I had a great surgeon only he had no bedside manner. Once the surgery was done, he was done. I went to him months later to talk to him and as far as he was concerned, that was that. I asked him, what do I do now? I was in pain and couldn't walk that well. All he suggested was going to pain management and getting myself a standard exercise bike. I did just that but it didn't seem to help. I also wore that uncomfortable vest around the house which really did nothing for me. I finally looked up pain management doctors in my area. I finally found one in New Haven. No thanks to my surgeon. Long story short, I have been on pain medication for the last two and a half years. This is now how I have to live my life everyday. Yes, at least I am able to get out but still use a cane and I make sure whatever stores I visit have shopping carriages as am still use to having something to hold onto. Not to be bold but it really sucks living this way. I am dependent on my medication to get me through everyday. Without it I don't think I would be getting around as I do. No way to have to live my life. It is very depressing as you can imagine and now of course I am addicted to the pain pills. I started off with only 5ml. Of oxycodone a day and I felt great for such a long time until that didn't become enough. It then went up to 10ml., twice a day. I am now taking 15ml, three times a day and even that's not cutting it anymore. I told the doctor I go to that 15ml. A day would be perfect but because so many people have abused that kind of medication for other reasons, he can't give me even one more a day so that's my story. This is how I live my life on a daily basis. I guess it could be worse.
Forgot to mention that I had Spinal Stenosis and my doctor said he had never seen a spine quite like mine! I guess it was quite messed up and not to also mention the fact that I have arthritis in that same area which they scraped off a lot during my operation but I have it back again. I also have grandchildren and cannot lift the youngest one. It's not fun. I feel like I'm missing out and so is the baby. My husband and I both agree that we were younger again. This getting older thing really stinks!
I think you would benefit from injections again or at least try.
Sometimes the discs go above and below, mine have a little bit there not compressing anything so I know there not causing pain, did you know you can get chiropractic pillows or water pillows, they worked great for me at first but then became to heavy, I also have one really flat pillow, have you tried chiro treatment I see mine 1-3 times per week he's absolutely brilliant and I swear he's kept me out of a wheelchair so far.
What about ice/heat packs I get mine from Lidl there really good and ice works brill for my neck, I'm not sure and wouldn't like to say what is wrong with your neck but ask for an MRI of your whole spine and neck, you have to shout loud otherwise youl still be like this a year down the line and no further forward.
I remember a couple of years back my friend had a baby and she put her in my arms and I couldn't hold her weight she was 2 weeks old, from then I have wandered how I will cope if I'm ever a granny and it does really upset me.
My husband and kids are brilliant but the guilt of not being able to work or simple daily tasks kills me. I also have 2 crutches and back braces but I don't go many places now so don't need the crutches to much,
Ye I'm on Facebook
Caroline Hopkinson from Newcastle 😊
Sorry to hear you are in so much pain Martha it sucks. like hell. Did you have a disc problem? I take quite a few med, I am also on Fentanyl patches, 25mg, 523rd one yesterday I keep records, ex-office, I have to change them every 72 hours. I had pain Management it is a load of tosh, I trained as a Holistic Therapist, I am also a Reiki Practitioner level 2, I did it to self-heal. I have recently gone on HRT patches my goodness they have changed my life. I had hip surgery twice last year, My Dad passed away a day after I got out of Hospital I could not even go to my Dads funeral. My appetite is terrible am never hungry I think the meds do that. My Surgeon was great I did visit him a few times, but it got to the point I had MRI scan after and ct scans and he could do nothing for me. I could not even get on a Byke, I would have gone mad if he'd of said that to me. If you need to talk to me you can send me a private message take care x.
Ah Martha it's the same story over again, do some research on neuro surgeons and get referred by your GP, the sooner the better as it takes time, get a second opinion and have new scans done, also he treffered to a pain clinic and if your not already a rheumatologist, yes it does stink and my heart goes out to you, I have suffered 14 years so have been through the mill, I wish I had known about this sight sooner a SI think I could have been more prepared and educated, let's face it we don't have a clue what we've done until it's to late, as for your surgeon he sounds like mine he never sent me for a follow no aftercare no advice just left out in the cold, they are so brutal.
Have you tried things like ice/heat packs,tens machine....if here's anything you want to ask I'll try and help if I can 😊
My surgeon did not take any of my hip bone, he does not do that, i think that is my my body rejected it because my own hip was not part of the process x