hi,
i had the st. Jude spinal cord stimulator implanted on May 16th, it is the newer one where you don't feel the vibration. I have gotten no pain relief, maby 5%. It has helped with my siatic leg pain, but no relief for my lower back. I am in severe pain and the reps have pretty much chalked me off after only seeing them 3 times. The last one said there is nothing more he can do.
Has anyone else had this problem, and what do you do about the pain. How high can you put the program up too?
Oh man, sorry to hear about it not working for you. Mine is the new St. Jude where you feel no tingling or buzzing effect. That's called parasthesia. Did the trial work for you? I chose the implant because the trial worked so well. I'm being very careful not to move too much so the leads don't fall out of position till scar tissue grows over it. Also, the thing isn't switched on for a couple of weeks till the swelling from the surgery goes away. That's why they won't even turn mine on for at least 2 weeks. If it doesn't work for you, they can go back in and adjust the positioning of the leads, so you might aske about that. They can see if the leads have moved on an x-ray. Did they keep you awake for a while during surgery so you could tell them where you were feeling the buzzing affect while they mapped your body out. The buzzing is turned on just so you can tell them about where the coverage is then its turned off when the therapy is switched on which you don't feel; you should just feel much less pain.
Hi welcome to my world. I have had mine since 3/2 and no relief. Working with my second rep as the first gave up after 2mos. It takes many programming sessions. I just had another programming on Fri. Will text him on Tues.
Right now the pain is unbearable. I cannot walk or stand for long periods of time. Driving is also an issue. I have complained to the company as they do not have enough reps to,help the patients who have the implanted stim. I have the implanted paddle which doesn't work. The trial was with the two leads of which I had relief.
Not sure what my next move will be. Very disgusted and disappointed.
Wish you better luck.
My trial was one lead and my implant was two leads. I was able to view the leads on an x-ray monitor as the doc slid each one in place.As they placed each one they turned the parathesia mode and adjusted each one's position base on where I told them where the coverage was affecting my body. This is day 3 of recovery and the numbing has worn off causing the normal nerve pain to return alongwith the pain from the surgical wounds. Doc called today and said this was going to be the worst day of the recovery. It's not pleasant. I'm anxious for the wounds to heal and that pain to eventually disappear. Then at the two week point, the'll turn on the stimulator and hopefully it will function at least as good as the trial. I can't imagine it not working for you. I do know that soon after the initial surgery, they can reposition things and I concur that the programming has a lot of trial and error before it gets precise. I hope things get better for you.
I had the St Jude Stimulator with Burst put in on May 5 of this year, The surgical procedure was the first pain that I have ever felt, I don't think that I could go through that again. It took a long time before I started to feel some relief, I started doing a few things, we had lunch out a few times and then...... A few weeks ago I started hurting all over again. I went in to see my pain dr and I was hurting so bad that I was crying. They did a fluoroscope to see if everything was where it was suppose to be. The dr made comments to the effect that it looks like it has moved out of place, you can understand my shock. I asked what would need to be done and he said that I would have to be opened up and fix the problem. I was practically wailing by then. The rep then came in and wanted to know why I didn't like him. WHAT, it is not about him, it is about me and my pain. I did get a new adjustment so we shall see. The dr and rep seem to be on the same page, but where does that leave me.
It seems when I start getting better I get smacked down again. I have had 9 surgeries in the past 6 years and tomorrow morning it will be number 10. I have de Quervains on my left hand, and just a couple of years ago I had it on my right hand. It took my right hand close to a year before it stopped hurting so much.
I have been taking less of my pain meds for my back so that is a huge improvement, I'm hoping that after tomorrow morning I won't need to increase the amount again.
Hi buddy. Sure you don't have my rep. The one I got rid of. Had my 2nd adjustment on Frinwit the new rep. He kept the one that sort of helped the back at program 12. Then he added program 13 to try and wrap around the right hip. It seems like there is a wall that won't let the stim help the right butt and down the leg.
like you new pain. The battery gives me a sharp twinge when I bend over gently. Also where the paddle is in the thoracic area pulled/stretch while hanging on a noddlenin the pool. I am going to talk to surgeon and give till Nov. to get it done so I can have some normalcy of life or take this damn thing out.
Put in another formal compliant to the Ethics and Compliance Divison of Abbott. Awaiting a response.....but nit holding my breath.
Feel better soon. ❤️
Hi,
I'm a little confused. So far there are two folks that had a good trial with leads but had paddle implants.Why would they change from what was used in the trial? My surgery wound pain is finally tapering off.Maybe I'll get more than 4 hours of interupted sleep.I get the bandages off Thursday.
Hope it gets better for you.
Hi there. I would have definitely put the leads in my back as opposed to the paddle. I was not given the option. You know what they say about hindsight.
Wish I had the choice and by now I know I would be feeling much better than I do right now.
But you used the leads in the trial, Correct? And the trial with leads gave you some pain relief? I know the paddles are supposed to anchor better since they have some structure thet scar tissue can grow over and around.
Sorry to hear your pain is still there. I totally understand it's no fun. I myself is experiencing hip pain where the battery is. And my two says it makes no sense.
Hi,
I had a St. Jude SCS put in on Jan 5 and I haven't had much luck with mine either. I have the Burst, the one where you do not feel any of the vibration. I first had the Trial done and it worked great!
I had my Stimulator turned on the day after my implant. I've also had mine reprogrammed multiple times with no relief. I've also had multiple steroid injections which helped for 1-2 weeks. I now have two bulging discs in my cervical spine, one is severe and the other is moderate. I just recently was out on Lyrica for my pain. I still have sacroilliac pain and horrible bilateral hip pain, with the right hip pain radiating down to my knee. My Pain Doctor has been very good at trying to help my pain, but we are at the point of, not too much else to do.
I'm starting to think about having the SCS removed. I know this was a long story, I just want you to know you are not alone!
I hope you find relief!
I sure hope you get relief. I does sound like its possible that your condition has had a physical change perhaps more of a sever e issue than when you first were looking at doing a NS. I know that healing from the implant surgery impedes the NS signal's affctiveness, but you should be healed by now. They had me turn my NS off for 3 days to let everything reset and I just had it reprogrammed and turned back on late today. We concluded that I was getting over stimulation. It feels better now so we''l see shortly how things go.Thanks for the info. One last question, do you have leads or paddle type leads implanted?
Thank you!
I have the leads. I too have had my Stimulator turned off a few times and reprogrammed with no results. I hope you get relief!
Hey,
Did your doctor not do an MRI to check to see if everything was in place? That is what mine did and discovered I had severe bulging discs in my cervical spine! I was like really?? I'm sure you've had your surgery by now and I hope everything went well and you are feeling better
Yea, I had an MRI and several additional scans at the Mayo clinic about 4 months before the implant. I didn't do anything to bring on any change to my condition, and I had the implant about 1 1/2 weeks after a successful trial
I had the St. Jude Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted in August after, what I thought, was a successful trial. However, I feel NO better since having that done. In fact, now I occasionally get shocks in my back. When I try to turn up my device even a little, I get bad tingles in my back and legs. I had the small leads in the trial but the paddle in the surgery. I think the trial is too short - 6 days was NOT long enough to truly assess if it works. And part of the trial was recovering from the implantation pain. I have been reprogammed 3 times. 2 of those times the reps had issues with the equipment and had to swap their programmers or my programmer out - which doesn't give me huge confidence in the product. Plus, the people who program it are MARKETERS - not healthcare professionals. They just want to sell you the product. Patient care is clearly not their focus. I had to meet them at the hospital to get programmed but since they have NO facility, they were programming me in the LOBBY in front of people, sitting on a bench. This was the worst mistake I ever made, next to the lumbar fusion that caused this pain in the first place.
Are you my twin. I, too have the St. Jude stim. Implanted 3/2/17. It is now 10/12. I have had absolutely no relief since the implantation. The trial two leads good relief. Implantation of the paddle worse mistake.
Called the surgeon’s office to find out what has to be done to have it removed totally. I have given my all to every programming but to no avail. I refuse to have this in my body any longer.
The Company only cares about getting you to put this in your body. Follow up after care is not there. My pet peeve. The pain has not diminished at all ever. Just had facet injections last week. Pain not totally gone, but much more manageable. The stim is no turned off.
I am happy for for those who have had success. I am not one of the lucky ones, Keep talking, yell, scream, or if a woman, turn on the tears to get them to listen. They definitely do not have the after care for those of us who are riding that bumpy road. GOOD LUCK TO ALL. I WANT MINE OUT.. BOTTOM LINE.
Whoa. Major break check. I had my procedure last Monday. I was scheduled to go for a follow up in the beginning of February but I called due to “Adverse Effects”. I see the surgeon and the programmer tomorrow. Make that later today. They’ve been cagey the entire way but I was sent home with a plastic shopping bag full of stuff I can’t use and I’m Pain I cannot even describe. I have sharp pains, muscle spasms, can’t sleep, can’t eat. Swallowing is hard sometimes and when I can I feel like I have indigestion. I’m still feeling the crps along with surgery, a foreign body inside me and no one will talk to me. 😔 I pray I get some answers tomorrow. The trial went well. Better than without. Now I have bones that were removed and it’s all just so much. I’m drowning. What, if anything, do you advise I ask at my appointment? So sorry you’re not doing well, Don.
I wish things were as clear for me. Good luck. I’m glad you’ve got great caretakers.
Hi there
i had my St Jude (now called ABBOTT) in about March 2017. I have neuropathic pain in my lower left leg following 6 surgeries...anyway it works really well for me but the initial device was implanted in my abdomen just slightly above my waist which really did inhibit my movement so my surgeon moved it but I dont have much fat to play with and its only been moved about 1/2 inch.........