In a world of hurt

I'm a 30 year old male and I recently had two back fusions withing the past 2 years. One was L5-S1 TLIF and the most recent is L4-L5 ALIF to correct herniated discs and DDD. I had originally started out with a struggle of pain in my low back and it would radiate down my right leg. After  going threw several tests and PT the Dr suggested a discectomy for my L4-L5 and that procedure relieved most of my symptoms for a short time. I then developed low back pain again and it radiated down my left leg shooting into my toes. My leg felt like a tingling surging irritation sensation with periods of shock impulses down to my toes. I had a period of 6 days were I was in terrible pain in my left buttock to were I could not move nor sit down. I went to the hospital and they set me up to see an orthopedists.  he had me do a discography and I had a fusion of L5-S1 and that relieved my pain totally for 4 months. then It came back left leg and low back. I went to another Dr. at Mayo and had a mylogram and their was another bulging disk and I had another fusion L4-L5. The fusion this time did not help my pain. I now suffer from low back pain and my leg pain and I cannot wake up in the morning without severe pelvic type pain that hunches me over and makes my legs feel like their light like I'm loosing feeling in them to the point were I feel they could loose function in them in a snap. Its unendurable to get out of a lying position for 4 hrs. I say 4 because that is all the sleep i can get strait threw. I rely on large doses of percocet to get me threw. My Dr. cannot see anything wrong in MRI and I'm being steered to a nurostimulator. Is their anything else this could be. I thought and searched but I cannot come up with any thing and My Dr's cant give me any answers. I thought perhaps it's a result of intestinal damage going threw the stomach in the fusion of perhaps  my sciatic nerve is totally damaged. Any advice would be help full.

[re448]

Im not sure how much my advice can help but i had back surgery nov 1 2007 for a herniated disc. i still have a lot of pain very similar to the way you described in my butt radiating down my leg into my little toe. the pain is very intense when i have  it. when the pain is not real bad my leg still doesnt feel right. i went to the doc and they put me on more steroid pills and lyrica. I think just by reading info on the web that i have nerve damage. Im not sure if it will ever go away but i do know it is very depressing. I am 40 years old and have my own business.......so i dont have time for all this pain! It is very frustrating and i know what you are going through. They mention to me that my disc may have reherniated and that they could go back and clean it up again, but i dont think i could go through this again, This is not what i was expecting. I just never thought i could hurt as bad as i did before the surgery, but after was even worse. some days i wonder if  im ever going to feel good again. good luck and i hope this helps in some way.

[rfei57]

I know what you are gone though. I have been gone though the some thing,but my DR said I can not have surgery. I have taken everything for mine and had shots in my back the thing that take some of the pain away in 60mg of predisone but as soon as the amount has to go done the pain get worse.They have me on Hydromorphon 4mg that does not do a whole lot. I have the pain in both leg the right one is down the leg into the big toe, the left is down to the knee it hurts so much to sleep and the some with walking
that I want cry

back and leg pain
by rfei57

[Nuro]

thank you for your comments, I have discovered that I can manipulate my low back in order to snap/ pop-it to relieve the tension and pain. I realize that I'm not to do any twisting and the fact that I can a it occasionally relives the symptoms for a short time makes me question the medical care I have received. Also I tried Ultram ER a 14 day free trial  and it helped allot with the symptoms I have. The draw back was that it shut down my bowel and urinary functions,so I can no longer take it. I want to know if anyone has sought SSDI for those who experience the same as I. I have been thinking of doing that since I have great difficulty day after day.

[Nuro]

I'm now taking Kadian and it has reduced my pain greatly, I feel that some medications work against the recovery of back surgery. Switching from percocet to Kadian was the greatest bit of luck I could have come upon and I now feel back to normal and have very good control over my pain.

[Nuro]

Updating my situation. I have been on Kadian for sometime and It reduces the pain but not totally. After All my surgeries I believe this is my SI jont since my pain is around the L5-S1 and now having been a year the pain has not gone away. Its debilitating and my medication, severely regulated as it is doesn't totally relieve the pain and Iam not allowed to take take enough to treat my symptoms..I'm restricted in bending,siting,standing and I cannot sleep at all without ambien due to pain. I have run the gambit with Medical Dr's and no diagnosis or further treatments are being pursued. the medical community has failed me and I cannot do anything to get pain relief from my ATLIF. I'm diagnosed with lumbago but seriously is way more than that.




AD By Computer-ups.com»»»»»»»»»

[janny21]

I am so sorry you are going through such pain issues.  I too suffer from low back pain.  I recently underwent surgery for my neck.  Anterior cervical fusion c5-6,c6-7.  The neurosurgeon will not look at my lower back until  my neck has healed.  I must say my neurosurgeon has been wonderful.  Most dr's only consider the MRI for results.  My dr said MRI's do show problems but he listens to the patient and our pain is what he must go by in addition to the MRI results.  I have not really found any medication to help the nerve pain.  Have tried Lyrica with no relief at all.  Percocet helps somewhat after my surgery but does not relieve my low back pain.  I have gone through all of the nonsurgical options and got  no relief from any of them.  Unfortunately I must return to work this Monday.  Have been emp at same company for 30 years and if I do not return they will cut off my medical insurance.  Sitting and standing are unbearable.  Sometimes I feel back conditions just aren't taken seriously.  I just want you to know there are those of us out there feeling the same way as you are.  Lately I have felt very alone in all of this but I just joined the forum the other day and I see how many are going through exactly what I am.  In addition, since my surgery Mar. 19th I have not been able to talk.  Most are saying this is normal but it sure makes life difficult.  I do wish you well and hope you can find some relief.  In this day and age you would think we should not have to live in such pain.  I feel your frustration.