post op piriformis pain

[MAXNROCKY]

I am now 4 months post op decompression for right piriformis syndrome.   I am still having pain and some days it is unbearable.   My surgeon wants me to wait...my family Dr. now refers me back to my surgeon for the pain issue.   I am now taking 6 Alieve a day to minimize the pain as they will give me nothhing stronger.  I am at the end of my rope.  Please don't advise on injections, chriropratic, phys therapy, massage therapy, stretching, injections, because I have ahd them all in triplicate and none of them have helped me that is why I had the decompression performed.   If the pain does not go away or they can't prescribe the meds to control it I will simply give up on this battle.  I have lived with it for too long.

[doggboy]

Sorry about your pain and it sounds like if you are in that much discomfort then you can always see a pain management doctor.  If the pain is at the point to where you cant live a sum what productive life or enjoy life then I would see a pain doctor, but be very careful if they prescribe you opiates because not that all people have a problem with opiates just giving you my opinion that if the meds are abused to the point where you need to constantly have more opiates cause they are not working it can actually cause more pain due to the fact that your brain will produce more pain receptors which then will cause someone to take more opiates and then the cycle begins.  This is just my personal and very much so experience with pain and opiates.  

Never give up no matter how bad life gets.

[pinballgal]

What kind of pain are you having? Is is still piriformis and sciatic pain? I am 6 months post-op from piriformis decompression and I developed severe outer thigh pain at 3 weeks post-op. I was diagnosed with Iliotibial band syndrome but conventional therapies are not helping to clear it up. I too have had injections,massage,physical therapy, stretching and everything else. The only way I get up and function is with the help of opiates and Flexeril. Otherwise, my right foot is numb all day and I am in excrutiating pain. Please seek the help of a physiatrist to help manage your pain. Don't ever let the pain get the better of you. I know what you are feeling - I have been there. Best of luck to you.

[MAXNROCKY]

Thank you so much for responding to my email, it means so very much to me.   the pain I am having is the same piriformis pain I had before surgery but I have alos had the exact pain on the outer hip/thigh that pinballgal has described - it comes and goes and feels like my greater trochanter is on fire under my skin and runs down the lateral part of my thigh.  Anyway, I go to see my GP tomorrow and hope he can prescirbe the correct pain meds for me or at least send me to a pain physician.  I just can't have anymore surgeries,injections, etc., and I do all my stretches daily without relief.  

I hope that you are all doing well as my heart goes out to anyone (& their families) with chronic pain.   It is not just the patient that suffers.

MAXNROCKY

[tribeca17]

Dear MAXNROCKY. I sincerely hope you got some serious pain relief by now. And I'm afraid I can't offer any advice. But I wonder if you would be willing to share your surgery experience with other people who are currently considering Piriformis surgery??

I belong to a support group for piriformis syndrome at

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/piriformissyndrome/

Several members are lining up for surgery & actively looking for feedback from others who have had surgery. Additionally, the group is running a survey to is to gather patient's experiences with various treatments (medical & alternative) and the long term outcomes of the treatments. Please help us rate the best & worst treatments for Piriformis Syndrome (PS).  Results will be posted at the website in March.

To take the survey, go to

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=mrq5t2Fw1OonnPqfmBTx4Q_3d_3d

Your experience  is really important. All we hear is surgeons saying their cases are highly successful. We have very little in terms of first hand experience. Also, can you explain to me what a "piriformis decompression"  is??

Thanks for your help, Tribeca