post spinal fusion surgery pain

[mishars]

I had spinal fusion on my L5 5 weeks ago, and i am now hurting now more then i ever did before surgery. My Doc said he had the surgery and was back to work in 2 weeks. At 2weeks for me i was hurting so bad i thought i had messed up my fusion. So i went to see my my doc and had an xray and was told it was fine. He gave me a RX and said it was my last one. So i have had nothing for pain since 3 weeks after surgery. Right after surgery in a drugged state I told him my leg hurts worse (I don't remember saying it) and his answer was " Then we shouldn't have done surgery"

I had no problem with my right leg priop to surgery, but now at 5 weeks i have to drag my leg, and it hurts unbelievably, i can't even lay on my right side. Sometimes it feels like ants are crawling under my skin. I can't sleep, 3 times now my leg hurt me so bad i got physically sick.

Also my Doc's nurse says pain is just a state of mind..........My pain is very REAL!!

Is this normal?

How long should i be on pain meds?

Thanks Dawn

[ChaCha4]

Ihad a disc replaced and spinal fusion six months ago. The pain started shooting down my left leg two months after.  My dr. told me to expect some nerve damage since this was the fourth spine surgery in two years.  Just had an MRI and they told me that there is scar tissue surrounding the nerve root.  They have offered Lyrica to help with the nerve.  But I am going to start physical therapy next week, and I have found that the less movement the less pain. Ask for Ct scan and an MRI, maybe that will tell them more.  By  the way tell that nurse she is nuts, the pain isn't in your head, obviously she is not dealing with your pain.

[Dreamduv5]

On 12/07 2005 had a back & front spinal fusion with a chip from my right hip and a cadavor bone too and have been in pain ever since.  About a week after I was sent home, I ended up back in the hospital in extreme pain in my back and legs.  They fed me morphine (which was fine...lol....at the time) but then nothing else was done.  The tests showed nothing and they sent me home a few days after Christmas 2005.  Well, I've continued to experience pain in my lower back, buttocks and of course the nerve damage on my left, outer thigh. My pain just feels like they tightened those screws to tight and radiates to my pelvis area too. My Dr. would only take front and side view X-rays when I would see him monthly and tell me he was stumped because the X-rays looked good.  But he never ordered any other tests or send me to therapy.  He just kept prescribing Vicodin and Lyrica and eventually Naproxen.  So, finally, in November 2006 he referred me to a Pain Management Dr. who tried the Sacroiliac Steroid Injection.  It helped my right side for 1 week, my left side for 2 weeks.  He has now asked me to think about an implant of the spinal cord stimulator.  I've heard good and bad things about this implant and it frightens me.  I think I may try to get a 3rd opinion, actually a 2nd opinion from a Dr. at the University of Chicago.  My niece will graduate Indiana University in May with a Masters in Physical Therapy and she did a 2 hour review with me the other day.  She thinks I may have more nerve damage than anyone has thought of.  She is going to submit my info. to her professor and get back to me.  I'll keep you informed when I know something.  One of my biggest fears....getting off all these meds.  I've already had to kick another really strong pain killer since all of this happened and it is NOT a good experience.  My prayers are with you all.  Take care.

[banirooster99]

I had the spinal fusion done about 11 months ago. Big mistake.I too experience more pain (even now ) than what I did before surgery. My feet and hand also go to sleep all the time. Dr said  X-rays were fine. I got tired of the run around and the disbeliefs from the Dr. I just stopped going. I will find a 2nd opinion. I wish I had left well enough alone!!

[joemil]

m1223456789 or what ever your name is. YOU are******* up and need severe help. This is not in our heads guys. I had lumbar spine fusion surgery in May 2006 and I am worse off and in chronic pain. My surgeon told me to bite the bullet and deal with the pain. I would like to get him on the table and cut his back open and see if he sings a different tune. I was very outgoing, played sports, had a professional career. Now I am in constant pain, I walk with a cane and cannot work anymore. We just have to take one day at a time. God Bless you guys, you are not alone!!!!!!!!!!!!

[toolmaker]

The last advice i received from my ortho-surgeon was to think seriously about  lumbar fusions.He said I would most likely end up in more pain after healing.

[pofdog]

  I wish you well and good luck. I know how you feel having a doctor like you do.  My surgeon wouldn't give me anything more than vicodin 500 after surgery and I was complaining of the pain from the moment I awoke from surgery.  While in the hospital, I got demoral AND 1 Vike every 4 hours. I was in extreme pain and went home in worse condition with pains now down both legs.  Still, my surgeon refused to give me pills that worked. I had to have my surgeon release my meds to my family doc. so I could function.  My back just got worse and worse and the trips to ER I was treated like I was there just to get pills. Sounds crazy, but I had to go to ER and threaten suicide eventually just to get something to help. Pain level 9-10 constant will drive anyone crazy.
  As for the butt head above that says surgery works.  For most people it does, but there is a reason our surgeons make us sign all those papers before surgery releasing libility incase it does not.  Thats one thing that frustrated me. My surgeon treating me that way (and it got worse) as if all surgerys are sucessfull and it was in my head. Well, I wanted to shove knives in his back and twist them for a few days and tell him "its not that bad".  Then, I finally got another MRI 6 weeks post op. Guess what? Another herniated disk and I need a 2 level fusion now. In my head?
    Also, advice that has seemed to help a few.  Sometimes being totaly honest with your FAMILY doctor helps.  My doc. knows my addictive past and I told him I don't care if I get addicted to the pills because I had no quality of life and was miserable.  Our bodys can build a tollerance to the drugs where we need more or something new.  I am finally up to 8mg of dilaudid every 6 hours and am able to function finally.  Just tell your doc. you know the possible consequences of the narcotics, your NOT taking them to the streets, and your not getting them from the streets and you have no quality of life. Maybe your doc. will listen and give you something that works. If not, find another doc and tell him/her the truth of why you are looking for a new doctor, because you need more help than your current doctor will give. I have been through it and have seen docs. that were not comfortable with it, but once I started being completely honest to them, have found docs with compassion.  Good luck.