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

[philnoir]

Regarding your final statement -- I too have felt this way.

The problem is in today's pain management. Where as 20 years ago the goal was to reduce pain as much as possible, today the goal is to treat without appearing to over treat.

Unfortunatly, most who treat pain are being hackled with artificial limits on the amount and type of pain medication they can prescribe. This leaves chronic pain patients, especially those with long-lasting opioid tolerance, living with much higher pain levels.

Higher pain levels leads to increased disability, frustration, hopelessness, depression, and suicidal ideation.

I admonish you to hang in there, and get tougher about your pain management program. You are in charge, no matter what your doctor has to say. It's your pain -- take control, even if it means to taking action against your current doctor. Let them know how dissatisfied you are. Let them know that you're being under treated.

In the mean time, look for a new pain doc.

[iwantmylifeback2014]

Mzzsilky, I can empathize to some extent.  My pain is not quite as severe as yours but I have been dealing with similar issues for 20 years and grew up with a parent who was permanently disabled from many back issues, surgeries, procedures, etc.  my mother has had moderate success with her s c stimulator.  I hope you were approved and they got the leads in the right places for your pain relief!

I lost my job due to extreme pain not helped by my fusion, almost a year ago now.  My life feels it is on hold.  I am coping with the fact I will never have a baby myself- I know there are other options but I have dreamed of having lots of babies since I was a kid myself and dedicated my career to working with kids- and my marriage is crumbling.  We are broke from the loss of my income, my huge student loan, the cost of COBRA, and all my co pays and neither of us made much to begin with.  Honestly worst of all is the pain.  It never goes away.  I barely sleep because of it and when I can fall asleep it wakes me up soon after.

They keep trying different meds and antidepressants but I would be lying if I said I don't often contemplate just taking the rest of my pills and finally resting, forever.

Have you found any relief??

[Wrinky]

Hi MaryEllen,
I hope after all this time u r doing better! My advise would be to go to a Pain Management Doctor! Their job is to keep your pain under control and you are not looked upon as a "druggie"!
God bless you dear, and I am praying for you!

[AuntieB2014]

I had 3 disc removed from my c-spine. A cervical fusion from C-2 to C-6. This was done November 2011. I felt better still with some pain. Now my pain is becoming unbearable. My surgeon told me that the operation would be substituting one type of pain for another. I had to have the surgery because the disc were pushing against my spinal cord. I have gone the pass several years rarely taking pain medication. Now, that is going to change. The intense pain is now keeping my blood pressure high. I am now on 3 blood pressure medications. I am very pleased with my surgeon. I'm happy with the success of my operation. I wish there was a way to be pain free without the help of pain meds. I went a long time taking them maybe 3 months out of a year. Because of my blood pressure staying high due to the pain, I'm now seeking help from a pain management doctor. I hope he can manage my pain with minimum narcotic pain meds. Sometimes we do have to look at the big picture. In my case, my options were take the operation and deal with some pain or have the disc pinch off the spinal cord risking paralysis. I chose the pain and being able to walk.

[Lamentablemente]

Hello to Everybody,
          I had L3 to S! fusion with screws and rods in the back, and spacers and those bone cages being put in through the front, about 2 months ago. The recovery seems to be going ok. My difficulties seem to be that I have rested flat on my back for a day or two, felt fairly pain free, then stupidly did lots of walking and standing, bending and even climbing a tree!!!
   I went back and forth until I stopped and thought....duh... you need to just stay horizontal as much as you can and don't do any excessive walking or standing, and no bending or climbing trees!
    My brother had the same surgeon, Dr. Dryer at CTSI, Austin, and now , after a year of recovery and a year of  doing normal stuff...even lifting lawnmowers, etc, he's fine! I'm a little worried about the Pain Mgmnt Dr not approving more of my 10 mg in 60 more days, but , hopefully, the pain levels will be much less...if I can stop doing stupid stuff like bending and twisting and walking for hours!!!
  The hardest thing for me is to live alone and doing all the shopping, cooking, cleaning, washing, since BCBS doesn't cover a caregiver. So I just buy frozen dinners. Lucky for me, I'm retiring post office in a month or two. My (soon!) new wife is a real strong, loving and disciplined woman...good cook, healthy and with good old fashioned morals.
I cringe at the bad luck and doctor and health horror stories here.
  It would be interesting to hear about whether anyone has had success with medical marijuana. Strange that no one who lives in those states has mentioned it.
  Good luck to all you guys. Remember, Hope dies last, so, as long as we are alive....there's still hope!!!
take care
steve

[longleyfla]

I agree, I'm in the same situation. The Doctor who performed this procedure has been out of town. I am due to see he in several days. I guess it's my fault for not asking more questions. I would not recommend it.