I am 12 days post op from my ALIF with cage, rods screws, all that hardware stuff LOL. When I got into my room Monday night I knew there was something not right with my left leg, and a little on the right leg. The left leg, mostly the thigh area was numb, hurt so very badly but as time has progressed both legs now hurt still the left leg more than the right but I feel that my legs will give out on me and the nerve pain is just horrid. I had NONE of this prior to surgery. At post op the surgeons assistant was not worried she simply said that depending on how much I had prior to surgery it may get better when I informed her I had NONE prior to surgery she said "Oh" well then its just post op swelling and should get better but can't say when.

I am really worried. The physical therapist ordered a wheelchair for part time use at home because he is scared my legs are so weak and unstable they will give out on me. I have never experienced nerve pain, mine was all low back pain, I feel for each of you that have/had nerve pain, words just can't describe it.

Has anyone had my situation? No nerve pain prior to surgery but afterwards, and if so how long did it take for it to leave. The pain meds only reduce the leg pain by about 15%. They told me there is nothing else they can give me, Lyrica they can't rx beause I take Topamax for migraines.

Thanks for the help

Lori

Lori, can they adjust the topomax?? Also I am pretty sure their are people on the board that are taking both tompomax and lyrica/neurotin together??

Lori, can they adjust the topomax?? Also I am pretty sure their are people on the board that are taking both tompomax and lyrica/neurotin together??



I think they can adjust the Topamax, and I am totally willing to go off of it altogether. The nurse at the surgeon's office is not helpful at all. She told me I cannot stop taking the Topamax all at once, which is true, but I can wean off with my nero's assistance and then speak to him about the Lyrica. But to leave me until after the Christmas holiday in terrible pain with no answers, and no help is inexcusable in my opinion. She did give me 5/500 of the vicodin but its not touching the nerve pain which I told her and she said thats all she could do. If they suffered like we do with this pain they would have a TOTALLY different outlook!
Thank you for your response pepper. I hope you are feeling well and have a terrific holiday.

Lori

Lori, if you are that miserable start calling your doctor even if it is after hours. I pray that you feel some relief soon.

My son had a similar problem and they determined that there was a screw hitting the nerve. They went back in and revised it. I'm not saying that's your problem, but it's a suggestion.

Hearts -- I had back and leg pain prior to a PLIF with cage, rods, screws, etc. Immediately after the surgery, the sciatic leg pain down the backs of my leg lessoned tremendously, but I had new nerve pain in other parts of my legs, ankles, etc. that were so upsetting because I never had pain there before.

Surgeon told me it was due to all the manipulation of my nerves during the surgery while they were doing their work on the fusion. He told me to be patient and that these weird hot spots all over my legs would disappear. Thankfully they did but it took a couple of months.

I was on percocet every four hours for the first three to four weeks and then then a little less of it for the next month. By month three I went down to Vicoden 5s as needed. Even after I returned to work, the surgeon still wrote me scripts for a couple of months.

I agree with pepper that you should call even though it's after hours. These docs are required by law to get back to you so leave a message with the service. You definitely sound undermedicated and why should your recovery have to be more painful than it already is?

Hearts - yes, please call and let them know what kind of pain you're in. You can be firm in telling them without being whining or a pain in their tush. It's their job to take care of you, OK? Let us know what happens. You deserve some relief!

(((hugs)))
- Margaret

Hi Hearts,
I agree with pepper if your in pain your doc should be doing anything to relieve it. Pain does not take holidays off even though we wish it did. Call your doc until you get action. I have permanent nerve damage pain. Most peoples nerve pain doesn't last too long, it can take up to 18 months tho for nerves to heal if the compression was bad for a long time. I am 2 yrs post op from the last of 4 fusion attempts that were unsuccessful. I have the works too from L4-S1 with a permanent spondy of grade 2-3. It's not moving anymore but they can't put the verts back into alignment due to too much scar tissue. Anyway I don't want to scare you, I'm the exception to the rule, most do pretty well and I'm sure you will too. It does take time, thats the yucky part, the waiting and no one really knows for how long. Do as they say and if anything, I mean any little thing changes call your doc & tell him.

The one good piece of advice I have learned from the last almost 10 years of back trouble, you have to take charge of your treatment. I am the boss, I hired my dr. to help me.

You will find if you research the facts and go to your doc visits informed and ready to question him if need be you will find that you end up with better care. I don't mean to be a smart alec but to do more than just ask questions, do some research and hopefully you can find an answer together that will releive the pain and still not interfere with your other meds.

It took some time for them to get the right combo for me and it was very hard to stand the pain, I feel for you so much.

Good Luck! I hope you find some relief soon. As the swelling starts to go down inside it will feel better too like they said. Also no Ibuprofen!!! they say any anti-inflamatories will interfere with the fusion so make sure you watch the over the counter meds so you know they dont' have that in it.

I'll be praying for your recovery as well as the pain relief too.

God Bless

Carol

Thanks for all your support, this board is great! I called the oncall number and the doctor who called me back said she could increase my vicodin to 7.5 but didnt think that would help much due to the severe nerve pain. She said there was better medication but she could not phone them in I had to go see a doctor! :(
I wound up at the ER last night. I just could not take the nerve pain anymore, it was so severe. Hubby came home from work, took one look at the pain I was in and off we went. They took me back right after triage and were wonderful. The doctor at the ER paged Ortho for over 3 hours but they never showed up so he called my Ortho group that did the surgery and they said they felt comfortable letting me go home but want to see me after Christmas. They gave me IV pain meds and valium which helped immediately, plus a rx for stronger pain meds that are extended release, so far today they are helping alot.
I don't understand why the surgeons office did not take my nerve pain/numbness seriously last week, very upsetting. This doctor at the ER did not know if its post op swelling or something else, he said he really did not believe it was post op swelling. They did do several xrays to make sure everything was in place and it was.

Thanks for listening...

Lori

Lori, I am sorry you have been suffering so much and am happy that you went to the ER and they gave you medication to relieve the pain.

Personally I am reading more and more that surgeons (just like mine) just do not want to perscribe strong meds for surgical patients and come around the 12th week they no longer want to perscribe meds period.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

Hi Lori,

I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time. What a shame. Your surgeon should have to walk a day in your shoes. The sad thing is that this type of "care" is becoming all too common. This is completely unacceptable.

I'm glad you made the decision to go to the ER and I'm glad the staff there had COMPASSION - an emotion the medical field is lacking, for the most part, these days :(.

Keep fighting. Don't give up. I'll be praying for you, praying your surgeon listens to you and gives you something that will relieve your pain long-term. I hope your pain level decreases with each new day.

God Bless :angel:.

Hi Lori,
I'm glad you had a positive experience at the ER. What a difference it makes when you are in severe pain. How is your pain today? Is it still under control? Take it easy and please keep us posted.

Deb

Hi Lori,

I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time. What a shame. Your surgeon should have to walk a day in your shoes. The sad thing is that this type of "care" is becoming all too common. This is completely unacceptable.

I'm glad you made the decision to go to the ER and I'm glad the staff there had COMPASSION - an emotion the medical field is lacking, for the most part, these days :(.

Keep fighting. Don't give up. I'll be praying for you, praying your surgeon listens to you and gives you something that will relieve your pain long-term. I hope your pain level decreases with each new day.

God Bless :angel:.


I agree 100%. When I went in to my post op last week the surgeon was not there but his assistant (nurse practioner) was there and his secretary and she said he was bragging all week how well my surgery went. I am glad he thinks things went well however I am not feeling good!! Perhaps now that the ER called them they will get their act together. One could hope.
I would imagine a nerve test would be ordered soon if this does not improve?
Take care everyone. God bless and Happy Holidays.

Lori,
I'm so glad you finally got some relief, I always fear the ER because you never know how it will turn out. So so glad yours was a good trip. You have to keep on these docs so they don't brush you under the rug. They get so used to most of the patients rolling with the flow that they over look the exceptions to the rule unless you speak up loud & clear. You shouldn't have to many problems now that the ER docs set them straight by having them notice your pain is not normal.

I too will continue to pray for you.

I hope you can enjoy the holiday now that you have better pain control.

God Bless

Carol

Thanks everyone! God bless and Happy Holidays

Lori

Hey Lori.,

Have a great Xmas and let everyone help you as much as they want to... which I'm sure is a lot!

Let us know how you're doing after the holidays!

Take Care,
David

I am so frustrated and need to vent. I was suppose to call the surgeon today to make an appointment to find out why I have all this nerve pain/numbness in both legs. I was told to call by the Ortho on call Saturday night at the ER. I can't get an appointment until Jan 4th! I couldn't belive it. Plus, they are unwilling to re fill the medication (the extended release) pain medication the ER doctor gave me. They said my surgeon is gone all week and he would not refill it because he was not the one who filed it in the first place! What on earth is wrong with this group of doctors? I went into surgery with back pain, DDD, one level, woke up finally became coherent enough to reliaze something is wrong with my legs, they are worse now, to the point that I need stronger pain meds, I cant get a refill without going back to the ER, I can't see my surgeon for another 9 days, am I making too much of this or are they totally not supporting me?
If it is post op swelling they need to verify this, plus they need to give me medication that works. Thank you for letting me vent...

Lori

My heart and prayers go out to you, hearts. Can you call the ER doctor and let him know what is going on? I hope you find relief and answers, soon.

Lori, do you have a really good general practioner that knows you well? Could you talk to them and explain what is going on? Maybe they will help you out. I have had med problems with my surgeon and it is sooooo irritating. Thankfully my GP has come thru for me. Just another thought to consider.

Also is the ortho on call you saw on Saturday night part of your surgeons practice?

I am lifting you up in prayer.

Lori, do you have a really good general practioner that knows you well? Could you talk to them and explain what is going on? Maybe they will help you out. I have had med problems with my surgeon and it is sooooo irritating. Thankfully my GP has come thru for me. Just another thought to consider.

Also is the ortho on call you saw on Saturday night part of your surgeons practice?

I am lifting you up in prayer.

Bless you for the prayers,

Yes as a matter of fact I scheduled an appointment with my family doctor for tomorrow late afternoon. I just didnt know what else to do. I have been his patient for over four years so at least he knows me.

I never got to see the orth on call saturday night at the ER, the ER attending doctor that treated me paged them over and over and over again, they never showed up in the ER but finally (according to the attending doctor) called and he reviewed my case with them and they said i could go home but to followup with my surgeon this week for an appointment because I needed to be seen. Little did I know the ortho on call that night was from the surgical group my surgeon is from!! Had they bothered to show up in the ER saturday night they could have at least examined me, maybe performed more tests who knows.

Thanks for your help and kind words. HOw are you feeling? I trust you are growing stronger each day and I hope you had a nice holiday.

Blessings

Lori

Do they have you on any regular muscle relaxer? If not you should request one from whatever doctor you see. If the valium helped in the ER you could have muscles or muscle spasms that are affecting the nerve. I occasionally need a muscle relaxant - for some reason sometimes the nerves get irritated by the muscles. In fact, sometimes a muscle relaxant works for me more than the vicodin or advil/aleve.

Do they have you on any regular muscle relaxer? If not you should request one from whatever doctor you see. If the valium helped in the ER you could have muscles or muscle spasms that are affecting the nerve. I occasionally need a muscle relaxant - for some reason sometimes the nerves get irritated by the muscles. In fact, sometimes a muscle relaxant works for me more than the vicodin or advil/aleve.

Good idea, I will mention it to my GP today.