I posted about 10 days ago..
"20 Years ago Fusion at T11-T12-L1 with Harrington Rods"
When I was 19 I suffered a complete compression fracture of T12 and partial fracture of T11 and L1 and received Harrington Rods. 2 years later the rods were removed. Fast forward 20 years and I'm dealing with new issues. My ortho read my new CT Scan and it appeared I was anteriorly fused at T9-T10 and fused at the facets from T10-T11-T12. Hmmm... mystery of what happened to L1. My thoracic spine showed kyphotic lordosis with about a 30 degree angulation at the fusion - (no wonder it feels good to slump over).
My doc stated that he could offer relief from my mechanical back pain through surgery and looked to me for my willingness to proceed. My daily pain is at the point warrants the procedure so I agreed. Next step is the Disc-o-gram study with a study of 3 different discs. I've read on this board that the procedure is very painful and some say it's not. Has anyone had it done for 3 different discs? Am I crazy to think I can return to my office the next day? Should I request something stronger than a Vicodin or Lortab for recovery?
Thanks in advance for your response!
Hopeful for a pain free day,
Ross
Personally I have never had one yet but am due to get one at some point. We actually discussed this exact subject on the Pain board a few weeks back.
The general concensious then was that for some it hurt a whole lot, up to a week, and especially the first few days, while others seemed to do OK with the medications they were currently on. A few individuals could not function for several days. Everyone I guess is different and maybe the doctor makes a difference as well I'm not sure.
The advice given at the time was that it is OK to ask your doctor for something stronger than you currently take for at least the first few days after the discogram and including the day it is done. It was suggested that it is also OK to ask the doctor for an injection of pain meds such as demmoral or comparable right after the discogram is done if you are feeling pain.
If you currently take Vicodin or Loritab for pain on a regular basis then yes I'd ask for something stronger, possibly Percocet on a 4 hour schedule or if the meds you take now are on a 6 - 8 hour schedule ask if you can take them every 4 if needed and make sure you have enough medications to cover you should you need them.
Good luck and I'd be interested in hearing how it goes for you since everyone seems to have had different pain results with it.
I posted about 10 days ago..
"20 Years ago Fusion at T11-T12-L1 with Harrington Rods"
When I was 19 I suffered a complete compression fracture of T12 and partial fracture of T11 and L1 and received Harrington Rods. 2 years later the rods were removed. Fast forward 20 years and I'm dealing with new issues. My ortho read my new CT Scan and it appeared I was anteriorly fused at T9-T10 and fused at the facets from T10-T11-T12. Hmmm... mystery of what happened to L1. My thoracic spine showed kyphotic lordosis with about a 30 degree angulation at the fusion - (no wonder it feels good to slump over).
My doc stated that he could offer relief from my mechanical back pain through surgery and looked to me for my willingness to proceed. My daily pain is at the point warrants the procedure so I agreed. Next step is the Disc-o-gram study with a study of 3 different discs. I've read on this board that the procedure is very painful and some say it's not. Has anyone had it done for 3 different discs? Am I crazy to think I can return to my office the next day? Should I request something stronger than a Vicodin or Lortab for recovery?
Thanks in advance for your response!
Hopeful for a pain free day,
Ross
My son had a 4 level discogram. He said it was awful and absolutely could not have gone to work the next day. However, he had no sedation of any sort. Some on this board said they have gotten at least mild sedation. One disk out of the 4 reproduced the pain. It took him a few days before he was pain free (about 10). But, every one is different.
He laughs about it now but he wasn't laughing then.
He is glad he had it because it did show an additional disk problem besides the spondy so it wasn't in vane.
Oi. Ok, what will happen is that you'll walk into the area they do the discograms. You'll be given a pill ( I'm not sure what it is, but it's a whopping pain killer,) and told to undress into those lovely dress gowns so your fannie is hanging out. Then, you'll sit and wait a while as the pill takes affect, answer some questions, josh with the people there... then it's time to go across the hall into the room. You lay down face foreward on the table. They will put pillows under you and where ever you'd like to get you fairly comfortable. You'll notice that the room seems quite cold. The doctor will then swab your back, and find the injection site. He'll zing you just a little with the first shot, which is a local. You also have an IV in one arm so the nurse can instantly inject pain killer. Then the C-arm (mobile x-ray unit) is placed over you and the doctor inserts the other needle into your disk. This doesn't hurt. Or at least it didn't hurt me any. Then, when he gets the needle centered from top to side, he'll start to inject a harmless dye which will do two things. One, it will create pressure, and two, insert dye. If you reach a pressure of 100 without screaming, your disk is fine and you won't feel anything. Then he goes to another disk and injects more dye. If you start screaming your head off and he sees the dye coming out of the disk as fast as he's putting it in, BINGO. He just found your bad disk and knows how big the tear is. If he suspects other disks, he'll keep going until he's satisfied he's found them all. You will be in a full sweat hoping to die. But, as soon as they recreate your pain, the nurse will inject you with some pain killer so it's only momentary. It hurts like mad, but remember it's only momentary. When the test is over, you'll wonder who the heck turned the heat on in the room. hehe. Ok, off the table we go, and back across the hall where you're given another whomping pill for pain, and ice is immediately placed on the injection site. Remember this. ICE IS YOUR FRIEND! If you don't have about 5 of those ice packs you can get at any pharmacy, get them before you go for your test. You will want ice on that site for at least 24 to 48 hours. My doctor allowed me to double dose my Oxycontin for three days while the pressure that had been injected into the disks wore off. You better not plan on doing anything for a few days, and if you have constipation, start pushing the laxatives now. You will be in enough pain just moving around for a few days without that added pain in the butt. Honest. If you can have someone with you for a few days, that is a good thing too. It takes a while for the pressure to go away and remember ICE ICE ICE!!!!!!!
You will not go back to work the next day and get the strongest pain killer you can wheedle out of your Pcp or whoever is in charge of your meds. You might make it back in two days, but to be safe, I'd say three. Sitting is going to be awful until that pressure dissapates and the dye that was injected and is now sitting in your spinal canal is absorbed. Don't even think of going back the next day. It would be so very awful.
Last edited by Stormygale; 09-02-2004 at 06:34 PM.
You are all a lifesaver
Tomorrow morning I am going to reschedule the test on a Friday to allow the weekend to recover.. This allows more time to buy ICE and work with my neurologist to prep for pain meds. Thank you so so much!
Ross
My pleasure and my deepest sympathies in your having to have the test. It's a dreadful thing, but it really is incredibly useful as a diagnostic. I hope you have an easy test, and that the nurse is quick on the needle injecting pain killer. I was fine for the hour and a half ride home, but by then, I was beginning to hurt. I hope you don't have to go so far. Good luck to you, and may the doctor find what he seeks.
Disc-o-gram @ 3 levels What to expect? 
