Heaviness after surgery - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

PearlDoves · 11-18-2006, 04:06 PM

I had ACDF on Nov. 7th of C5-C6 to get rid of bone spurring that was causing stenosis - myelopathy and radiculopathy. My symptoms before surgery were never constant but like a revolving door, never knowing when and what would hit me at what time - one of which was Legs and arm heaviness. I am aware that after sugery the pinching pains and numbness and tingling are normal, but I was wondering if anybody had the heaviness as well and if it went away later. I get it off and on, esp. in my left arm.

When I saw him a week post-op he did seem a bit concerned and as a precaution - if after 1 week some of the symptoms do not clear up I am to have an MRI and CT again - but I'm not sure if he was more concerned about the heaviness or the pain I'm getting behind my elbow and knee areas or both... but regardless I'm mainly concerned about the heaviness at this point.

PearlDoves · 11-19-2006, 04:25 PM

Just in case it's unclear- The heaviness isn't the same as like the weakness you can get from spinal disorders. It literally feels like my body is 20% heavier and that its more effort to move. It comes and it goes. I know I might just be being impatient about my healing process, but I'm just wondering if anybody else experienced this after their surgery.

SpineAZ · 11-19-2006, 06:02 PM

Much of what you are feeling could be attributed to side effects of some of the medications you are taking. I recommend you gather up all the medications you are taking and call a pharmacist or read the attached information that comes with most prescriptions to see what the known side effects are.

I was on flexeril or valuim for a period after the ACDF and it made me feel fatigued and as if any physical activity would be too hard to do (too hard to lift my arms up to get milk from the fridge, etc).

PearlDoves · 11-19-2006, 11:01 PM

I'm only taking around half a darvocet now in the morning and then tylenol durring the rest of the day and then another approx half darvocet at night. Before this I was on another medication called tramadol and it seemed to prove to mimic spinal cord problems with intense numbness in the face among other very scarry things.. So I stopped taking it - and while I was on that I was still getting heaviness. I had heaviness off and on before the surgery and I was hardly taking any meds at all. Maybe its just my side effect after surgery the same way numbness and tingling is for others.. which I also get, but not that bad. I'm just hopeing for some reassurance. I'm not even 2 weeks post op yet, so maybe I'm just impatient about healing

looksee1 · 11-20-2006, 03:23 PM

I haven't had my surgery yet, but I can tell you that when I had my epidural, I had the same sensation of feeling like I weighed 1000 lbs. I wonder if it is the stress on the nervous system from surgery or any other assault, like an epidural. Just my thoughts...