Anything To Help Neuropathy After ALIF Surgery?
Feb 14, 2014
Has anyone found anything to help neuropathy after ALIF surgery? It has been 19 months and the pain is increasing. I cannot bear to wear anything except the loosest of clothing, I cannot walk without a cane or walker, I have new bowel and bladder function problems within the last 3 months. Is there anything that would even work temporarily to allow an airport ride? I buy even groceries online. I am in pain management with a respected doctor. I have have PT, water PT, massage, acupuncture, and narcotic medication. The fusion on L4/L5 and L5/S1 is fine; my life is not worth living.
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I am finally on my way to getting a long awaited L4-L5 Fusion. My doc decided on ALIF due to my previous L4/L5 Laminectomy (2003) creating a lot of scar tissue. That surgery was done posterior and it would not be a good thing to reopen the same L/4 area. I am relieved that this fusion is finally being done. My disc is about 98% gone and I deal with bone on bone pain daily in addition to bone spurs and osteoarthritis. However, I tolerate it pretty well. In addition to the L4/L5 issue, I also have 2 herniations in my neck and another few in my mid back. But these are secondary to my initial problem and need to take care of this fusion first and foremost. I read a lot of negatives about fusions on this board, but I try my best to think positively. Everyone is different and not every situation is similar. My plan is to help anyone I can with my experience and give support. I will try to post my progress after surgery. If anyone had recently (2013) had a ALIF fusion on L4/L5, I would like to hear about your experience. This will be a journey that I will not forget and I am planning on making it the best I can given the circumstances.
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8 days ago I had ALIF surgery on L5-S1 disc. I can not get over how good my back feels. I never thought that I would be pain free again. I spent the last 2 1/2 years in extreme pain, I had tried everything to relieve the pain but nothing seemed to help even a bit. I had been taking 10/325 norco 4-5 times a day. Now after surgery I have absolutely no back pain, I do however have some discomfort in the stomach area from the incision. I go to get my stitches out in 6 days and still have 3 weeks before I go back to the surgeon for my follow up. I am hoping he will let me go back to work after my follow up. I know that all surgeries are not this textbook but for me it was remarkable. I am hoping that I can do some kind of working out once I have total fusion. I have put on 35 pounds over the last 2 1/2 years and have not been able to exercise. I hope others have had such great success with this surgery.
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I have my ALIF L5/S1 Fusion scheduled for Nov. 3rd which is about a week away and I am very nervous/anxious/scared ********/relieved to be having it done. I'm just looking for any advice as to what to expect and also any advice on what to bring to the hospital to help out along the way in recovery.
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I am 18 months out from my 4 th spine surgery, ALIF at L4&5-s1. The surgery has been a huge success, no back pain and only occasional mild aching in my legs with ibuprofen for pain control as needed.
My problem is the continuing cramping in my foot, calf, back of the thigh and buttock on the affected side. One or more of those areas cramp multiple times a day. I lay in bed at night and can feel the Calf muscle twitching, have to keep my foot flexed to prevent cramping. As soon as I doze off, my foot relaxes and the calf immediately cramps, meaning I have to get up and walk to stop the cramping. Anyone else have this issue? Any insight? Muscle relaxants have only minimal effect, and I hate the thought of taking them every night. The problem intensifies the more exercise I get, which is discouraging.
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Had ALIF surgery almost 3 weeks ago and now bad leg pain on back of my thighs and under left knee. Is this common and when will go away. Back pains I knew but leg is bad.
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I am going to be scheduled for an L5/S1 (ALIF) fusion surgery. While I am in significant amounts of pain, I am nervous about the recovery for this procedure. I would like to think that I have a high tolerance of pain but I am very nervous about this procedure. How long is the typical recovery time and how bad is the post-op pain? I am having a difficult time deciding when to have my surgery because I don't know how long to expect to be incapacitated.
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I am a 40 year old male that has had two back surgeries. First Surgery February 2014 Lumbar Spine Posterior Discectomy Micro-discectomy on L4 & L5. Surgery failed no improvement. My Second surgery March 2015 Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (alif) surgery on L4, L5, & S1 with cage implants and bone grafts harvested from my own hip bone. I experience sciatica on my right leg and most frequent on left leg ;shooting pain down my right/left hip/buttocks, goes down the back of the leg. The last 3 years left foot numbness. My worst pain is in bed getting up is very painful. Before my ALIF surgery I suffered from sciatica foot numbness and pain in mostly my left leg region. After 6 weeks post ALIF surgery or so I started getting pain in my buttock/hip region. This actually started during my physical therapy. At first I was doing water therapy this is when it started. My last day of water therapy I was literally about to go to ER from P.T clinic. From there on it just had gotten worst, no real improvement. I went back for more P.T sessions stretching and other exercises . What Physical Therapist did notice that my hip motion was very limited and not much improved happen during all my sessions about 40 or so. Its being about 10 months after surgery and 4 months of P.T. and pain on hips doesn't go away. I have to be careful going up or down stairs. Getting out of bed or moving around in bed its a battle. I have spoken to my surgeon and he says it will take more time for recovery and possible have to live with this pain as a fact of life. I have also spoke to other doctor s and pretty much same response. Once thing I just found out recently is about Hip Bursitis. I was diagnosed with Arthritis. My surgeon keeps on saying its my Arthritis causing pain but prior to ALIF surgery I never had this buttocks pain , specially getting in and out bed. I was wondering if anyone has had same symptoms after spinal fusion surgery having Hip Pain From Arthritis or Hip Bursitis?
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In May I was told I had a vitamin d deficiency. My level was 11. Right before i was told about my low d i had burning pain throughout both of my thighs. If anything touched my thighs it felt like bees were stinging me. I went to the neurologist because I was also getting numbness in my arms. He told me i had mp or another name for it is lcpn from wearing tight pants. I bought new pants and waiting six weeks. Saw him again and now he thinks it's because my d levels were so low. D is up to 50 s now so why am i still in pain. I had an emg done on my legs and it was normal. Emg on arms showed mild carpal tunnel. I was tested for hiv 5 months after any exposure results were negative. He tested me for a bunch of other stuff all was negative. Could all of this be vit d
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Just going into an air conditioned room; a fan is blowing on my legs; even at home in the evenings my feet and calves get cold. Then comes that cold-to-the-bone feeling for hours. Does anyone else have this problem? If so, what do you do to prevent the misery from cold feet that are hard to warm up?
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i have just realised that a small part of one toe is numb - start of neuropathy? I hope not. Has anyone tried using the homeopathic tablet Kali Phos for this or indeed anything else?
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Was on 600mg Gabapentin 3 times a day for peripheral neuropathy to little effect. Was prescribed Amitriptyline, took 25mg for 3 days then 50mg for 5 days - replacing the 2 Gabapentin at night. Reduced Amitriptyline to 25mg after awful side effects. Took for 2 days with 300mg at night (in addition to the 600mg in morning and new GP said stop Amitriptyline and increase morning dose to 900 mg. Was OK for a while, but then feet and lower legs started severe pins and needles, difficult to walk. Disturbed sleep last night and feet and legs still bad. Is this withdrawal from Amitriptyline? How long will it last? GP rang and said gradually increase Gabapentin to 900 mg 3 times a day and if necessary go to 1200 mg 3 times a day.
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I have heard they have this to help neuropathy. Have not thoroughly checked it out. Has anyone tried this or know anything about this?
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Has anyone tried methadone for nerve pain? I've just started a low dose and wondered if you had any side effects and how long they lasted? Most important, any relief?
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Over 2months ago in jan 8th, when i took generic benadryl with dextromorphan, acetomeniphen, phenyleprine,(pill. after about an hour, noticed i loss about 99 of smell which in turn made me unable to taste certain flavors. Throughout the whole day i started feeling unusually shivering and cold. and notice i started to get tingling on the left side of my body. the next day my smell hasnt returned, and i went to the ER, was afriad it was a stroke or some brain injury. Spent 5 1/2 hours trying to find out the cause, but was unable, the whole time the doctor did notice my other symptoms i was jerking twitching while on the bed, and felt very tingly, i also have tachycardia. i was eventually discharged, over the next few days, i still had sense of smell loss which went to 50% but went to 90% loss very quickly over the next few days. While i was sleeping, at night my neuro symptoms intensified, my myclonic jerks, twitching increased, and RLS developed, at the same time i realized i also pins and needle show up on the left side of my body.
After about 1 week, the pins and needle came back on my left hand and feet. Then a few weeks later i noticed i had loss all internal sensations(full or empty bowel,stomach,bladder, eye movements) Any internal movement you can think of is loss. Actually about 99% gone, because i can still have a bowel movement, pee, and stomach sensations only when its overwhelming and prolonged stimulation. i do not have loss of bowel movement, no loss of bladder control.
The pins and needle came and went and move around my hands feet above the ankles. this is over the weeks as its now.
The pins and needles eventually started to appear more frequently on the right side, but not as frequent as left.
In feb 2 i went to the pcp, for possible diagnosis, but i hit a wall, as the pcp kept insisting that my conditions were mental, or genetic in nature.
Within the week, my pins and needles progressed to cool feeling(randomly but not frequently), now im experiencing random joint pains(1-2 sec bursts, not frequently or constant). Also the twitching is more prevelant when i am still.
I have been diagnosed with vit d deficiency, i am taking 2k per day(i dont know how long i have to be on) but she wanted 4k but was scared it causes itchyness, i already have itchyness from the so-called rashes i got, she diagnosed me with atopic dermatitis, which i dispute, as some other doctor said was contact.
Due to me being on welfare(MEDI-CAL ) i am not able to see my medical tests or records online, as they do not have this technology, but the medical center i go to seems to have it integrated into thier database. I do not have to acess to it, unless i pay for copies of medical record, they dont accept cash.
Furthermore, my specialist appt is in aprl 30th, which cannot be changed to earlier, because of me being a mED-CAL patient. i did not go the pcp appt last week because its across the city from where i live, and the pcp is already losing favor, because my previous visits with her was not finding whats wrong with my present conditions, but trying to make up a diagnosis related to mental health issues, hypochondriac, and i felt like i was going to get the same answers as b4.
i was tested for b12 and cbc blood count, but i do not have access to those results. when i requested other vitamin tests, she refused, i also requested lyme(because my symptoms only fit the neuro portion, now that i have limited joint pain). The parasthesiasins and needle, spider web on arm and leg feeling, tickling,prickling, pin priks, coldness feeling,some joint issues) these are constant everyday, there were days where they subside, and when i wake up. loss of sensations prevents me from feeling (if im about throw up acid). abnormal sensations of my right hands. i do not have numbness, loss of pain or itching, but i am certain thats coming next. Any ideas its lupus.i am in college, and i had to drop a class so i can deal and try to find out what my mysterious neurological condtions is..
My pcp thinks this is also hypochondria, because i stupidly told her i had kaiser records, before turning to WELFARE.
You wouldve think that sudden loss would warrant an immediate red flag, but she/they are not taking my condition seriously i am currently taking 4000IU, (2x2000Iu) per day. and taking b12 (1000IU prophylactic, i don't have test results for this yet.
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I've suffered with chronic pain in groin area for over 2years now after a few tests and Mri exam my specialist Dr Chawla told me there's no cure for Neuropathy besides help with medication and pain clinic. None of the painkillers have worked, bad time with side effects! I recently had Acupuncture with Gp only for the pain to spread all over body.
I have had no help and as single parent to 2 children this puts a strain on my depression. I don't want this to take over my life.
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I have asked to be removed from all pain medications as they were not helping at all and did not want to just keep increasing dosage. So my PM Dr. suggested i try Ativan or Diazepam before bed and also a muscle relaxant called Baclofen for spasms during the day (which i had been on in 2013) it did not work, but he insists on trying it over the Soma 350mg i had been on before the surgery.... any input
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I've been with my boyfriend for almost a year now and we've just started getting sexually active. He has confided in me that he has penile neuropathy due to complications of diabetes.
He's been to doctors and had tests done. The result is there is no problem with blood flow, it's nerve damage, the nerves don't transmit the signal to the penis to become fully erect. I've noticed the base does become semi erect but that's about it. Just curious if anyone has any experience with this and is there anything that will help such as over the counter medications like Cialis?
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I suffer from sciatica and peripheral neuropathy in the feet. Have tried to address both with diet restrictions and daily walks. Yet, the arthritis like pain in the back of my calfs and legs is getting intolerable.
My girlfriend has extensive lung problems and chronic resultant pain from coughing for hours on end - in the back and thorax areas. She was prescribed Gabapentin to relieve that pain. Works for her.
So she gave me two tabs to try for my problems. It was as though a miracle had taken place. No pain whatsoever. Almost no side effects - other than a slight feeling of increased relaxation.
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I have been living with neuropathy pain for about 4 to5 years now. it seem as of lately that about 5 to 10 minutes after I take my pain medication that pain get strong for about 15-20 minutes and then the meds kick in and ease the pain. is this normal?
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