Anyone else here have a spinal fusion on C5/C6?

If so, have you had the pain for that (left arm) disappear, only to experience the same pain almost a year later in the right arm (indicating something might be wrong in C6/C7 now? I ma dealing with this nerve pain, AGAIN, and I do not want to go on that med-ride all over AGAIN. I am now up to almost 1800mg/day of Ibuprofen just to make it bearable. I'm going to call the neurosurgeon after this Labor Day holiday is over. But until then, all I have is Ibuprofen and a portable TENS unit (e-stim for my neck).

I was just looking for someone else that might have experienced the same, and has some advice for a fellow sufferer. I am NOT looking forward to another spinal surgery. If I have to do that again, I might lose my job over it (almost did on the last one).

Thanks in advance ATS.

originally posted by: Krakatoa
If so, have you had the pain for that (left arm) disappear, only to experience the same pain almost a year later in the right arm (indicating something might be wrong in C6/C7 now? I ma dealing with this nerve pain, AGAIN, and I do not want to go on that med-ride all over AGAIN. I am now up to almost 1800mg/day of Ibuprofen just to make it bearable. I'm going to call the neurosurgeon after this Labor Day holiday is over. But until then, all I have is Ibuprofen and a portable TENS unit (e-stim for my neck).

I was just looking for someone else that might have experienced the same, and has some advice for a fellow sufferer. I am NOT looking forward to another spinal surgery. If I have to do that again, I might lose my job over it (almost did on the last one).

Thanks in advance ATS.

wow. couldnt imagine having a fusion at the c level.
i had a fusion done at L5S1. that was about 15 years ago. when i had it done the technique was pretty new. they went in through my belly and took a piece of bone from my right hip and fused that somehow with a cadaever bone and a titnium cage.
recovery was horrible. i am still not 100%. im in pain all the time though it is nothing like it was pre surgery.

i had to have hand surgery a couple years ago and the pain i get from that is far worse than the back.

i feel for you though man. its a long, #ty ride.
all the pain pills. therapy. doc visits. tens unit. this and that.
it really sucks.
i dont know how you do it with just ibuprofin. no way i could get by with just that

a reply to: TinySickTears

Thanks for the support. The Ibuprofen takes it down just enough to be bearable...and allows me some sleep. Fortunately, my work is not physically demanding, but the stress involved is one of the causes for my condition. I tend to bottle up the stress, and my neck muscles tighten so much it is causing the disk issues in my spine.

I just hope the doc has some advice that does not end in surgery. With the fusion in my neck, they went in from the front leaving a 2 inch scar on my neck, I have to admit, its a cool looking scar I can blame on a bar fight I guess. She's pretty good, but I am not sure if traction is an option anymore with the fusion so close by that spot.

a reply to: Krakatoa

No, My fusion/decompression was in my lower back, not at C level, although I have herniated the discs at C5, 6, and 7. I refuse to have surgery, and just get blocks periodically when the pain is too much. Other than that I try not to stress those discs too much.

I actually have 8 discs in my back at varying stages anywhere from bulging to herniated, plus the fusion/decompression's I have already had.

If you went back to work, or did ANYTHING too soon after your surgery - or even stressed that area too much without it being too soon from surgery, chances are you may have re-injured that area.

If you cannot get to your doctor for a bit, try taking naproxen 200 mg x2 (so 400 mg total) that is prescription strength, they only sell the 200 mg over the counter, but by taking two of them you are taking it in prescription strength. It beats ibuprofen any day of the week.

You cannot do this long term without doctors oversight, as it is VERY hard on your liver.

It is your decision, but I am telling you this.. I will NEVER have surgery again on my back.. those crazy doctors can leave me alone.. I walked out of my fusion/decompression 100 times worse than I walked in.. they will never touch me again, not in surgery. Just thought you should know..

also, if you have had a fusion, it is possible you also have degenerative disc disease.. which means from now on, you have to be super super careful so you don't end up with most of your discs herniated and bulging.. if you have ever heard the words degenerative disc disease come out of your doctors mouth.. my advice is.. BE CAREFUL with your back!

a reply to: OpinionatedB

Thanks for the advice. She has not mentioned degenerative disc disease yet...so lets hope this is not the start. Hopefully I can get an appointment with her some time this coming week (after the holidays).

I have spinal stenosis and other back issues and am disabled. Too many people who have back surgeries complain about their pain being the same or worse than before they had the surgery. I live with chronic pain and it sucks. I do have a prescription med which takes the edge off. I'm too scared to even try surgery.

a reply to: OpinionatedB
It will disappear and then come back every now and then, when it moves from your arm and goes to your back or leg instantly then the real damage is done as you are just moving from one trapped nerve to another, 20 years ago I had an MRI scan and the results said I was dead lol truth, I was told that i would be in a wheelchair within 3 years guaranteed, I had a bad accident where a roof I was working on collapsed and my back was wasted, I was told I can't stop it but I can slow it down, 25 years later still not in a wheel chair but if a door opens the change of air gives me pain. I have been on DHC for 20 years and this new stuff I got for diabetic nerve pain Duloxetine now that new stuff just knocks you out and you wake up fresh at 6 am and you get tired again within the hour and sleep for 6 more hours its a strange one but better being knocked out than in pain. Anyway this top consultant and he was top because the bank paid for him trying to do me out of the insurance, he told me never sit' lie down or stand up do not bend to cupboard do not pick up something if you drop it, so in effect I have never used my back the way i used to, so instead of 3 years in a wheelchair I still have use of my legs, still have the pain but really slowed it down, you can only live with the pain or try strong medication to help you sleep, good luck.

a reply to: Krakatoa

If you have done more damage, there are non surgical options for pain management, things like a spinal cord stimulator and other such things.

Your doc will need to do another MRi and xrays and such, but if they start talking about more herniation's ect, I would consider the alternatives to surgery.. and there are alternatives. Good ones.

Good luck, and hopefully its not as bad as all that!

a reply to: Krakatoa

It's called failed spine surgery syndrome (has its own diagnosis code)I'm sure they didn't tell you that your chances of coming out worse than better are about the same.

Spine fusions are one of the most worthless medical procedures there are.

Well i have had no fusions. But i severed my C7 and stretched both my C6 and C5 nerve roots on the right side. Completely different injury i know, but i deal with severe nerve pain in the arm and hand.

I was scarfing down NSAIDS like crazy until they finally got me on something else. I am on Gabapentin now and it works pretty well. When the pain starts getting bad again I take Nortriptyline in combo with the Gabapentin.

I do not like being on drugs so i only refill the scripts as absolutely necesarry. However i can honestly say when on Gabapentin and Nortrip combo the nerve pain diminishes immediately.

a reply to: pavmas

You have CRPS don't you.. you said even air causes you pain right? Are you an RSD/CRPS patient?

As for me, I came out of the last surgery in a wheelchair, two years later by some miracle I regained feeling (albeit slowly) in my legs.. Once I got feeling all the way back.. everything went to hell, because then came CRPS type 2.. and it was all bad..

a reply to: lightedhype

nobody likes taking meds but the pain can drive you insane, i was told that they are concerned about dhc being addictive after telling me that i would need to take it for the rest of my life, that's like saying water is addictive and as you need it to survive does it matter

a reply to: lightedhype

Gabapentin works wonders for nerve pain!

a reply to: lightedhype

Thanks. I was on gabapentin (I called it "gabby") for a while prior to the surgery. It had very bad side effect in me where it reduced my ability to control my temper (it completely silenced that little voice in my head telling me not to get upset). I almost got fired over an altercation at work where I nearly decked my manager. Granted he deserved it since my mother was going through colon cancer at the time and he said "well, that's not a big thing to worry about or be out of work for".... Had I not left the room at the time I think I would have knocked his lights out on the spot.

Yeah, me and "gabby" do not get along. Not long after that I took myself off of it and informed my primary doc. She agreed and was glad I recognized the cause and took myself off at the time. It did manage the pain, but the intense fury it released in me was worse IMO. It's kinda why I chose the ATS handle "Krakatoa"...at the time I was on gabby and felt like a volcano waiting to erupt at any moment.

But, thanks for sharing your experience and advice anyways, it is appreciated.

a reply to: pavmas

A good pain clinic doctor knows that - what they care about are two things, your liver, and your tolerance to pain medicine in general.

Once a year they should take you off it for a month, it is a bad month indeed, but it helps both your liver and your tolerance level, keeps your liver enzymes at good levels, and knocks your tolerance back down a notch because by the end of the year your tolerance starts getting too high..

a reply to: Krakatoa
I have C4 through C7 fused, done in 2 separate procedures.
I would try a non steroidal antinflammatory like Clinoril.
I had luck with that when my thoracic disc that the Dr says is inoperable flares up.

a reply to: Krakatoa

lol.. that would suck!

You know though, some bosses are like that. When my daughter died I was grieving, literally beside myself with grief over the loss of my child.. and he tells me I shouldn't be upset, because his daughter died and he never shed a tear!

HA..

I told him I am different because I am not an unfeeling psychopath, and I walked out of his office and went home! hahaha

a reply to: OpinionatedB
I donlt know what CRPS is, working on a roof it collapsed and came tumbling to the ground and fall was broken by 1 brick thick wall consultant explained it like this, we can't operate as in your back is like Spaghetti Bolognese
, he said I should never have been able to stand up, but after the fall, the only thing that was running through my mind was what the guy that taught me my trade said, if you come off a roof you must get right back up or you will never be able to work on a roof again, so I did. what the consultant said was my muscles somehow kicked in and supported my back because I had it in my mind to get back on the roof, I then got type 1 diabetes and have nerve damage from that in hands and feet so if any of that is CRPS then thats what i have.

a reply to: pavmas

If you had it you would have been diagnosed with it. So probably not then, it was just that symptom is actually a symptom of CRPS too ... but your doc would have told you if you had it..

a reply to: pavmas

crps
complex regional pain syndrome
she is a major bitch