Fusion Surgery Pain Management
(Newest replies first)

Had back fusion surgery. Only 6 weeks of low dose norco. Ended up with nerve pain in my foot (zapping shocks that will take the strongest person down). Ortho doc said It would go away possibly in 6 weeks, maybe longer. Ortho surgeon they will never give anyone any opioids past 6 weeks no matter what. He tells me to go to pain management but he does not recommend or refer for any one of his patients to a pain management clinic. Says he does not want the responsibility of that. Truth is he doesn't want docs asking why he give very little pain meds or have his patients being referred back to him. He said to go to my regular doc. So I did see my regular doc and they said I have to go back to my surgeon as it's his responsibility. One time the pain was so bad I went to ER, they said my ortho must work on the pain meds. I can only go to them so many times. My PT guy is shaking his head over all of this. We are working on the mental part of pain with a book called Explain Pain. However we are only able to get the pain and use of pain meds only so low because the shocks I get from the nerves. I cannot take Tramadol. Does not mix with Zoloft and had a seizure on half a pill. Cannot take NSAIDs or Ibuprofen because it hurts my stomach and ulcer. No matter what I try and because it stops the growth of fusion in back. I am on such a high dose of Gabapentin that my glands are swollen. I am concerned with going to any pain management, I don't want to waste time and money just to be told NO. Anyone can help with advice in central IL??

REPLY

REPORT

Please tell me what state you live in. I don’t know if you need a referral for pain management. If you do not I would just go looking for one that takes your insurance in your area. That pain is not normal at all & Gabapentin is horrible for you especially in a high dose! I would see a Neurologist or rheumatologist also. If your family doctor says it’s his responsibility then you should tell him you need a referral you might not need one it depends on insurance.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Carla (# 38)

Sounds like you might be one of the luckier people. He is in Washington state.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Carla (# 38)

I live in central ILLINOIS. Glad you are getting relief. I am still not

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Re: Carla (# 38)

I'm in Central Illinois.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: colle (# 37)

Are you in Southern California? I am in Orange County, Southern California. I truly am so thankful for having a wonderful team of doctors. Not only pain management but neurology, orthopedics and urology. They all work together to provide coordinate care. My pain level after 4 spine surgeries still isn’t great but I am at least functional. I’m only 45 and this was all unexpected.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: carla (# 12)

Is it possible to say your location and a great doctors name? Im trying to help my brother, retired dentist, who has had 4 back & neck surgeries. He spends 2/3 of his awake time in bed, due to intolerable pain. He had a good doc who retired. It's so hard to watch him spend his retirement this way.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: vi (# 35)

Seeking a doctor who performs the MIST (disc snip) is clearly to avoid a pharmaceutical alternative.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Re: Woundman (# 31)

I live in Az. So, you have to be careful about Dr. shopping they think your looking for drugs when all your looking for is relief. I enjoyed reading about how people who became addicts have caused this problem with people who actually need the pain medication to get through life, and even then not pain free but dealing.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Re: lee (# 33)

I have had multiple back surgeries including fusions. Find a good orthopedic dr. that will give you steroid/cortisone shots. It's a temporary fix to a life long pain problem. There really isn't anything more then can do. I feel your pain. I have been dealing with it since 1987. I wish i could give you more to help you.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Sounds like a victim of the drug war.. the usa allowed over prescription for so long.. and used our military to help grow the largest poppy fields in the world in Afghanistan. Then when people started noticing it they had to crackdown hard and point the finger at the people taking the meds. An people with debilitating pain suffered for it. You may try lidocaine but long term use isn't good for the nerves and muscles the serve. An with you being on ssri that reduces options for milder opoids because many have snri or tricyclic actions. May try Marijuana but that really messes with some people functionality an also probably not powerful enough for a back surgery ive never seen one in person that didn't end with lifelong pain... I've heard about them from people who probably had enough money to go to the best in the country but never seen em myself.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Re: Kjane (# 7)

I have been in pain since 1991 from back surgery. Then two more back surgeries since. On morphine for about ten years. Eventually i needed more back surgery. Now i have arthritis and something else going on that i can't even remember of the spine. I was pushed off the morphine went to pima pain center horrible place. then went back to surgeon who did more surgery.Then i went on suboxone for withdrawals then i stopped taking them only to go through more withdrawals all of this c.t. now. I am on gabapentin and something for r.l.s. i seem to be doing alright now. not perfect but dealing. i think you have to really want to get off everything no matter how tough it is we are all stronger then we think. eventually i wil stop the gabapentin. But these concoctions i came up with on my own because i was tired of drs. b.sing. me all the time and depending on them like some dog in need of their hand outs. I am 70 yrs. old and still trying to get and stay healthy. Stay strong.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

The chances are that you have a vertebral disc that has blebed from its natural position to impose itself on an adjacent nerve bundle that inervates you leg. If that is the case Brielle Orthopedics (Dr. Joseph Marsicano) offers a day surgery fix, which I got, which is minimally invasive, snips the bleb and removes the debris, then go home. I have never had a reoccurance in over 10 years. Pain meds will tear up your digestive system and some of the Pain Management oraganizations look to secure reoccuring business.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Hi, I just reading your story and believe me I feel every ache & pain you mention throughout. Although my story is much different than yours our "bottom lines" are very similar. Without going to deep into my story, I had an awful 33 ft fall off the side of a buildout onto concrete back in January of 1995 at the age of just 30 yrs old. I was medi-vac'd to a trauma center where I spent the next 4 months there having one operation after the other. Luckily, I was spared any back surgeries but wasn't as lucky when it came to having my lower extremities re-structured. That fall to date has resulted in 33 surgeries with the likely hood for a hip-replacement and another knee replacement on one that was initially replaced back in 2008 but it looks like now I need to replace it once more due to 12 to 15 yr usage time.

Since the fall, I have been on the strongest pain meds available, currently I get a script for 60 - 200 mg of Morphine Sulphate Er's and 90 - 30 mg Oxycodone for breakthrough pain every 7 weeks (yeah I know strange time between my Dr appts) Unfortunately or fortunately depending how you view it, just a few short years ago I was getting 90 - 200 mg Morphines and 120 - 30 mg Oxycodones every 4 weeks. So as you can see due to the few a-holes out there over the last 20 yrs or so who are illegally using these opioids for their personal and selfish reasons, it has resulted in those individuals with medical titles before their names to act in what can only be described as a "knee-jerk" type reaction. Where instead of trying to ultimately figure out how to handle those responsible for this opioid chaos, they instead took "easy road" and lumped everyone into having to adjust to their new harsh opioid guidelines regardless of all the many millions on top of millions of different scenarios/circumstances out there that the deserving individuals of these opioids are unfortunately faced with. Granted, the job these so-called final decision makers have seems daunting at the very least, however this is not something the responsible individuals taking these opioids in a responsible manner are responsible to fix.

It was not a pandemic created by the responsible individuals taking opioids hence we should not suffer the raff that's cast down upon all for no other reason than it was the road of least resistance to take given they just never gave much thought to the repercussions that the mass majority would suffer due to their insensitive solution to a sensitive hot issue. Unfortunately, you also have those family members out there who have had a loved ones that have succumbed to opioids and scream & protest loudly for the end of opioids -- period, without giving a second thought to those who actually need & depend on them to just live. And when you have those kinda of sensitive protests that evolve from those who have lost loved ones, that seems to "Trump" any other possible solutions to this national problem. Not to sound insensitive to those who have loved ones to opioids, I personally don't care about that, I have my own personal cross to bear due to my unfortunate circumstances and quite frankly doubt I'll ever see just one of those people taking up for my cause and my situation. Their loved ones were the unfortunate victims of an addiction, an addiction no more different than those in A.A., there's no different whatsoever. Families with members saddled with one addiction or another (And most families have or know someone intimately who are in the crosshairs of an addiction) shouldn't respond with such naivety when they're out there asking their community's elected officials to produce a bill banning all opioids and its derivatives.

What many of these people fail to realize is that if they are aware of loved one saddled with an addictive personality, will likely find a substitute addiction in order to fill that void they feel they have. A possible small fix to some of this opioid problem might be as simple as people simply intervening early on into a loved ones circumstances before it manifests itself I to something that is ultimately out of control. That's just a small suggestion that might help those on the other side of this issue. I ultimately say pray to one you consider your higher power and hopefully common sense and reality settle in. Oh one last note regarding my highly sensitive and strongly opinionated post, I too am a recovering alcoholic of 19 yrs who with the help of my wife & daughter have tempered my opioid intake by having them control what I'm allowed to take daily as per my Dr's instruction. For a while, I fought with those in my A.A. home group who vehemently against having to take an opioid, period. However, I sought out the one person who I could trust to be my sponsor, what would strongly advise and recommend any roadblock I may be up against in the future. So my sponsor who has 37 yrs in A.A. and has seen it all as police officer too, that when he speaks people shut up to hopefully catch what has given him 37 yrs. So when he spoke on my behalf, explaining even those in A.A. can possibly be faced in life with extenuating circumstances in life, circumstances that are unfortunately are outside the teachings/instructions provided by the A.A. bible better known as the "The Big Book"

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Re: Sus (# 26)

Well its gotten worse. My primary care wont give them and I have a torn tendon because if the shocking foot. Foot Doc will operate told me first to go to pain man and have them give pain meds before and after the surgery. Never heard of this. Pain man. Said we dont do that. I am about at the wnd.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Rootsgal (# 27)

Cant do any kind of MJ gives me anxiety. Had to come off Gaba as well. I swear things have gotten worse torne my tendon in my foot because of the ahocming in my foot. Im about the the end

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Re: Sus (# 26)

What state do you live in? I live in CT., and we have medical mj. I have the same issues with NSAIDS, as you do.

They THINK we are making that up to get pain meds....I walked out of the pain clinic and went to my primary care doctor.
He prescribed to me knowing I was also adding in Medical mj cannabis oil with a high THC level.

GABAPENTIN worked until one day, I started crying and just wanted to die. I had to wean off it 100%.

The cannabis oil is the least dangerous medication I use for my arachnoiditis (nerve damage) and I have foot drop from THEM, cutting my spinal cord.

They threw me away and canceled all my appointments, but he did call my primary to officially hand him over my medication prescribing.
Crossing over state lines into states that have recreational, is an option IF your state does not have it yet.

PS: I lobbied for MEDICAL MJ in CT, I was the 3rd person to get a card and now my workers comp insurance reimburses me for it. I'm exhausted, but my pain is under control.

Wishing you all the best.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Well, it’s the way the doctors are doing it. They are actually sending post surgery folks home with no pain meds. I’m a person who has severe pain daily, since going through the windshield of my car in an accident. It’s difficult to get any doctor to give you any pain managing medication . Pain management may help you but I’ve heard of them reducing meds people are on when they go there. My only saving grace is going to my personal primary care doctor who has known me for 25 yrs. and knows I’m no junkie. It’s sad but I truly pray I pass away before he retires. That’s a sad way to go about life. As my grandkids need me because they have no one else responsible enough to care for them. Yes, I’m their guardian and I’m hoping for death. This is so out of character for me. But it’s the situation we are in because of the abuse of these meds. And they are a deal with the devil. I hope you find relief somehow . I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. But my thinking is to try the pain management at least they will prescribe something for you.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Re: Carla (# 1)

I understand exactly what you are posting about. I had to move and, of course, I had to change Doctor's. One of the first Doctor's that I spoke with, without ever talking to me, said he would never prescribe any opioids whatsoever. I was on 7.5 hydrocodone x 120 per month. I had went to THREE specialists and they said they could not correct my issues with more surgery. The best they could hope for was a 50% correction with closer to 20% more likely. ALL THREE of them said I could take shots but they said if I took the shots long term that my pain would be the least of my issues. ALL THREE of them asked me how I tolerated the hydrocodone and I told them I tolerated the medication just fine. Then they said I should just continue on with my meds.I did not want surgery that did not correct the problem, the shots were not a long term correction, so the bottom line is I have been taking the pills for more than 12 years with no issues. As I stated earlier the first Doctor I went to just refused to write any scripts at all. The Doctor that sent me to a different State wrote a prescription for 6 months worth of meds and eventually I found a pain Doctor that continued my medication therapy but it was difficult to find him. I hope anyone that has to move will discuss the move with their current Doctor and get a written recommendation from them. That is what it finally took for me. It was a slow process but I succeeded.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Doug (# 23)

Ok Doug let's hear the options because I am kept in severe pain unless I am the guy on film that lays in bed & doe nothing but watch tv ..... I was doing ok until the govt got involved and severely cut my meds I was losing weight 3-5 pounds a month I have since gained all but 10 of it back I can do a few things for a short time but I pay the price plz give your suggestions

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Personally, if any Dr.kept me in moderate to severe pain, he will be reported (seriously “approached) and make his life ***. Think about it. What can I live for!!!? I have a fiancé to take care of. There’s an oath taken they take and says “DO NO HARM”.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

I am taking Hydrocodone/APAP10 mg8/325mg (8 a day) muscle relaxers, Topamax for headaches and Prozac after breaking my n...

2 REPLIES

My primary Dr. Prescribed Metanx for my nerve pain from ankle fusion surgery.I've taken it for 30 days and haven'...

2 REPLIES

Does anyone know of a doctor in and around the Baton Rouge Louisiana area that will prescribe pain meds that takes Medic...

287 REPLIES

I just moved to Nashville and need a Dr. to continue writing my Oxycodone 30mg 4/day. I have medical records & MRI s...

170 REPLIES

Seeking a pain medicine doctor who will prescribe pain meds along the lines of Oxycodone/Roxicodone 30mgs in Philadelphi...

157 REPLIES

I have taken methadone for about 9 yrs. and other pain medicines before that. I have chronic pain post polio syndrome, D...

102 REPLIES

I have Sciatica, Spondeliosis, Degenerative Disc Disease and Fibromyalgia in both my hips & legs, I have had 3 sets ...

91 REPLIES

I am new to the Philly area... Actually live in Delaware County but less than 5 miles from SW Philly... I am trying to f...

61 REPLIES

Does anyone know of any primary care physicians in the Shreveport/Bossier City/Haughton/Minden area that do pain managem...

47 REPLIES

I have acute anxiety/panic attacks. My pain mgmnt Dr used to prescribe Ativan along with hydrocodone up till 2016 as the...

34 REPLIES