Discectomy - After the Operation

[Kaz]

Hello again jayeff, sounds like you're in a nightmare situation. I think most of us here have experienced the kind of pain you have, the only difference being how long we are left to suffer, there should be more support for back sufferers but then I've said that before. I agree that the op is much better than the pain you have now and theres every chance it will be successful, so keep the positive vibes running. I still think the diazepam is a good option, certainly better than oramorph. I'm not a medical expert though and you should talk to your doc again, perhaps. I took one a night and my muscles were nice and relaxed in the morning, and it was only a 2 week course. I would only hesitate if I had children or another vulnerable person in my care, the worry that I didn't wake up for fire alarms or other potential disasters would put me off.

By the way, I took amytriptiline for a long long time and then found it wasn't the pain killer I thought it was, its a kind of anti depressant for people suffering chronic pain.

And another suggestion is to put a pillow under your thighs when you lie in bed, apparently takes the pressure off the spine but it's helping me for a while. And keep phoning!

 

[Pompal 09.]

I just wanted to say real quick,because a lot of people are under this impression, that yes Amytriptiline is used as a antidepressant, in doses or 200mg or more. I have been taking it since January and it is fantastic but my dose is 30mg. It says in the leaflet that it is for depression and bedwetting. That is because,I believe, it has only just been realised that it can help nerve pain. I was told when it was given to me that it has just been discovered it can help nerve pain. This may be the reason it does not say it can be used for nerve pain. I hope that people do not stop taking it without discussing it with their GP first. I have heard people say before that its for depression and their not depressed so they're not going to take it. I know from experience that alot of the pain from a prolapsed disc is from the disc pressing on the nerve root,causing pain all down the nerve pathway. That is certaintly my biggest source of pain. I just wanted to mention this so that people are not in more pain than they need to be because of a misconception. Thanks very much.

 

[normalguy]

Hi to all of you i here, its sometimes good to share problems like these with others as its very clear that negativity is THE worst form of mind to be have.
I thought i might share some of my thoughts as 1) to get it off my chest ansd 2) you never know how it might just help someone else in the future.

Firstly let me say i am (slightly?) bi polar, i spread from the extremes of elation to the downright depressive at time and struggle to find middle ground for any length of time, like most n this situation need an outlet at times mine is more than often buying things to treat myself, I am a company director on a not inconsiderable salary and at fifty can afford to do these things without damaging the family finances too much. I do have drugs (dosulepin) to control my depression and anxieties but i am glad to say that i am not wholly dependant on these.

However you might by now be thinking what this has to do with this thread? well, just over two weeks ago i suffered what i thought was an extreme bout of sciatica, i have had minor bouts in the past and minor back ailments from time to time mostly i guess from my manual jobs outside in all weathers as a younger lad, but this was so bad i ended up on all fours and could no move, my wife collected me got me home and after both oral and injected painkillers through the night and ambulance was called by the GP in the early hours. A quick X-ray at the hospital ruled out any think broken in the hip area which was the main area of pain and I was sent home eventually with pain killers. The pain management was first class, tramadol, solpedol, prega wotsit,diazepam, the lot fair to say i was as high as a kite.

Fortunately i have a very extensive medical insurance policy and with days was able to have an appointment with a specialist who diagnosed prolapsed disc at L4/L5 and sent me for a next day scan to confirm, i have to say such was the pain it took additional painkillers and two attempts to get me to straighten out sufficient for the scan to be done. My follow up appointment with the consultant proved his initial thoughts and the options were given to me one of which was surgery which given the consultants view, my own pain and all considerations was the only practical solution. My operation was planned for next day, my "fortune" it seems was explained that the nerve may have only been trapped for a short period and the recovery period was more likely to be good as opposed to somebody in a similar position who may have had to wait months for surgery.

My "injury" in addition to the sciatic pain was a numbness below the knee and complete lack of response at knee and sole of foot, in addition my knee kept collapsing at times leaving me in a heap on the floor wondering what had happened!!!

Come the day of the op i was as nervous as others have explained, I awoke to have a "lucid" discussion with both the anaesthetist and my consultant and was taken to my room for recovery. For 18 hours i was on morphine drip, i had a green buzzer so i could control quantity then that was removed along with the drain that i had inserted which was a 10 on the scale of pain. Like others the feeling to my limbs was immediate though i couldn't advise on the pain as my pain management regime was maintained.
Day 1 after the op after removing the morphine drip and the spine drain, i was helped out of bed into a standing position and shuffled ( with little support) to the loo which after a night of paper bottles was an absolute relief, i never knew my bladder could hold so much!! I was then returned to bed to rest.
Day Two I was encouraged to get out of bed walk 30 - 40 metres along a corridor and traverse a flight of stairs all of which i did very slowly but successfully.
Day 3 My wife was allowed to collect me in the car and take me home, however i am i]under strict instruction to lay (almost) flat most of the time and to take short walks, no longer than 20 mins two or three times a day, other than that i have some physio exercises which i am to do laying in bed.
I am now 1 week post op and under he same regime as above until I have a follow up appointment with the consultant un a little under a weeks time.
My observations are that i get minor backache which i assume is a consequence of the surgery though i do still get incredible pain from cramp in my left thigh which i am assured will diminish in time

My temptation as my recovery continues is to get up and walk more but having tried and paid for it yesterday I am back to following doctors advice.

I am told that recovery to normal walking will be likely 4-6 weeks and in 3 months my life should be back to normal so heres hoping.

I hope i avnt sounded santimonious or particularly patronising in writing this.....but thanks for listening. All the best.

 

[iyzajplf]

Hello all,

It's been a few months since my previous post, I feel now is a good time for an update. My micro discectomy was 8 months ago, and I am really happy with the results. Before the op I was in lots of pain, unable to sleep,could barely walk and was generally thinking life would never be the same.

I have worked pretty hard at the recovery, lots of physio, gym, swimming, core strength work - you need to work at it. I had some residual pain in my leg, there was some scar tissue causing problems, and I still have pain in my heel, which is always there, but doesn't stop me doing anything, and isn't bad enough for pain killers. The consultant said this is nerve damage, will take a long time to recover, and may never go away completely.

The good bits - I have no pain in my back, all leg pain has gone! I am more active than I have been for years, I am at the gym 2 or 3 times a week, cycling 10 miles a day to the train station and back, I have done my first ever open water swim (one mile), did a 5k charity run in a respectable time, back to dinghy sailing, walking the dog, and I have even taken over as manager for an Under-12s football team!

This forum has been brilliant, at low points it was reassuring to see others in the same position and making progress, and those poor people in a far worse state really put my own suffering into perspective. I have made contact with people in similar situations, and these 'friendships' have been invaluable.

I know we are all different, and the op may not be the right thing for everyone, but for me it has changed my life, I would recommend it to anyone.

Good luck to all of you,

EB.

 

[Clo !]

EB,

I read your post on your progress and hope that I can say the same several months from now about the success from my surgery. It's already been a month, a week or so ago I had some troubles. One evening I laid down to sleep and no matter what position I was in it felt as if someone was pulling my nerve in the left leg. The pain alone was a 9 or 10 out of 10. Fortunately I had one more percocet to help calm it down to a 6 or 7. I satyed up until 5am that morning, and slept only till 8am, awaken by the pain. I called the nurse and they managed to get me in to be seen that day.

I was given tramadol, valium, and prednisone. This cocktail of pills allowed me to walk again free from pain, but the prednisone came with some unexplained side effects. I suffer from insomnia, really bad heart burns, mild nausea, and some pretty bad mood swings. As I am writing this I am only running on two hours of sleep, I woke up with really bad heart burn and then it felt like I had consumed ten energy drinks. All this when returning back to work today.

In all I would say it has been a pretty successful recovery, with a small set back. I have grown to hate prednisone, the side effects alone are the major issues I am dealing with. I share the same opinion stated by EB, that this forum has been such a valuable resource. My prayers are with those who are still working through multiple surgeries or have endured months trying to recover trying to find relief and comfort.

 

[I am team Edward]

And to continue the upbeat theme.....I have had my surgery!!!!!! For those who have forgotten what I was whingeing about, I was to receive a cervical laminectomy (neck area) to releive the pressure of disc bulges on my spinal cord. My surgery was cancelled last October due to blood clotting issues. I was admitted into Southampton hospital on 13th July ready for surgery on the 14th. Later on in the afternoon of the 14th they discovered a problem with my blood results....oh yes, exactly the same problem! I was sent home again while they decided what to do about it. This cost me £50 in train fares as it was too late to arrange transport. Angry or what!!!

Anyway, surgery was completed on the 21st of July and I was discharged the next day because they needed the bed...minus my precious MP3 player! Can only have been stolen. I am not going to trash Southampton General completely, I saw some really good patient care in cases of brain injury/traumas, but I never want to go there ever again!

Anyway, I've had real big problems with muscle pain...I suspect they went into hysteria mode but finding it difficult (yet again) to manage rehabilitation and pain. Do you ease off when it hurts too much, or push yourself further? The muscles all down my back range between sensations of an average muscle strain to feeling like muscles are ripping to pieces. Have been advised to avoid lifting, carrying or stretching for 3 months! Fortunately my contract of employment was terminated while surgery was taking place so I don't have to worry about work (ho hum!)

All I need now is a lumbar epidural to remove the pain from my back and legs and I am up up and away! Please god...no more surgery. I think in this situation you have to focus on a time in the future when this whole nightmare is over, and we all know how difficult that can be.

Hope everyone else is doing okay.

xx

 

[OG LOC]

Hi everyone!

It is 2 years since my op now and just had to tell you. I feel brilliant and am so pleased and happy with the way things have gone for me. It was bloody hard work to start with and at 11 mths I was beginning to wonder if i would ever feel good again but - patience is a virtue - and i am 99% back to normal which is more than i could have asked for after being in so much pain.I am even playing league tennis for my village again and I was 57 this year!! I know it is not the same good news for everyone but I just needed to give hope to those of you waiting for the op and worrying about the outcome. Good luck to you all and all I can advise is DO THE PHYSIO no matter how hard it is. I swear that is what worked for me.

Regards to you all

Take care

pennylane

 

[Grampedo]

Wow, so much good news from people, let's hope the trend continues!

Good luck with the recovery Melza and angrysarge

Take care all....

 

[cap d]

Hiya, just a quick expansion on this amytriptiline is what they call a old generation anti depressent and rarely used for depression any more (as the new generation are more effective with fewer side effects). Its nerve pain killing properties are basically a side effect. Its theraputic dose as an anti depressant as stated is 200mg + for those of us with nerve pain the low doses are very effective and it often helps with sleep issues as well hurrah for that i say x

 

[Abcdef Ghijklm]

Hi all I am so glad I found this place! Has been a tonic reading through the posts and realising I am not alone, and furthermore, not a hypochondriac or going insane!

I had a L4/5 discectomy and bi-lateral laminotomy following cauda equina in December 2009. I had had back troubles for a few years which gradually got worse and was forced to go off sick in September 2009. An MRI showed major disc prolapse (but this wasn't discovered until a qualified surgeon looked at the MRI - 2 months after I had it) and was taken in for immediate surgery. I was already on 8 x 50mg Tramadol per day prior to surgery which had medium effect.

Initial recovery was extremely tough, I wasn't told what to expect (and I think all patients of such procedures should be warned of what recovery can be like) - but I grasped to the hope I would be pain free eventually. I was recovering well, even managing to walk my GSD for half an hour everyday. However, the pain continued, in May 2010 (5 months post-op and needing crutches again) I saw my surgeon who told me that as I had the condition for so long before surgery, it could take up to a 2 years (if not more) for the pain to go.

I have tried to keep up with walking the dog daily (for support while I walk and exercise) but in the last 2 weeks the pain has become unbearable. I cannot walk without crutches (even in the house), the pain, where once centralised to the left of my back and down the whole of my left leg/ similar to severe sciatica, is now across the whole of my back and down both legs. As I type this I am crying with the pain. I am now on 12 x 50mg Tramadol per day, I have been using a hot water bottle daily since September last year (my back is scorched where I have to have it so hot), I have been offered no physio and only after begging my GP have I been referred to a pain clinic but my appointment is not until October. I am trying to exercise (using the sheet I was given when I was discharged from the hospital in December) but not only is it excruciating, they are having no effect.

The most I was can walk is about 130 meters before I am in absolute agony and limping and standing for longer than 10 minutes has the same effect. I really am tearing my hair out! I am 36, slightly overweight (which is getting worse due to being unable to move) and am now at the worst pain wise that I have ever been.

I'm really sorry for the long and rambling post, but if anyone can shed any light or offer any kind of advice I really would appreciate it.

Thanks xxxx

 

[read it and weep.]

so sorry to hear of your pain and suffering.your gp sounds like a total a^*. like many people on here, I am on amytriptaline for nerve pain, which is the burning pain in your back and down both legs, my current dose is 30mg but i believe you should be on more than that with the pain you are in. i also think you should be on morphine if the tramadol is not helping you. you should have been referred to a physio 6 weeks post surery. i cannot believe the pain you have been left in for what seems like absolutely no reason. I would request a new gp, and demand better pain medicine and a physio referal, if i were you, and i would also look into complaining about the apalling treatment you have recieved so far. i really hope that you can get sorted out soon. i really feel for you and i know we are all here for you and know what youre going though.
best wishes,lisa x

 

[angelinaguerin23]

Dear DMR, your post is heart breaking! I am so angry about the way people are just left to suffer...but how can that be changed. Someone asked about my back problems (3 years now) and I told them I would rather have had a terminal illness. Sounds a bit dramatic but at least I would have been treated or eventually left this world. How many times I lay down and wished I could just slip away, and I'm an active (was) and optimistic person.

lonely lisa is right, get an appointment with your doc and get more pain relief. Make it clear to him/her that you're just not coping...but be more convincing than I ever was. The last time I had that kind of pain was pre op, and following physio exercises to 'pop my disc back in'. I spent 9 months with the most awful muscle spasms around my hips...AWFUL! When I told another physio I had electric shocks going down my arm when I 'exercised' she told me to stop....and the spasms eased. Nine flipping months of suffering!

Anyway DMR, make out a list. Phone your GP, more pain relief and maybe an anti inflammatory pill. Ask for another consultant appointment (if only to slap him across the face, joking) for another review, your GP should state your case in a letter to the consultant anyway. Funny thing about this back pain, if they can't see it then it doesn't exist.

Give the exercises a break, you might have annoyed another part of the spine. My spasms were down to an inflamed sacro illead joint (combined with a large disc prolapse, thanks physio). Don't rule out a TENS machine, I was doubtful but it really did ease the pain. And try alternating the hot water bottle with a cold water bottle on the painful part.

Well, don't expect I've helped much, just going back to what worked for me. Apart from that be kind to yourself and take it easy. You're allowed to do that sometimes, despite what the 'experts' say.

Good luck! x

 

[Meow]

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{DMR}}}}}}}}}}}}} You know you need a champion, someone to fight for you! You need to go back to the gp and demand a new mri, what you have written is worrying and should be looked into as soon as possible. Kick up a fuss, if I was there with you I wouldn't let you leave the office till they had booked you in far sooner.... maybe even a trip to the ER when it gets really really bad as they may look at you immediately in case of further issues.
Are you on anti-inflamatories? They can help a lot when taken with Taramadol.

Amitryptilline is a higher dose is not needed as there is no more effect over 30mg for nerve pain.

 

[GlamGirl]

I am suprised about this statement of Amitryptillin being 30mg as I have been prescribed 75mg per day by my consultant which I take as a 50mg and a 25mg as 50mg is the highest this tablet comes in apparently.

I am taking these and tramadol daily as recently I had a lumber decompression surgical operation in June and at first I thought all was okay but I have not fully recovered and have further pains in my spine and buttocks. The physio stated that I might have a disc prolapse but my consultant has asked me to wait until October as he thinks its just the body recovering.

 

[Tahoeguy]

That is quite possible, it all depends on the patient but Amitryptiline is usually prescribed at 75mg+ for depression. Low doses of 10mg up to 30mg are for neuropathic pain and there has been no proven improvement in neuropathic (nerve) pain in doses higher than 30mg, so if there is no effect and the anti-depressive action is not needed the doctor will usually move onto another drug.

 

[abhi n]

i dont know where people get their information from but wish they would check for sure before posting things like this.dont mean to be nasty but i know a few people that refuse to take amitriptyline because its an antidepressant and they are not depressed. then theyre suffering for no reason. My sciatica was so bad at first that i couldnt move without burning pain in my left leg from my buttock all the way down to my calf. i was in agony. within a hour of taking amitriptyline i could actually move without pain agin. i hope you give it a chance and if you have been prescribed it, at least ask your doctor why before you dismiss it as worthwhile. i got this from the nhs website about sciatica 'Amitriptyline is a medicine that was originally designed to treat depression, but subsequently doctors have found that it is also useful for treating nerve pain.' the link is http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sciatica/pages/treatment.aspx
thanks for taking the time to read this. xLisa

 

[102030]

Good old Amitryptiline rears its ugly head again, my fault I think. I pointed out in a previous post that I told my doctor it wasn't helping the pain....she told me it was prescribed for people suffering chronic pain to prevent a slide into depression. I stopped taking it because I was trying to cut down on medication, it made no difference to the way I felt at all. That doesn't mean people shouldn't give it a go, anything is worth taking a chance! Be warned though....it accelarates tooth decay. My nice strong teeth are in desperate need of treatment for the first time in years. I just can't afford to go to the dentist. Unless I've got it wrong and you can get free treatment when claiming Incapacity Benefit, please tell me I got it wrong!

PS. This information has been checked.

 

[Na nach Nachma]

LonelyLisa - No-one is dismissing amitrytiline as a treatment, I was just referring to the doses that are generally accepted as per the latest copy of the BNF! Not sure how more checked I can be considering that is The Book that the BMA use to prescribe from?

Melza - teeth and may other side effects, but then don't all medications in some way? I hate dentists so good luck.


If a drug works, though great, we are all different

 

[Ruby.fuse]

This forum has been so useful in helping me to decide about whether to have surgery I thought I would post my experience. I was very apprehensive but there did not seem to be a viable alternative and went ahead with a L4/5 microdiscectomy a few days ago.

So far I am extremely pleased with the outcome - it has been so much better than I had expected (or should that be feared!). I took my first tentative steps about 10 hours after surgery (during the night) and the next morning after breakfast I was able to independently shower and potter around my room. After physio advice and checks I was discharged. But most importantly since coming round from the surgery I have been virtually pain free!!

I am slowly building up my walking but already I can comfortably walk around half a mile a couple of times a day. I have been hanging out washing and cooked a meal. I do get tired and need to lie down to rest several times a day and need to get the family to get things out of low and high cupboards, carry heavy pans etc.
I do have some soreness around the surgery site and my leg feels 'fuzzy' and 'sparkly' . I have take the occasional diclofenac but more to lessen the 'sparkle' than control pain and this is nothing to the regular pain killers I was taking before the op. I have a cough from the anaesthetic (I was warned the tubes might cause this) but the cough is not causing pain in my back. I cannot sit for more that a couple of minutes, physio advised to slowly build up sitting but it is uncomfortable so it will be a slow build up!
Overall just a few days later I feel better than I have for months!

 

[Ghost]

Hi Bluemeanie, really glad you're enjoying a painfree life....doesn't it feel strange! I only want to urge caution with your activities and try hard not to overdo things...especially not hanging out washing. If you have family like mine you could end up living in a pigsty....but that would be better than taking a backward step in your recovery. They recommend at least 8 weeks recovery time.....and use it wisely!

Best wishes