Degenerative discs and nerve damage help please.

rosie383

Please don't let people put you off having surgery. Okay, there will always be horror stories of ops that didn't work, but I worked in a spinal surgery unit, and disc replacement can transform lives.

paidinchickens

rosie383 wrote: »

Please don't let people put you off having surgery. Okay, there will always be horror stories of ops that didn't work, but I worked in a spinal surgery unit, and disc replacement can transform lives.

Was that private or NHS ??

sunnyone

paidinchickens wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. I have been told that meds don't really work and you just get more pain tolerant as time goes on. I have been told by everyone not to have the ops apart from one lady who said hers was the best thing she has done.

Went to the muscular and skeletal clinic on Wednesday and the woman there just wanted to go on about how much more she knows than my Doctor. That and she is not just a physio she is a consultant physio............ whoooo hoooooo good for you I don't care I just want some pain relief :mad: but she is not allowed to give any and I will have to go back to my doctor :mad: (same person she said didn't know anything)

Waiting for a scan as have to go to a flat, open scanner

Depressed all the time at the moment and just found out DH could be made redundant :eek:

PIC x

You are just starting out on a journey many of us have been on for decades yet you have already decide you wont try any of the treatments available "because it didnt work for next doors but three's nan's cousin twice removed"

Yet you havnt even had a scan yet and thats what diagnoses DDD and nerve damage, not an xray as discs are hard to see and nerves are invisable on xrays and even after a normal scan there can be further investigations to get a full picture.

Many things work, it takes a diffrent "mix" of treatments/meds for each person at you stage of investigation, later when you get a real diagnosis and see a doctor specialising in any surgery recomended for you IF any is recomended, that is the time to talk about that and not now.

For now, you need strong, script only pain killers and an open mind on other meds to tide you over till you have a full diagnosis and prognosis. Then ask about.

paidinchickens

I have had this for 10 years now but this last 12 months has really got me down and the last four weeks has been terrible. I have not slept for more than an hour at a time in weeks.

I did not say I wasn't willing to try anything I am just in a lot of pain and everything they give me does not work in the slightest. I wanted to know what others used.

Brassedoff

paidinchickens wrote: »

I have had this for 10 years now but this last 12 months has really got me down and the last four weeks has been terrible. I have not slept for more than an hour at a time in weeks.

I did not say I wasn't willing to try anything I am just in a lot of pain and everything they give me does not work in the slightest. I wanted to know what others used.

As you can see by the time of the post, I either live in Australia or cannot sleep! Yes a big debate over the knife or not, but I know many of the out patients in my illness by name, so it tells you something there.

Look, don't waste your time with GP's or consultants for pain, you must get to see A pain consultant at a pain clinic. Nothing else will sort the pain out. They can do wonders.

I have just agreed to take part in a new electro-conductive therapy through NICE. I suppose what's being claimed will be a revolution for all us sufferers. !

What bed do you have? We purchased a memory foam topped air sprunged pocket bed that moves like the hospital beds. That makes the difference in comfort, they cost a couple of grand, we paid no VAT as a chronic sufferer, that could be an option.!!

Parva

Out of curiosity, how many have actually gone under the knife? And no trick answers like "I had my spleen removed because it might help".

And furthermore, if that option (surgery) was available to you and you didn't take it, why not?

Brassedoff

I did the first time when my leg started to drag. Only had a slight bi-lateral discectomy and decompression. That did not work and the latest was bi-lateral discectomy, decompression, coflex inserts from S1 to T11, scar tissue removal and dynamic pedicle screw stabilisation insertS and three new artificial intervertebral disc inserted into the space where the ones were removed last year to help the coflex. A complete belt a braces approach. I will end up after a couple more ops having one to end them all with the introduction of a spinal cord stimulator in the back, with the machine slightly inside the stomach.

That does not count the facet work the have to do, but I hope this new thingamybob on the arcman test

sunnyone

I have a complex multi level spinal fushion but its not for my "normal" back problems, I am to far gone for the surgery I need for my neck and mid back problems due to the spinal injuries i sustained in a HSRTA.

Brassedoff is entirely correct, a pain specialist is the only long term answer for chronic pain, a good one is life changing and if you're unlucky enough to get a rubbish one (like my first) leg it (or burn rubber if you are like me) as fast as you can and get a referal to a diffrent specialist.

If the pain specialists in your area are dire it worth paying for a private consultation with the best pain specialist in your region, they will normally see you on the NHS following the consutation so long as they agree you need thetheir services.

paidinchickens

Brassedoff wrote: »

I did the first time when my leg started to drag. Only had a slight bi-lateral discectomy and decompression. That did not work and the latest was bi-lateral discectomy, decompression, coflex inserts from S1 to T11, scar tissue removal and dynamic pedicle screw stabilisation insertS and three new artificial intervertebral disc inserted into the space where the ones were removed last year to help the coflex. A complete belt a braces approach. I will end up after a couple more ops having one to end them all with the introduction of a spinal cord stimulator in the back, with the machine slightly inside the stomach.

That does not count the facet work the have to do, but I hope this new thingamybob on the arcman test

:eek::eek::eek::eek: crikey,

You put me to shame for feeling sorry for myself

How do you cope? The nights feel like a week long here so to you they must feel like a year. How do you keep your spirits up?

What is the main advice to help yourself apart from keeping active?

Please tell me to shut up if I am being too nosey.

PIC x

Saversue

I have Disc Degenaration, 4 Prolapsed Lumbar Discs, Stenosis and Arthritis in my spine and hip. I also have nerve damage, sciatica, foot drop and inversion of the foot and toes as a result.
Having had 4 MRI's, Nerve blocks ( didn't help) and Nerve Conduction Tests, my Consultant tells me the operation to repair the prolapsed discs and stenosis would be huge, and at the most would have a 50% chance of improving my leg pain,would make little difference to my back but has loads of risks.
I take 40 tablets a day including Morphine and Oro-Morph, but think this is better than going under the knife.

Having been on a 4 week pain management programme, I have seen the effects of surgery that has gone wrong.
All the advice given was don't have any operations on your spine unless totally essential - you can always have surgery at a later date provided you are not doing any more harm.

I am having Botox Injections into my leg in a few weeks, and believe this is very specialized treatment, taking place about 40 miles from my home.
The hope is it will help release some of the leg muscles that are in permanent spasm and hep me to put my foot and toes flatter on the floor.

If anyone else has had Botox Injections to help with Dystonia I would really like to hear what it was like and if it helped.