Recent content by pooby

Need more information. What type of doctor did you see about this and what were his recommendations.

Don't delay get yourself into a hospital emergency or you doctors office. Please don't sit around playing doctor and trying to diagnose yourself.

Thought I would add if what you are having is nerve pain (which it in all likelihood is) then one of the anticonvulsive medications should help. These medications are not narcotics and as such are more readilly prescribed. I have been on Topamax, Lyrica, and Neurontin (gabapentin). These...

The great majority of herniations do not require surgery. So your son's case seems to fall in that category. A lot of people get fed up with the pain and desperately want surgery but the facts are it can take up to two years before things are back to normal. Tell your son to be very careful...

Just make sure you get some sedation. Ask you doctor about it if you are not sure. I had mine many years ago when no sedation of any kind was given and if you have a severe disc problem you don't want to go through that. It was worse than any pain I had before or since. I believe that most...

Can't believe they wouldn't do it unless your tattoo is very old (over 20 years). I have upper and lower eyeliner tattoo and have had several MRI's with no problems. So, what does all of this have to do with tattoos? Well, it appears that about 20 years ago and further, tattoo ink was...

The levels fused for scoliosis do not usually contain all the lurabar levels but rather the thoracic. We bend from the lower lurabar back and that is why multi level fusions done on that area of the spine have a low success rate. The results from these fusions differ greatly.

Sorry but your post said agonizing pain. If you are in agonizing pain you are usually laying in bed in a sweat unable to get to the washroom or barely speak. Cooking a meal is not something that anyone can do in that state. Obviously even though you may still have pain it is not of that...

Mine did clear up but it was a slow process and unfortunately because of the IV antibiotics I ended up in hospital with bowel complications. Hey I am fine now and that was a few years ago. Another way to look at it is if it weren't for the antibiotics I wouldn't be here.

I will say a prayer for you Mike and hope all your tests come back negative. Simple disc problems are a lot easier to deal with than the problems they are looking for. Neck problems can be a separate problem from your lower lurabar spine. Often degenerate changes occur in the neck as well...

Jodi, I had my fusion many years ago but I had a very slow recovery. I had complications which kept me in the hospital for 3 weeks. Obviously the techniques used nowadays are probably vastly improved but even so it is not a cakewalk. I sometimes wonder if surgeons tend to raise expectations...

When a disc herniates the substance it release causes inflammation of the surrounding nerves. These nerves can stay irritated long after the disc has settled down. Even if the MRI shows everything to be ok it does not show inflammation of the nerves. Your back is filled with nerve endings...

Believe me I know what you are going through. The best relief for nerve pain are the anticonvulsives. Gabapentin (Neurontin) has worked the best for me but there is Lyrica, Topamax ect. These drugs give relief where narcotics remain ineffectual. I am currently on 2100 mg a day. The side...

I had to re read your post. You only started to have pain in Septeraber and now you are considering spinal fusion. First there is no such thing as a guarantee that you will not have more pain. Having a spinal fusion isn't like having your gallbladder out. This is a very serious operation...

Always go with the conservative choice first. A fusion should only be performed as a last resort. I had my fusion decades ago. Unfortunately I had complications which resulted in a very long extended recovery period. It took a year for the spasm in my back to relax. After that I was much...