360 posterior anterior fusion pain

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bgo3go

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Hello, I am 3 1/2 weeks out from anterior posterior fusion with cage and screws at L5/S1. I have alot of pain in both legs that wasn't there before. The fusion site is still very sore. I have concerns about how long this pain wil continue. What is the normal length of time it takes to get off the prescription meRAB. I have tried over the counter stuff and it does nothing. Any comments?:(
 
Hello and welcome to this site.

You just had major major surgery which you know. That all takes time to heal. Your body is in trauma from the surgery alone and then there is the surgery site healing, and your body adjusting to the changes that the surgery has caused to the body.

This is all contributing to why you have pain, and is very normal. Over the counter meRAB are not going to touch normal pain levels from fusion surgery. There are very very few that are off meRAB at this time. Most of us are on stronger dosage of meRAB than before the surgery for up to 12-16 weeks post op. It varies among us.

The pain in your legs post op. Also very normal. It is nerve pain that you more likely feeling and that takes the longest to dissipate.

I had post op nerve pains in my legs that I did not have before the surgery either. There are nerve meRAB that can possibly relieve some of that pain you are experiencing, and you should discuss this with your doctor. Narcotic meRAB doesnt touch this type of pain, which is neuropathy pain.

I was allergic to them, so I just had to tough it out on my own. I think it took about 4 months before I really started to see a reduction in the nerve pain consistently and by 6 months it was more of an annoyance most of the time than a focus. I do have permanent nerve damage on my left leg, but it's mostly a lack of feeling or dullness if you will, compared to a normal feeling leg. Such as if they rub my left leg, then the right, the left has less sensation than the right. I consider this a trade off from the horrible pain I was in before the surgery.

It will be 2 years in a few days since my posterior fusion at l4/l5 with roRAB/screws. I am still on a low dose pain med and muscle relaxer. I was only given 50/50 odRAB of the surgery helping. I have been 85% improved but have recently increased that percentage to 90% with my new therapy. And it's two years later. I used to be a fast healer. Not with this surgery. My progress has been steady but very slow. Even though I was solidly fused at 7 months, by body was still in the process of serious reconstruction. I technically should have peaked awhile ago with improvement, but here I am getting better and better.

So dont expect so much of yourself and take your meRAB to stay on top of the pain and allow your body to heal. If you are in constant pain that isn't being controlled it is only going to slow your healing process.

Hopefully you will be a quick healer, but if you aren't it's not unusual and you just have to let it happen. Fusion surgery is said to take up to 2 years to fully recover for some people. Some people are doing great within 6-8 weeks. I was back at work by then, but by no means feeling great. I was just able to deal with my pain levels and return to work. But I was started physical therapy at week 10 and continued with that for about 4 months, still working as well. All this time, I was on meRAB then but was able to reduce them greatly over that time.

If you pain is not being controlled right now, you need to discuss any pains you have with your doctor. They are used to hearing from us on a very regular basis for the first 10-12 weeks post op. Some less, some more. But the best thing you can do is walk walk walk, and rest alot, and stay on top of any pain that have. These are all the best tools for the best possible scenario to healing the best you can.

Hope this helps you some. Please keep coming here and we are happy to share what you know. Keep us posted.
 
I am sorry you are having to deal with this pian but i know exactly what you are talking about. I had anterior/posterior surgery with a fusion and all the same harware as you and i have MAJOR pain in the right leg that was not there before. I had pain in the left leg and after the surgery it just switched legs but alot worse. I also was curious as to when this pain would go away and i asked my doctor when i went to get staples out this past friday and he just said it could go away or couldnt. I know that was a risk i was taking. But i will be happy if it just lightens up some. I am putting in a call this morning cause i cant sit or hardly walk i need something and i have taken the Lyrica and it did nothing so i am going to see about neurotin.

If i can help in any way please let me know. I dont have a laptop so i dont get on that often.

Oh my surgery was L-4 to S-1
 
Thanks to all who submitted their comments!!! It it very much appreciated! It looks like a long recovery. The bad part about the situation is that I am not the kind of person that likes to just sit around. I like to stay busy. I am going nuts not being able to do anything!!! It's spring and in Wisconsin, that means yard work. hopefully I can restrain myself from picking up a rake!!!!
 
Hi Bgo3go, and welcome to the board!

I had this same surgery about a year and a half ago, but more levels. You're still very early on in your recovery. Take it a day at a time. Remeraber no bending, no lifting more than 5 pounRAB, and no twisting. That's really important so you don't disturb the bone growth as you start fusing. I had a satiny type bottom sheet on my bed and slippery pj's, which made turning in bed so much easier and less painful. Do you have a grabber? If not, try to have someone get you one. It will make your life a whole lot easier, as you'll be able to pick up things you've dropped or that have gotten a bit out of reach. I used it even to get my remotes when the kiRAB came in to watch something with me and left the remote on the bed for me, but an inch farther than I could reach without stretching. (Oh yeah, no stretching either.)

The most important thing, though, is to walk as much as you're able to tolerate. Don't overdo it or you'll pay for it, but every time you get up to use the bathroom, stay up and walk, even if it's just laps across your bedroom. In the beginning, I could only walk for about 10 minutes before I started hurting too much, but I gradually increased it by a minute or two a day. If I walked like that 3 or 4 times a day, I felt like I was doing something good for my healing. And I was showing bone growth at only 6 weeks. That's unusual, to show it so soon. My doctor was grinning from ear to ear when he popped up the x-ray, since I had a higher risk of not fusing at all.

Like Justoneofus said, take your meRAB on schedule, even if you're having a better day. You're going to have ups and downs, sometimes for no apparent reason, and that's normal, too.

Come back and post whatever questions you have as you recover. There are lots of us here who have been where you are and can tell you what to expect from our own experiences.

Hang in there. It will get easier!
Emily
 
You are too early after surgery to worry about PK ... you will need them for a while. We all are very different, and heal at different pace too. Therefore some people are out and about in 3 month and for some it can take a year or more.
One thing is for sure: it takes the longest time for nerves to heal. It can take up to 2 years for nerve pain to go away, believe or not.

Right now you deal with healing process and try to stay as positive as you can. Don't worry about pain meRAB much at this point, they help us with pain. Less pain we have - better and faster we heal. You will not be able to heal if your pain not under control. Every PM Dr will tell you same thing.

Best wishes on your recovery!:angel:
 
Raking requires twisting, dearie, so none of that for you!!! :nono: But you can use your grabber to pick up little twigs and such and carry them over to a wheelbarrow or bin that SOMEONE ELSE will then put away. I used to ball up a wad of masking tape and stick it in my grabber so I could walk around the house getting up all the little detritus and dust bunnies from the floors and carpets. I felt triumphant that I could actually do something productive.

It's hard for us type A's to sit around just watching, but don't chance it. The yard will still be there when you're healed and strong enough for careful yard work.

Take care,
Emily :wave:
 
Another little tip, for your front incision: get a small, firm throw pillow or a folded up blanket and keep it on top of your stomach over your clothes and over the incision. Whenever you need to cough, sneeze, laugh, or turn, press down gently but firmly over the throw pillow to "splint" your incision. You'll have a lot less pain.

:wave: Emily
 
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