Microdiscectomy 7 days ago - in pain - help!

  • Thread starter Thread starter carol632
  • Start date Start date
C

carol632

Guest
You should notice some improvement by day 4 of your steroid pack. If it does not get better or if the pain returns or gets worse, I think your dr. should order an MRI just to be sure you haven't any further damage at that level. It isn't uncommon after mico-d or laminectomry for there to be a herniation.

Hopefully, the steroid pack will reduce the pain and it will be only nerve irritation causing your symptoms.

Carol
 
I Sure hope it gets better by day 4. today I have had the most cramping or whatever they are called pains yet. I have also however been trying to be more mobile - I was able to sit for 5 minuts on the edge of a chair with perfect posture until my sciatic cramped up and Screamed a few foul worRAB and got to my feet. I also got stock on the toilet today to. Not fun! Pain lasted for about 30 miuntes after cramp went away. I also walked on tred mil today for 5 minutes since walking isnt an issue in hopes that might help. all in all I am hopefull it will go away soon and its not indeed another hernation. I do fear in the back of my mind that might be it. So for now I will lay flat on back with ice and rest until my next painful adventure of getting back to my feet ( since i cant roll to side I look like an idiot trying get out of bed).

Brian
 
I managed to walk two times today for 6 minutes each - I hope this helps. the toes feeling cold thing is really bizzare.Its off and on now all day. I hope that does not get worse. My back is also starting to ache. Might be from walking or lack of use since I have been not very mobile latley.

Brian
 
Microdiscectomy l5 s1done 7 days ago - lots of pain - cant sit at all - please help
hello - I had a microdiscectomy done 7 days ago and now I feel worse then before surgery. I can only lay flat on back or stand / walk with no pain. getting up from back to standing is scary and painful. Rolling onto my side will send me into a tear ridden scream until nerve calms down. Called Dr on Call twice on day 2 and day 3 and he said that during surgery he removed a piece of disc lodged against the nerve and that now its free and probably just waking up and to give it a couple weeks. Well its been 7 days and no improvement. There is no nurabness or tingling so I guess thats good, but I am REALLY freaked out that I will be bed ridden for ever and that I will lose my job as I am on disability now. Does anyone know if this is normal? Did this happen to you? Does the pain get better and if so will it be soon. I was prescribed 800 motrin, Soma, Xanex ( Cause i am freeekin out) and Norco witch does nothing as I only get the pain when I move a certain way. also going the bathroom is a challenge too!

Prev history is I had slipped disc on L5 S1 for a year and had intense pain ( but not like now!) when I sat down. I was able to function ( now I cant sit AT ALL!!), but for a year it got worse and MRI showed that the disc was pressing up against nerve and the surgery showed disc piece pinching off the nerve. I did have nurabness and tingling in the beginning but with 3 steroid injections and worthless percantaniouse discesctomy along with Mckinzy and physical therapy that went away - in the end the pain was in butt, calf and foot. Most intense when sitting in Reclyner, I could not get comfortable and when I woke up
 
Brian, I too had a micro-d at L5,S1 in August of 04. Alot of what you are experiencing I can relate to. What others have said about your nerve "waking" up is true. Think of it like this, if you slam your hand in a car door, all is not fixed by opening the door. Your hand is still smashed. Your nerve has been compressed for a while now and it does not just bounce back. It takes alot of time. Your nerve is conducting signals between your leg and your brain and due to the injury, the communication is garbled. Your brain interprets the garbled messages as pain and senRAB back signals that your leg interprets to cramp your muscles. The Soma you were prescribed should help with the cramping. If not, there are other muscle relaxers available.

I was under strict orders after my surgery not to sit for longer than it takes to eat a meal, otherwise I was to be on my back or standing. Sitting puts more pressure on your back than standing or laying. You should also be walking as you can tolerate. This is great exercise for your back.

Above all, don't lose hope that you will have a successful surgery. I missed two months of work and had some setbacks but I have been very happy with my results. I have not posted on this board in about 6 months because I have been out living my life again. Hang in there, things will get better.

Alan
 
Brian, What the doc's said is true that when that nerve woke up its mad as hell and its irritated. I would give it a while longer and if you do not get any relief I would go back to the doc. You also have to understand what it took for them (the doc's) to get to the disk. They had to cut the muscle and ligaments and that area is going to be very sore and ach alot. I have had the same disk (L5-S1) rupture twice and they finally had to fuse me with hardware. I had very bad muscle spasms that would take me to the floor with my 1st surgery. You mentioned about going to the bathroom is it that you are constipated or it just hurts alot. If it's constipation what I do now since I am on alot of pain meRAB is I take fiber capsules everyday and it helps. By the way was your doc a spine specialist with a fellowship in spines only? I do hope you feel better and by the way do take care of yourself so you do not rupture the disk again. TINCAN
LAMINECTOMY L5-S1
DISCTECTOMY L5-S1
FUSION L5-S1 WITH HARDWARE
BONE SPURS
MEGA SCAR TISSUE
DDD UP TO THORASIC AREA
STENOSIS
SPONDYLIOSIS
DISK BULGE L4-S1
 
Brian, I am not so sure that what you are experiencing is normal. True, when that nerve wakes up it can be quite painful but this sounRAB to me like more than that. I certainly would not give it a whole lot more time before requesting another MRI just to be sure there isn't a re-herniation there. It wouldn't be all that unusual unfortunately. It just sounRAB to me like you aren't getting any better and that, in fact, you are getting worse.

Don't be shy about insisting on an MRI. This is your health you are dealing with and mistakes can be very costly.

I sincerely hope that I am wrong, and that all this disappears within a couple more days.

Carol
 
If your present surgeon continues to brush off your symptoms and pain, I think you should seek a second opinion. I do not believe that this is normal pain following a micro, especially this far out from surgery.

I went through similar problems when I first injured my back 26 years ago. I saw a neurosurgeon who was recommended to me by another pt. He did a laminectomy and pronounced me "cured" and refused to listen to my complaints of worsening pain. It took 3 months for me to convince him something was wrong and a second MRI showed the disc had re-herniated. A 2nd laminectomy followed and again, my pain got worse over a course of 3 months. I finally fired him and made an appt with an Orthopedic Spine Specialist. A ct-scan with contrast showed a large herniation (same disc, L5-S1) and nerve impingement. I then had a fusion, and felt great afterwarRAB.

I tell you this in order to emphasize that "one size doesn not fit all" and to urge you to get a second opinion.

Hopefully, you will stay in touch and let us know how you are doing.

Blessings.

Carol
 
First Good news so far - A slight less amount of pain today and i was able to walk half mile. First good day I have had yet. I am hopefull this is the beggining of the healing process and will be taking it real easy the rest of the day. As for the weird feeling yesterday I called DR on call who was the dr who did my surgery and he said it was normal as my nerve was pinched pretty good and I should expect to feel a lot of weird things there for a while. He said based on what I told him he does not feel I re herniated it and wont give me MRI. Wants to see we next Wed for 2 week follow up.

Brian
 
Thanks Alan - that was very motivating and and I am glad to hear from everyone that this all normal. I cant wait to get out be able to go to a movie with no pain or work out again ( properply of course).

I actually called DR on Call again today as last night my foot went nurab when I was trying to get out of bed and set off a cramp. freaked me out as I posted in another message and he said exactly what you said.

Thanks to everyone and i will keep posting as I progress or if things get worse.

Brian
 
Surgen is a Spine Specialist (Dr Grant) from Northern California Spine Institute. The Bathroom issues i was referring to was being able to sit. I have a Toilet lifter thingy, but its still difficult as I cramp up and get stuck sometimes. I had constipatin in beggining and used a softer, but now eating lots of fiber and ok. When you said you got Muscle spasms that took you to floor. Can you describe it? How many days weeks did it last? I am wondering if its the same thing. With mine my for example if I move to get off bed I feel a sharp pain in sciatinc nerve then my leg feels like its locked. It lasts for a while and Sometimes i can feel it coming on and avoid it, but others like when I am sleeping I will just screem and try to bend my leg or straighten to get out of the position. Sometimes the pain will travel though Quad and down to calf - Same area as pain nefore surgery, but really really intense. Hurts more then calf Charlie Horse if you have ever had that. Brings me to tears. Really sucks

Thanks so much for replying - I am finding this site is better then spine (dash) health page as there are more people in this forum.

Any other advice is appreciated.

Brian
 
best advice is to limit activities of movement until u don't feel as much pain. also take some vitamin b-12 to make the nerves heal faster. idk but when i took the vitamin daily for one month i notice improvement.
 
Your story sounRAB like how my micro-d went. I was in horrible pain, mainly low back after the removal of a free fragment at L5-S1 level and an 8mm hern. disc. I thought the pain would never go away, I had a very difficult time turning on my side in bed. My doc. wouldnt give me anything for the pain, but luckily I had some vicodin left over prior to surgery. It was tough to tell at the time but slowly things got better. It took weeks for me..I still have probs. due to s1 nerve scar tissue & DDD in my L4-L5 disc. Things will get better in time, keep your chin up ! Take care ..Dan
 
Sorry to hear you are sooo much pain. Not moving is not always good but I know when you move & it hurts it makes it difficult. I would listen to my what my body is telling me, if you feel
something isnt right than may be a MRI would be a good idea. Pain if it keeps up could be a signal of something pressing on a nerve. I complained for weeks after surgery about pain that got worse and worse and finally demanded another MRI an found a staph infection at my surgery area. Dont mean to scare you but what I am saying is dont take no for an answer with your doc....if you are in pain and not satisfied let them know. Hope it gets better for you. Now my docs listen to what I say and ask since there was something and I kept complaining and they could have stopped it sooner.....still fightin my battle with Staph many months hoping it gets better. I know about the sitting part it really hurts! Take care
 
I Also Hade A Micro On L5 S1 In April 04 The Pain Never Stopped I Wound Up Having L5 S1 Fusion Feb. 05 Now Here Nov. And Still In Pain Mike
 
I sometimes wonder from reading the various posts on here whether Surgeons are entirely forthcoming as to what the patient may experience after surgery. I wonder whether they tend to paint a rosey recovery period when in fact a nuraber of their patients are going to have difficult pain issues for quite sometime. Sure there are some that come through without much trouble but on the otherhand there are many that do experience intense nerve pain. I think they could do a better job preparing their patients. Perhaps in their effort to not cause the patient any stress they play the recovery down. Let's face it for some it can be a very painful period that does last a considerable amount of time.
 
Can anyone describe what they mean by spasm - not sure if my syptoms are that or just me tweaking the nerve. either way it hurts and hopfully the steroid i am on will help - so far not yet..

Brian
 
Back
Top