sciatic nerve pain after ALIF

  • Thread starter Thread starter lynn1961
  • Start date Start date
L

lynn1961

Guest
Hi all,

I am wondering if anyone has had sciatic nerve pain after having ALIF surgery? I had ALIF on dec. 16 and for the last4 days.nights, I have suffered excrutiating pain. I went to the ER 2 different nights. The pain med I take for my surgery does nothing for the sciatic pain. The ER doc gave me a prescrip for flxeril. The hospital gave me a prescrip for valium. None of the meRAB work to reduce this horrible pain. And i am also concerned as to why i am having this sciatic pain now? Before surgery, my right leg tended to be achy some but nothing to this degree. The pain is excrutiating. I am going have blood work and and xray done tomorrow and then see my neurosurgeon. Anybody have any idea's?

Thanks,
LYNN
 
Hi Lynn.

I want to reassure you that nerve pain after surgery is very common and part of the recovery process. When your surgery was done, they actually had to literally pick up your nerve and move it to the side to work on the disc. This movement of the nerve is extremely painful and sometimes you need to be given nerve medications instead of pain killers and muscle relaxers to get the nerve to settle down. These nerve medications target the nerve pain directly. You might bring this up at your appt after your neurologist has talked to you and examined you and see what he thinks.

Good luck and I pray you feel better soon.

Pepper
 
I am having similar problems with leg problems after surgery "microdicectomy" at the L4/5 level. I am taking some Ibupro 800 for inflammation and that seen to work. The 5MG Valium they give me I take one at night for sleeping purpose.

The nerve has to be very irritate from the surgery and from pinching from the disk. So, I will allow 6-weeks for my follow up and see how seen change from now until that date.
 
Hiya ramosans,

Thanks for your reply. I was for sure in agony with that nerve flare up. Was very painful. My doc prescribed me a medication for it and it is working wonderful. I also had a epidural injection. So, I am feeling way better :)

LYNN
 
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 effects of these drugs goes away after a couple of weeks (tiredness & dizziness). Talk to your doctor about it.
 
Hi Pooby,

Gabapentin is exactly what my doc prescribed. And i agree with you. The narcotic pain reliever I take, didnt touch the nerve pain at alll. I just started taking the gabapentin 3 days ago and can already feel some relief.


LYNN
 
Back
Top