@djmeis Hi Deb, I also had allergy testing for metals before my spine cervical fusion and I was surprised that nothing was reported. I had problems with pierced earrings and everything I tried cause lots of problems. I wore them for years and then it changed. I was able to have a one level C5/C6 fusion without hardware and I stayed in a neck brace until it fused.

When I broke my ankle and got the titanium plates on my ankle, at first it was OK, but 6 months later, I was getting hives all over my body, worsening asthma, pigment forming on the skin over the plates, throbbing pains, and I had to stay on antihistamines all the time. I had the plates removed a year and a half after they had been placed when fixing the fracture. I haven't been retested for metals, and it doesn't matter now. You can develop allergies after exposure to something for a period of time.

The lab that did my metal allergy testing is https://www.orthopedicanalysis.com/

You are kind of in a tough spot. It seems like your doctors think you need the support from the hardware. I can understand their concern as there are patients with failed back surgeries that don't fuse.

I hop you find a good solution for the pain.

Jennifer