Spinal cord stimulator support

I wish you well I tried but couldn’t get past the trial period I know of others who are very happy with it say that they could not walk without it. Big hugs for you happy it works for you.
Just something I could not do, big problem is I have type 2 diabetes and it drove my sugar levels way up

I wish you well I tried but couldn’t get past the trial period I know of others who are very happy with it say that they could not walk without it. Big hugs for you happy it works for you.
Just something I could not do, big problem is I have type 2 diabetes and it drove my sugar levels way up

I had a medtronics scs implanted in 2018 after a successful trial. The permanent implant was not as effective as the trial, but it did help relieve my lower back pain. That was along with my prescribed meds. Always had a little pain, but it allowed me to become more active again. Then, in 2021, it just stopped working. A smooth-talking rep from NEVRO convinced me to have the Medtronics scs battery replaced with one of theirs, keeping the original paddle. They were not able to do the trial due to the positioning of the original paddle. The rep assured me that their unit would make everything good again.
So, I went ahead with the implant. It involved adding an adapter to the original lead going to the paddle in order to connect the new battery. The NEVRO unit has never worked. And, the adapter makes it impossible to have an MRI. So, my new pain med doc can't see what's going on in my back that's causing all the pain to return,

I am scheduled to have the SCS removed in April, If all goes well, I should be able to have an MRI. BTW, I also had a pain pump implanted last year. After many adjustments, it has provided minimal pain relief. My advice:
1. Make sure you do the trial (and, the permanent implant may not give you the same relief as the trial.
2. If you get the Medtronics unit, it has a setting that allows for an MRI. But, if for any reason you decide to switch to another unit, do not mix and match parts like I did. Have them remove all original components.

Good luck. Hope you can make an informed decision.

CRPS, fibromyalgia, and Small Fiber Neuropathy sufferer. Had a Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted in my 2nd, 3rd and 4th vertebrae and unfortunately I was unable to ever use it, it made my CRPS much worse. I’m scheduled for removal surgery but would love to talk to someone who has gone through the same. I’m told this is a really tough situation because of the placement being in my upper neck.

I had my medtronics scs removed about two months ago. It had worked well for about three years. Then it just stopped working. There was some thought that some of the electrodes on the paddle had shorted out. Mine was implanted at the T9 area. The removal went smoothly, Took about an hour. Healing went well. I am now looking to possibly trial another scs since most of my back pain has returned. Not sure how much more complicated your removal will be. Hopefully, not much. I wish you well.

I have a Saluda (new company) device implanted Jan.'24 - have experienced no relief of chronic back pain even though trial was very successful. Can I have this device removed and another company's put in that might work? Mine was implanted at T11-12.

Seems strange that the trial gave you relief, but not from the permanent implant. T11-T12 seems a bit high for placement. Where is your pain? How much pain relief did the trial give you? My Medtronics SCS impalnted in 2018 gave about 80% relief in trial, but 50% with permanent implant. Still, along with my meds, I was down to a 2 or 3 most day, which was a wonderful change from the 7- 8 pre-implant. It stopped working in 2021. There was thought that the paddle lead showed several burned out electrodes, and the paddle placement may have moved. I had the whole thing removed back in May. Went smoothly. I am hoping to get a trial of Boston Scientific's Wave rider soon. Have you been able to adjust the setting on your SCS so as to hit different regions in your body? Sometimes it takes numerous adjust ments to hit the "sweet spot". I'll be on the lookout for your response.