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Implications of Long Term Drug Regime
Chronic Pain | Last Active: Jul 2 6:34pm | Replies (21)Comment receiving replies
Thanks for that recap of your surgical experience. 6 months is a long time but when you consider that it's major major surgery, I shouldn't be surprised, particularly when the recovery was "uneventful and rather easy". I get the impression from all participants in the thread that Pregabalin is some sort of a wonder drug - effective for both pain and in your case, numbness and mood elevation! Ideally, surgery should have restored you to a state of complete health but I agree wholeheartedly with you that numbness is vastly preferable to "pain (which was so very debilitating)". I'm sure my wife would agree too as her life is quite miserable at the moment. So in our case, it would seem that surgery is the definitive answer but failing to get that in a timely fashion, Pregabalin would be the way to go.
Replies to "Thanks for that recap of your surgical experience. 6 months is a long time but when..."
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make sure you have a GREAT surgeon. I mean GREAT. I have been thru many surgeries like these. The nerve pain meds never worked. The opiod did but there is only one for me Percocet (with tylenol) Oxycodone) without. Nothing else was stablizing for me.
IF nerves are damaged out of the spine they may or may not heal. It could take 10 years to know for sure. Other things can also impact recovery - more degeneration and scar tissue. Find a surgeon who doesn't have a lot of revisions. CONSIDER going for MORE (if surgery is the answer) instead of less because you might just need another surgery later. Talk to your doctor about that.
Yes, 6 months is correct to feel pretty normal. IF you follow doctors recovery orders and are in rehab.
Consider pain management for the numbness. I have permanent damage because the neurosurgeon waited 20 years. When I got to orthopedic surgery the surgeon took me in immediately as my disc fell out, and my bones grafted together (which stopped the pain!) but it had squeezed my nerves to their death (ergo, the numbness). I WOULDN'T TAKE MY SURGERY BACK!!! It was the best thing that ever happened. It was apparent after about a week being home - as I could sleep at night WITHOUT any PAIN!!! I am so grateful.