Connect
← Return to Spinal Cord stimulator battery pain
Discussion
Spinal Cord stimulator battery pain
Chronic Pain | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (42)Comment receiving replies
@cman55 Hey and thanks for sharing. First, I’m so sorry you and your wife have to deal with this. To me it sounds as if she has symptoms of Crps Type 2 (with known nerve damage) and given I have had this diagnosis since 2020, I truly hope it is not that but it does sound a lot like it especially her symptoms. I also have to say I am a tad skeptical to the paddle
leads, as you are too it seems, as next step. If they couldn’t
get the regular SCS to work
I honestly fail to see how paddle leads are gonna fix that and it sounds as if the
same paddles will make her respond better to the SCS. Also
you are discovering smth central about the medical reps
from Abbott and Medtronics. and Boston Scientific et al;
these folks are often wanna be doctors but could not get in or
afford the cost of medical school. In the case with getting either an SCS or a pain pump you see these reps frequently,
they act super friendly and supportive, they give you their number and says to call at any time..they act like this before the trial and up until placing the permanent, these guys and girls are in the operating theater when it gets placed. Then after some recovery time you start programming the unit to get it to work. During this period you also typically see
your med reps frequently før reprogramming or maybe they need to show up to restart the
pain pump after an mri etc. However it does not take long before you are pretty much alone with all this tech inside you. It soon starts to become problematic to get a hold of your rep and they almost seem a bit annoyed for having to show up for a reprogramming or worse, when the stim just stops working as it should. I have been ghosted several times by these med reps.
And it says nothing in the catalog about how these med reps soon stop to care about you; they spend all their energy on the new sale, the new chronic pain patient who will provide him with a nice bonus from Abbott from being “the SCS Seller of the Year”..
I am of course just joking about the latter but it is true that these reps are in it for the money, and there is no bonus or pay or any economic incentive for the after care from this tech. Sadly health care in America is a business, not a human right. And nowhere is this more true than for the medical equipment field.
Lastly I hope you and your wife finds the best doctors there is and try hard to get help from
them. In ya’ll’s case it doesn’t even seem like the doctors even know what is wrong (and docs don’t like it when “normal people” like us propose a diagnosis..I think you are right, and that this is medically induced injuries and nobody wants to be responsible for it.
I am sending good vibes your wag, dealing with nerve pain is absolute hell, I have nerve damage in my left leg and my crps type 2 has basically destroyed my life as I knew it. You have my deepest sympathies and I am sending much love to your wife who I know suffers in dehumanizing ways. Best of luck to you both and thank you for being such a strong partner for your wife. Your love for her is evident and that love is what keeps ya’ll fighting. Keep up the good fight, my friend.
Replies to "@cman55 Hey and thanks for sharing. First, I’m so sorry you and your wife have to..."
@alexandercrps Thank you for your concern, and kind words. One thing that I might not have been clear about. Her SCS was placed with leads, not paddles to begin with. The Neurosurgeon we talked to suggested the Paddles might offer more effective relief.
I'm not sure about the CRPS Type 2 because it seems like it effects limbs, but I appreciate the info. I will do some research into if it can happen with the nerves in the lumbar area. I read it causes a sensitivity to touch, and cold? She is sensitive to touch, but uses ice often, and is not sensitive to cold at all. I really think Medical Science could do better for people with Nerve issues/pain. I hope we all get that relief soon.
@alexandercrps
I have a damaged L5 nerve caused by a surgery 7 years ago, a bone was chipped accidently and lodged into the nerve. It was removed, but the damage was done and I have had years of pain injections, live on Lyrica and Physeptone, some Celebrex. I had a Saluda SCS implant 8 months ago. At first I thought this is not as good as the trial, but got told by doctor to give it 12 months to really work. this has not happened, in fact it now seems it is not helping much at all. I am close to having it removed. Apparently nerve damage will either heal itself within the first 12 months or it will not. In fact it usually worsens with age. I believe SCS's can help some people, we all have a different story to tell, but doctors are NOT God's. They try and use a lot a guess work. So trust in your own body, and keep questioning. Good luck to all out there!
Connect
@alexandercrps
Wow, your experience with reps from all the companies you mentioned is not my experience at all. Or maybe it is in the understanding of their job. Correct, they are not doctors (maybe they choose the marketing/business side on purpose!) but are in the operating room to make sure their product is implanted properly and working.
After many years of conventional methods of dealing with nerve pain, herniated disks that started with laminectomies but progressed to fusions, I had a Boston Scientific Wave writer SCS implanted by my orthopedic surgeon 2.5 years ago. I am much better and able to sit, move and get through the day without the intense sciatica pain.
I have initiated contact with the Boston Scientific rep to try different programs throughout the years. The reps have been helpful in meeting me at a doctor’s office to make adjustments to my programs. Boston Scientific did tell me upfront that I will have to reach out to them to set up meetings when I feel the need. They also have an app that gives you contact info. I cannot speak to other SCS companies procedures as I have no experience.
I still use ice often to help with the osteoarthritis. Occasionally I use CBD cream or an Icy Hot type of product. My stomach doesn’t tolerate ibuprofen well but I can use Naproxen sparingly. I am on a nightly dose of gabapentin (rather than 3x a day pre SCS), and a muscle relaxant. I see a PT intermittently and do a lot of walking in and out of the pool to stay in shape. It is not easy to live with chronic pain, but I think attitude has a lot to do with your success. Also, having a strong faith in God and daily prayer eases the burden.
Best of health to you and all on this thread.