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Chronic pain and spinal fusion
Spine Health | Last Active: Apr 4, 2023 | Replies (173)Comment receiving replies
Greetings fellow chronic pain people. My chronic pain issues really started in 1975 with a football injury to the c-spine. Managed to cope for years until 1997 when I developed pain and weakness in my left arm. Long story short is that my 1975 injury was misdiagnosed and I had in fact broken my neck back then. Starting in 1997, I had a fusion c5-c7. 1999 ruptured disc C4-C5. and another fusion surgery. In this time period started having the most painful headaches I can describe. 2001, it was discovered the 1st fusion had failed and disc ruptured C-7-T1. Two extensive C-spine surgeries in 2001. Very lttile improvement in pain level from my neck and continued having bad cervical headaches. 2003, three different C-spine surgeries to have bone spurs removed from C-4 to T-1. Loss of motor function in left hand and severe sleep disruption from headaches and neck pain. Forced to retire at age 47. After seeing 6 different doctors ranging from surgeons to rehab Drs to pain management doctors the conclusion was that there were no surgical options and to begin to focus on chronic pain management. Starting in 2003, I began a pain management regiment using opioids. In 2013 had my 1st lumbar spine surgery to repair two ruptured discs. Currently, still have constant c-spine pain, headaches, left hand weakness, lumbar spine pain and positional numbness in my left leg. I have managed tolerance issues with opioids with high does ibuprofen and Tylenol, which I know is unsafe,.a couple of days per month. All of the federal attention to the opioid abuse problems will affect how I've managed to cope with chronic pain for the past 15 years. I only see one doctor, never refill early, and never take more than prescribed. I have been at the same prescribed amount for over 10 years. I am sure, like others on this board, we will be impacted because of other people abusing the very drugs that make life livable for people like us. I don't have any answers to the issue of drug abuse or overdoses. I only know with out opioids, I will not live long if forced to only take ibuprofen and Tylenol to manage my condition. There is nothing in my situation that says I'm at risk of an overdose, have had zero issues managing my own prescriptions, have never shared or used other peoples drugs. I really hope there is some common sense interjected in the current opioid "crisis" that make provisions for people like myself.
Replies to "Greetings fellow chronic pain people. My chronic pain issues really started in 1975 with a football..."
Sorry to hear of your condition. Really glad you do not have the bad headaches. The sleep thing is something which has been constant with me for a long time. Somehow we manage to adapt. I too have a cyst mid cord at the site of my initial injury. The initial diagnosis of my 1975 injury was a separated shoulder. Odd as that sounds, I did have a slight shoulder separation but there was no further follow-up regarding the c-spine. Scary as that was, I was cleared to return to football weeks later and played several more games, now I know was with a fracture at C-6. Times have sure changed. Thank you for your response, Hillyard
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@hillyard
Good Morning!
Wow! What a story! I am amazed that the fracture you had so long ago was never picked up. Talk about a negligent doctor. Whoever read your films should be sued!!!! I recently had a Mylogram CT for my T-spine. I am having issues that present like I've had spinal trauma, and I haven't. My doctor went over all the reports and tests I have had. He was stumped. Then, after the last CT, while we were all sitting in the room, my doc said that he wasn't even 50% sure that the CT was all that accurate. He looked over the pictures and found, on the picture, the tiniest dot. He wasn't sure if it was a type of a cyst or tumor (malignant or not). He was pretty sure it was a cyst, which would explain the symptoms I've been having. I went for a MRI with contrast. Sure enough, the doctor was right, I have a cyst in my spinal canal that is blocking spinal fluid from moving through the canal smoothly.
Anyhow, I also experienced HORRIBLE neck and headaches. I could only sleep so long before the pain would wake me up. If I tried to stay in bed, the pain would only worsen. I had disc replacement of C5/6 at the end of February. Within a couple of weeks, the headaches were gone (except for one here and there). Now, 6 months later, they are ALL gone! I still don't sleep, but that's another story for another time.
I know how horrible it is not to be able to get your meds. My surgeon told me that in Florida, (where I live) he can only prescribe pain meds when he actually does a surgery and then only 1 week at a time. I tried using high doses of Advil (prescription strength) and it worked well for other issues I was having. However, I developed stomach problems because of it. I can no longer take NSAIDS (again, another story). I am limited to Tylenol, which is useless. I have some pain meds but I have to be desperate to take them for fear I will use them up and then what?????? I also NEVER take more than I should or share. As a matter of fact, one of my previous pain docs used to do a random urine test before doing my shots. I actually take less than prescribed, which is probably why it doesn't work very well.
I hope you find answers to help with your pains!
Here's to a pain free day for us all!
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)