Anyone been diagnosed with arachnoiditis after spine surgery?

Posted by jelizabeth @jelizabeth, Feb 18, 2019

Has anyone been diagnosed with arachnoiditis or cauda equina syndrome after a L5-S1 surgery?

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@donfeld

I can’t handle gabapentin at all and I’m taking three times a day 15 mg of morphine. I just keep moving and make sure I exercise every day and do a lot of walking or riding a bike as you’ve got to keep your legs moving up is in your lumbar area.

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Thank you for replying. I start with a pain management doctor this month. At this time i take 10-325 oxycodone and 600mg of gabapentin 3 times a day. Its fairly effective But I still have pain and I’m not able to walk without a walker or cane and for short distances.

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@donfeld

Yes, and caused by bad surgery which getting worse as years go by.

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What do you use for the pain? And is it effective? The doctors in my area don’t seem to be familiar with Arachnoiditis and don’t know how to treat it.

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@jelizabeth

Very sorry for the long post, but I foolishly had a L5-S1 laminectomy, in 2012, by an unskilled ortho. surgeon in my small town. After the surgery I had extreme sacroanal pain and lower extremity weakness and atrophy that has gradually continued and is now severe. PCP's and spine doctors who ordered imaging did not discuss important information on the reports that said I had edema of the lower spine, sacrum, and paraspinal muscles, even though they knew I was having extreme pain, and neurological decline. Some of them went on and on about the dangers of spine surgeries as though it was my fault that I was having major problems. The neurologists I saw did not do appropriate blood work that would have shown inflammation, do a nerve biopsy, or examine me. It was all about protecting the surgeon. I was told by a pain mgmt. doctor and a neurosurgeon, in 2016, that I had severe L3-L4 stenosis and that I needed surgery. I went to another neurosurgeon for a second opinion. He would not operate because of the previous surgery. He was rude and did not want to be involved with someone like me with so many problems. He sent me to an interventional pain management doctor, who worked at the same facility. This doctor wanted to immediately put in a spinal cord stimulator. He was arrogant and became angry when I told him that my pain management doctor had advised me to have a pain pump evaluation and not get a spinal cord stimulator, because I had clumped nerve roots, and that the only reason I had not already done this was because my pelvis tilted after the laminectomy and I had to have hip replacement surgery, which was done wrong, and that it took almost two years to find an orthopedic surgeon to appropriately diagnose the condition and do a revision surgery. The arrogant doctor said he would order a myelogram, which surprised me because I had asked a doctor in my small town to order a myelogram after the surgery, but he refused and said this was a dangerous test. I thought the reason for this was that he was protecting the ortho. surgeon that had performed my surgery. None of the spine surgeons told me that I had clumped nerve roots, but one had said I "probably" had arachnoiditis. He ended the appointment before I could ask questions. The myelogram report said there was nerve root clumping. I don't suppose the arrogant interventional pain mgmt. doctor was expecting this. My follow up was with a nurse practitioner instead of him. An ER doctor was kind enough to tell me where I could go to find a good neurosurgeon, four hours away, to get me away from the biasedness I was facing. I went to Charlotte and had surgery for stenosis, because they said I would have more serious neurological decline and possibly be in a wheelchair if I waited any longer. After the surgery I got my records. They had documented that I have chronic progressive cauda equina syndrome based on pelvic MR imaging that I brought to the appointment. At my last appointment there I saw the chief of neurosurgery, who said I also have arachnoiditis. It is sad that all of the spine doctors in my area, and in nearby areas, declined to mention cauda equina syndrome and arachnoiditis, even though anyone could visibly see the severe abnormal atrophy in my legs. I kept wondering why MRI reports did not mention the problems. Last year a radiologist said all of the findings about my spine condition would not be in the report. He said only the ones pertaining to the diagnosis codes on the order would be included. This means that if doctors don't want you to find out about what a surgeon did, during a surgery, you have no chance of finding out, unless you can find another doctor to put the necessary diagnosis codes on the order. Sorry to go on and on, but my health was taken away by a surgeon incapable of performing a decent surgery. I have endured severely uncontrolled pain for seven years now and been repeatedly lied to and demeaned by the medical field. Electronic Health Records are not to protect the patient. You find this out when you have an iatrogenic injury.

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Doctors protect Doctors. Lawyers look for any reason to sue them. If a doctor or surgeon makes a mistake on you, forget it. They will protect each other. It won't be fixed and as you found out, because that would admit they did something wrong and the lawyers would circle. God help us all and THANK the LORD for a few doctors that may have mercy on us!

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YES! I had a botched Fusion of L4-L5 in 2017 - one of the screws went through my spinal canal and through my spinal cord. Thankfully it only damaged one nerve and the damage was minimal, but for 4.5 years, my surgeon continued to tell me that the excruciating pain, foot drop, etc. was "normal post-op pain" because he had to "mess around with the nerves on the left side a lot in order to place the screw." He messed around with the nerves alright. Was diagnosed in Summer 2022 with Arachnoiditis. Still looking for answers on where to go going forward

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This is like living in hell here and now. Had an artificial disc ( L5-S1 )put into my back in 2005 and it got loose in 2009. Had to have it fused and been on pain meds ever since. Surgeon dropped me after a few years and said he could not help me any more. Told me to find a doctor closer to my home. It took 4 years to get a doctor to tell me what was going on in my back. Took more meds to kill the pain than anyone should have to take. When gov stepped in regulating how much you could take I thought I was in a mess. Found a doctor that put me on a medicine used to get folds of drugs and it works well. Been on it 4 years and managing but loosing strength in my legs. There are meds for reducing scar tissue in hands maybe one day it will be for backs also. Some say make peace with your pain. I say—Make Peace with God- No pain in Heaven. Jesus paid it all.

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@bad2thebone

This is like living in hell here and now. Had an artificial disc ( L5-S1 )put into my back in 2005 and it got loose in 2009. Had to have it fused and been on pain meds ever since. Surgeon dropped me after a few years and said he could not help me any more. Told me to find a doctor closer to my home. It took 4 years to get a doctor to tell me what was going on in my back. Took more meds to kill the pain than anyone should have to take. When gov stepped in regulating how much you could take I thought I was in a mess. Found a doctor that put me on a medicine used to get folds of drugs and it works well. Been on it 4 years and managing but loosing strength in my legs. There are meds for reducing scar tissue in hands maybe one day it will be for backs also. Some say make peace with your pain. I say—Make Peace with God- No pain in Heaven. Jesus paid it all.

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So sorry you're having such a long road to travel with your pain. I understand what you must be feeling from my own journey. It helps me to try to keep an attitude of gratitude for the many people and things in my daily life that make my heart smile and give me courage to continue the journey. If I can walk beside even one person each day that is struggling, then I have reason to go on. Wishing you a peaceful year ahead.
mmarta

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@bad2thebone

This is like living in hell here and now. Had an artificial disc ( L5-S1 )put into my back in 2005 and it got loose in 2009. Had to have it fused and been on pain meds ever since. Surgeon dropped me after a few years and said he could not help me any more. Told me to find a doctor closer to my home. It took 4 years to get a doctor to tell me what was going on in my back. Took more meds to kill the pain than anyone should have to take. When gov stepped in regulating how much you could take I thought I was in a mess. Found a doctor that put me on a medicine used to get folds of drugs and it works well. Been on it 4 years and managing but loosing strength in my legs. There are meds for reducing scar tissue in hands maybe one day it will be for backs also. Some say make peace with your pain. I say—Make Peace with God- No pain in Heaven. Jesus paid it all.

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I am truly sorry you have been in so much pain. Could you please tell me what the medication is that you’ve been taking for four years? My husband is in a similar situation and we’re desperately looking for alternate types of pain relief.

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Yes. My husband had L4 five back fusion surgery a few years ago then herniated disc about six months ago. His pain has gotten worse since and he has now been diagnosed with adhesive arachnoiditis. We are trying everything we can think of, but the pain seems to be getting worse. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The pain is so debilitating.

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I just got diagnosed with Arachnoiditis in January. Not much in the way of support in Denver.

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@dolly1

Yes, a neurosurgeon from Northwestern took an updated MRI and saw it and prescribed an internal tens unit to stop pain. I did not, so he does not want to see me again. It's been verified by other doctors at Loyola. The neurologist at Northwestern did absolutely nothing for me except testing for polyneuropathy which I have, and he only concurred what other neuros told me. So .. here I am not rich enough to afford alternative medicine.. I love Dr. Tennant. Just recently talked to him. Also, Medicare does not have any help for us either, because they will not cover anything we can try. It,s a loose loose kind of a deal . Trying to get put back on hydroxychloriquin again for some relief. But that's like banging your head against the wall. Lord take me?

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I don’t know where you are located in Chicagoland but I recently transferred to Dr. Lubenow at Rush Pain Clinic. He is familiar with AA and responsive. Our options are limited but he seems willing to work through them to get the best outcome. I recently tried changing my drugs but that didn’t work out so I’m back to Lyrica, Hydrocodone, Cymbalta. I have a Spinal. Cord Stimulator and now working on changing the programming to get improved outcome. Is that what you mean by internal tens unit? He told me that the treatment for AA is combo of drugs & Spinal Cord Stimulator or pain pump. He is compassionate and takes his time though you have to see a resident first and the clinic is always running super late.

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