I have not had the procedure done or even recommended. I'm very interested in what you find out because although I have a pain solution now, I want to know about options for if it gets out of control again.
I have L4-L5 problems that cause bilateral lower leg pain (shins and anterior tibialis) that is so severe sometimes that it feels like my legs are breaking. I had been diagnosed with a "slightly" bulging disc years before, but the doctors who saw the MRIs said it wasn't something to worry about. I was having lower back pain and anti-inflammatories, topical CBD, heat, ice, and physical therapy kept the pain bearable. It was only when the leg pain hit that I was unable to control or deal with the pain.
My primary care physician recently suggested I try gabapentin. It's not a drug to take without seriously considering the side effects. Also, one develops a physical tolerance rather quickly, which means that if you want to stop it, you have to taper off. The original dosage (300mg 3x/day) made me really dizzy and nauseous on a single dose. I gave it a week, taking 1 pill 1x/day, but the side effects didn't improve, so my doctor changed the prescription to 100mg 3x/day. I can get by with 100mg 2x/day, having only breakthrough pain now and then.
Has your orthopedic doctor suggested something like gabapentin or other nerve pain medicine?
I had surgery in that area in 2015. They gave me Gabapentin afterwards due to spinal decompression pain. It made me loopy and out of it too, so I stopped it. To this day my left leg is weak and I suffer from constant intermittent sciatica during which I can barely walk. The doctor wanted to prescribe Gabapentin again which I refused. Instead I got Baclofen which also made me dizzy and loopy, and didn't help, so I stopped it too. So like you I get by with Tylenol Extra Strength, and ice several times a day. Hoping for a second operation in the L5-S1 region to fix it, but only after the severe stenosis in my neck has been operated on. I was born with a narrow spinal cord cavity.
I tried the Mayo Clinic in FL where I had 4 eye operations for Glaucoma, but they said the waiting period is 3 years for neurosurgery!!!
Did the doctor ever suggest a lower dose? I know that mine originally started out with the 300mg dosage, which was too high, but I'm doing well now on the 100mg dose, 2-3 times a day.
Did the doctor ever suggest a lower dose? I know that mine originally started out with the 300mg dosage, which was too high, but I'm doing well now on the 100mg dose, 2-3 times a day.
I was referring to the Gabapentin. I, too, felt very dizzy and "loopy" when I took the dose originally prescribed (300mg), so my doctor prescribed a lower dose and I'm fine on that. Just curious. I know some doctors try different doses, but some just try to find a different medication that works.
I had surgery in that area in 2015. They gave me Gabapentin afterwards due to spinal decompression pain. It made me loopy and out of it too, so I stopped it. To this day my left leg is weak and I suffer from constant intermittent sciatica during which I can barely walk. The doctor wanted to prescribe Gabapentin again which I refused. Instead I got Baclofen which also made me dizzy and loopy, and didn't help, so I stopped it too. So like you I get by with Tylenol Extra Strength, and ice several times a day. Hoping for a second operation in the L5-S1 region to fix it, but only after the severe stenosis in my neck has been operated on. I was born with a narrow spinal cord cavity.
I tried the Mayo Clinic in FL where I had 4 eye operations for Glaucoma, but they said the waiting period is 3 years for neurosurgery!!!
I have about the same problems you do - terrible neck pain and L5-S1 pain, and down the leg. In my case they didn't have your surgery available yet, so they removed it - laminectomy. I had multiple rhizotomies in my neck, severing the nerves leaving the joints. That worked for a whileGabapentin was horrible, even at a low dose. I slept all the time, had decreased balance, and actually began to lose my vision. That's all I need to say about that drug.
Hydrochodone was the answer. I'm managing that part of my life now.
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I had surgery in that area in 2015. They gave me Gabapentin afterwards due to spinal decompression pain. It made me loopy and out of it too, so I stopped it. To this day my left leg is weak and I suffer from constant intermittent sciatica during which I can barely walk. The doctor wanted to prescribe Gabapentin again which I refused. Instead I got Baclofen which also made me dizzy and loopy, and didn't help, so I stopped it too. So like you I get by with Tylenol Extra Strength, and ice several times a day. Hoping for a second operation in the L5-S1 region to fix it, but only after the severe stenosis in my neck has been operated on. I was born with a narrow spinal cord cavity.
I tried the Mayo Clinic in FL where I had 4 eye operations for Glaucoma, but they said the waiting period is 3 years for neurosurgery!!!
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1 ReactionDid the doctor ever suggest a lower dose? I know that mine originally started out with the 300mg dosage, which was too high, but I'm doing well now on the 100mg dose, 2-3 times a day.
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2 ReactionsNot that I remember. Are you referring to Baclofen (which is a muscle relaxant) or Gabapentin?
I was referring to the Gabapentin. I, too, felt very dizzy and "loopy" when I took the dose originally prescribed (300mg), so my doctor prescribed a lower dose and I'm fine on that. Just curious. I know some doctors try different doses, but some just try to find a different medication that works.
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2 ReactionsI have about the same problems you do - terrible neck pain and L5-S1 pain, and down the leg. In my case they didn't have your surgery available yet, so they removed it - laminectomy. I had multiple rhizotomies in my neck, severing the nerves leaving the joints. That worked for a whileGabapentin was horrible, even at a low dose. I slept all the time, had decreased balance, and actually began to lose my vision. That's all I need to say about that drug.
Hydrochodone was the answer. I'm managing that part of my life now.
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