Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Apr 14, 2016
@zjandre, in the email notification, click on the link "View this reply here", which will bring you to the discussion thread on the Mayo Clinic Connect website. Scroll through the messages.
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@zjandre, in the email notification, click on the link "View this reply here", which will bring you to the discussion thread on the Mayo Clinic Connect website. Scroll through the messages.
To contact the people Alyse mentioned, simple post a message and insert their @username in your message. If you wish to send them a private message, click their @username and then click the envelope icon.
@zjandre, in the email notification, click on the link "View this reply here", which will bring you to the discussion thread on the Mayo Clinic Connect website. Scroll through the messages.
To contact the people Alyse mentioned, simple post a message and insert their @username in your message. If you wish to send them a private message, click their @username and then click the envelope icon.
To zjandre - I had the trial for the neurostimulator made by St.<br />
Jude bec no epidurals helped and I cannot take meds (big side effect<br />
or no relief). This seemed like my last resort, so had the surgery to<br />
put in the wires and battery pack. I had psyced myself up that I<br />
finally would have the relief of my 8 - 9 back pain. I tried and tried<br />
to make it feel that the stimulation shocks were dulling my pain - for<br />
over a year I dealt with it where even after I shut it off at the high<br />
density, my body began to feel it for up to 10 hours shut off. My pain<br />
was still as bad, so finally relented to my 5th surgery and had it<br />
removed. It is no better than a bit stronger TENS unit which never<br />
worked for me either.<br />
I sincerely appreciate your response. More portly I sincerely feel terrible for what you are experiencing . I'm also searching for a solution. In the meantime all we can do is try to do our best. my kindest regards
I had a spinal cord stimulator implanted in my back in 2004 after several failed back surgeries (the first doctor was on cocaine when he was doing a per cutaneous dissection). I won't go into the specifics of that but I was diagnosed with PTSD afterwards...it was bad. I was terrified to go back to an Orthopeadic doctor for many years afterward. The doctor I chose had an excellent reputation and he tried everything. I had a foronotomy, a laminectomy. A spinal fusion at L5 S1 level and in between all of that I had 2 spinal fluid leaks. The very first doctor almost severed my sciatic nerve and it never regenerated properly. I had to have a total hip replacement because I was walking incorrectly between the first and my present doctor. My pain management doctor had me on morphine for a full year although I was begging him to take me off of it. Finally off of the morphine the pain was unbearable! He then brought in reps for the stimulator. It initially took some of the pain away, about 25%,but at that point I was willing to try anything. I had the first one put in in 2004. Then I fell in early 2005 and the wires along my spine snapped off. So, I had to have a 2nd one put in. Another nightmare ensued because the pain management doctor did it without any anesthesia or numbing of any kind. My surgeon was absolutely furious after all that I had already been through. The representatives from Medtronic stimulator met with us several times to try to improve the outcome. Finally, 2 years ago I gave up on it and turned it on only rarely. Now I haven't turned it on for the past year. I'm on a Fentenayl patch, but still have a lot of break through pain at times. They can remove the battery from my butt, however, the wires are so buried in scar tissue that it would be extremely risky to remove them. I was told I could never have an MRI because the wires are still in my body. Please make very sure that you're getting at least 50% relief from the stimulator during the trial period or you may have the problems that I have. Also, try to find out if your doctor is being paid by the company to push the product. It happens quite often. Good luck with whichever you decide to go.
@pamperthyself You have a lot of the problems w/your back as I have, but I am so sorry you had bad drs work on you.. My dr for 5 surgeries has always been the same neurosurgeon. You have been thru a lot; hope you sued the one on drugs. Pain management drs say they can do nothing more for me, being so sensitive to meds and nothing else that has worked. It is hard to live over 25 years with chronic pain. Good luck for better days.... ladyjane
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Hi @zjandre, and welcome to Connect. I'm tagging @ladyjane85 and @mntnlaural as both members were recently discussing neurostimulators. I would also encourage you to check out the thread Chronic pain - Let's Talk as I feel like you may find additional members to connect with in this group (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/are-there-any-discussions-for-chronic-pain/)
Are you considering an implanted neurostimulator or did you recently have one implanted?
I am considering one for more than 15 years of chronic neck pain. Tried every other thing imaginable. <br />
<br />
And thank you.<br />
<br />
Hi. How do i contact the persons mentioned in your reply? Thank you very much for the information. Kind regards. Andre<br />
<br />
@zjandre, in the email notification, click on the link "View this reply here", which will bring you to the discussion thread on the Mayo Clinic Connect website. Scroll through the messages.
To contact the people Alyse mentioned, simple post a message and insert their @username in your message. If you wish to send them a private message, click their @username and then click the envelope icon.
Great thank you<br />
<br />
To zjandre - I had the trial for the neurostimulator made by St.<br />
Jude bec no epidurals helped and I cannot take meds (big side effect<br />
or no relief). This seemed like my last resort, so had the surgery to<br />
put in the wires and battery pack. I had psyced myself up that I<br />
finally would have the relief of my 8 - 9 back pain. I tried and tried<br />
to make it feel that the stimulation shocks were dulling my pain - for<br />
over a year I dealt with it where even after I shut it off at the high<br />
density, my body began to feel it for up to 10 hours shut off. My pain<br />
was still as bad, so finally relented to my 5th surgery and had it<br />
removed. It is no better than a bit stronger TENS unit which never<br />
worked for me either.<br />
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsI sincerely appreciate your response. More portly I sincerely feel terrible for what you are experiencing . I'm also searching for a solution. In the meantime all we can do is try to do our best. my kindest regards
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI had a spinal cord stimulator implanted in my back in 2004 after several failed back surgeries (the first doctor was on cocaine when he was doing a per cutaneous dissection). I won't go into the specifics of that but I was diagnosed with PTSD afterwards...it was bad. I was terrified to go back to an Orthopeadic doctor for many years afterward. The doctor I chose had an excellent reputation and he tried everything. I had a foronotomy, a laminectomy. A spinal fusion at L5 S1 level and in between all of that I had 2 spinal fluid leaks. The very first doctor almost severed my sciatic nerve and it never regenerated properly. I had to have a total hip replacement because I was walking incorrectly between the first and my present doctor. My pain management doctor had me on morphine for a full year although I was begging him to take me off of it. Finally off of the morphine the pain was unbearable! He then brought in reps for the stimulator. It initially took some of the pain away, about 25%,but at that point I was willing to try anything. I had the first one put in in 2004. Then I fell in early 2005 and the wires along my spine snapped off. So, I had to have a 2nd one put in. Another nightmare ensued because the pain management doctor did it without any anesthesia or numbing of any kind. My surgeon was absolutely furious after all that I had already been through. The representatives from Medtronic stimulator met with us several times to try to improve the outcome. Finally, 2 years ago I gave up on it and turned it on only rarely. Now I haven't turned it on for the past year. I'm on a Fentenayl patch, but still have a lot of break through pain at times. They can remove the battery from my butt, however, the wires are so buried in scar tissue that it would be extremely risky to remove them. I was told I could never have an MRI because the wires are still in my body. Please make very sure that you're getting at least 50% relief from the stimulator during the trial period or you may have the problems that I have. Also, try to find out if your doctor is being paid by the company to push the product. It happens quite often. Good luck with whichever you decide to go.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
7 Reactions@pamperthyself You have a lot of the problems w/your back as I have, but I am so sorry you had bad drs work on you.. My dr for 5 surgeries has always been the same neurosurgeon. You have been thru a lot; hope you sued the one on drugs. Pain management drs say they can do nothing more for me, being so sensitive to meds and nothing else that has worked. It is hard to live over 25 years with chronic pain. Good luck for better days.... ladyjane
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
4 Reactions