Implantable neurostimulator for chronic pain

@wandamiller

I'm sorry you're having such trouble with your surgery. I don't know if it has to do with the surgeon's level of expertise, or what, but you shouldn't be having the problems you are. For me, the surgery went well, and I didn't have a painful recovery at all. I was sore, and had to take it easy for six weeks, but my experience was surely different from yours.

I hope you get things straightened out and can get on with a successful experience with your stimulator.

Jim

Thanks Jim.
I'm pretty confident I had an excellent Dr.
He told me that its rare (like2%) of the people who get them have the pain in their ribs like i have. My incision opened up now where three battery is so I'm fairly sure it has to come out. I have been ill since I had it put in . For some odd reason my body isnt excepting it . they put the vacuum back on it and I'm taking antibiotics. If it doesnt close before the 16th its going to be removed
Happy to hear yours is a success.

Anyone out there had a spinal cord stimulator implanted for brachial plexus avulsion pain

Hello @12165008021954,

I moved your discussion in an existing discussion called, "has anybody had an implantable neurostimulator for chronic pain." I moved your message so you could read through the other posts from our members and learn a bit about their experiences with a spinal cord stimulator. I recommend clicking on VIEW & REPLY so you can read through the discussion and participate where you feel comfortable.

@12165008021954, If you are comfortable, would you mind sharing a bit more about yourself? Do you have a name or nickname you are comfortable sharing with the group to address you by? What questions do you have specifically about the stimulator?

I was tested for one at the M health pain clinic but was not receptive. Instead I was given an intrathecal pain pump. A small pump implanted in my abdomen with a catheter running up my spine dripping 2.75 mg of Dilaudid into my spine every 24 hours. I also have a small remote which allows me to dose myself 10 times in a 24-hour period with another one tenth of a milligram per dose. This may not seem like much but taking your drugs this way is 300 times more effective than eating them. I had gotten to the point where no dose of oral narcotics was doing the job. This is the most effective pain control I have ever had and I would encourage anyone who can have surgery to have one of these or at least talk to your doctor about it. We're not supposed to make recommendations so I'm withdrawing my recommendation and saying it worked for me. I did have to wait over a year to get it as I was recovering from cancer and from chemotherapy and had a lot of chronic infections and they wouldn't give me the surgery for the pump until I had been infection free for one year. Best move I ever made. Thank you Doctor Park and thank you University of Minnesota.

@wsh66
Wow, that sounds like something I need to look into. The only pain med that has ever worked for me is Dilaudid. I was taking 32 mg extended release Dilaudid plus rescue pills. This year the insurance company sent me a letter that I was taking over the “new limit” of 8 mg ER. I have worked myself down yo 16 mg but my pain is more debilitating than it has been in years (and I have 2 spinal stimulators, which do help but not on all my pain as I have pain all over my body in every joint).

I think I am going to get signed up for med marijuana on my next visit so I can see if it works on my pain at all.

I’ll research the pain pump idea as an alternate.

Thanks,
Carl

This was suggested by my former Pain Specialist, but she moved away. The Pain Specialist I have now hasn't suggested it. Maybe because of my age. I am 82 now. The pain stimulator didn't help me at all. Finally had it removed. I am so glad this is working for you. Thanks for sharing. Gives me hope!

@cbrackle

Keep us posted, if you would, about how the marijuana works, Carl. I think that if I had the level of pain you have, I would be pursuing the pump like wsh67 has, especially since Dilaudid works for you. Having the pump would circumvent the new 8mg maximum, which is ridiculous.

If my pain were to become unmanageable, I think I'd have a talk with my pain specialist about the pump. It sounds like a great solution.

To each his own best solution.

Jim

Get new insurance. No insurance company has the right to being to get between you and your doctor in your meds. 8 milligrams a day is a joke. Even with the pain pump I take 16 mg a day.

I was tested for the neurostimulator but it didn't work. I used a TENS unit for years but all it did was Rock the skin underneath the pads. I hope it works for somebody it seemed to me to be another one of those Hoops you have to jump through before you get narcotics.