Back Surgery...

[stephen4785]

Nope. That's a paramedic skill.

Can you tell me if taking 800mg ibuprofen's are worse than Vicodin? Iv seen 2 different Dr's over the last couple years and neither one of them would write me a prescription for 800mg ibuprofen but they would write me a prescription for Vicodin. I told both of them that I dont like Vicodin and both of them talk me into taking the prescription they want to write. I take about 30pills/year.

[stephen4785]

I had my adr l5-s1 done by Dr Guyer with the Texas Back Institute in 2008. I go back once a year for a check up and he's been great so far. But I havent had any problems so I couldnt tell you how he would act now but nothing gives me the impression that they wouldnt take care of anything..

http://texasback.com/doctors-profiles/doctor-guyer/

[8mpg]

Find a new Dr

[black2002ls]

For the TLDR people.

Still dealing with back pain, this is the worst it has been since this all began even before my surgery. I am not happy with my quality of care. Who is your current specialist and how do you like your care.

I got married and she is having my baby. We planned the marriage not the pregnancy.

[black2002ls]

Well it is time for a new update. I will preface by saying that I still wouldn't go back and change my decision to have surgery.

I get symptoms about every 6 months, a little back pain, maybe some pain in my hip, typically nothing major, either a round of steroids or some PT will take care of it. If any of you followed my cycling thread this will be familiar. I was riding ~100 miles per week up until the end of September, I rode the Cotton Patch Challenge in Greenville with my Dad again this year. Riding 4-5 days a week, 20+ miles per ride, hitting the gym 2-3 times a week. Nothing heavy in the gym, just trying to maintain/improve my fitness.

About a week and a half after my ride with Dad, I was cleaning some paint off of a floor at work and I got a horrible pain in my back. I turned wrong or something, and the pain threw me in the floor. I was able to get an appointment that day. Muscle relaxers, prescription anti inflammatory, and a 7 day round of steroids. I had another ride with my Dad that weekend but there was no way I was going to make it. I spent 2.5 days in bed and by Monday I was back to work. Felt pretty good, but I was cautious about what I did. Tried to limit my lifting as well as pretty much everything else I did. I got married November 14th, and on the 15th I had a little bit of pain in my lower back. Nothing I was too concerned with, but I had my 6 week follow up coming up on the Tuesday following our wedding.

I still had pain when I went to the doctor, but it hadn't really increased since Sunday. So we decided I would continue taking the anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxer. By Tuesday night I could barely walk. I called Wednesday and got another steroid called in to the pharmacy. 7 day tapered cycle of Prednisilone, just like the last time. My last dose was Monday 11/23. By Monday night, I was back to where I was, if not worse. I was walking with my torso at about a 45 degree angle to my waste. I was able to get an appointment the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, all that they could do for me, since I had 2 steroid packs so close together was to schedule me for an epidural injection and prescribe a stronger pain med and gabapentin. I went from 50mg tramadol to Tylenol 3 (300 mg acetamenophen/30 mg codeine). I started with the Tylenol 3 as prescribed, 1 pill 4 times a day as needed for pain. That didn't last long, I started popping them like candy, 2 pills 4 times a day and it didn't touch the pain. As the gabapentin started building up in my system, I started to notice a decrease in the pain and an increase in my movements.

I am now taking 2x gabapentin (300mg) at night, Tuesday I go to 3x gabapentin each night. Gabapentin is for neuropathic pain control.

I finally gave in and went to the Chiropractor last Thursday and it seems to have helped more than the pain meds so far. I also picked up an inversion table last weekend. Thankfully I was able to get it in the house yesterday. My brother stopped by and carried it in for me. I am going to get it put together tonight and start with that regimen as well.

I go in on Wednesday for my epidural injection so I am hoping for some relief. I also intend to continue with the Chiropractor on a regular basis as well.

Shit that was long, now for the help I'm looking for. I am starting to lose confidence with my specialist. I have been going to Spine Team Texas in Rockwall. Ever since my neurosurgeon went back to the main office in South Lake, I feel like my quality of care has gone down hill drastically. They have gone from physical records to electronic, in the process of doing that, they can't seem to find the record of my surgery, as they have put notes in there twice now for that to be added to my records and my family seems to have developed diabetes. They seem to be more concerned with fleecing me for money than they are with taking care of my issue. I don't feel like they are giving it the attention that it needs. So, for those of you who have/are/going to see a specialist, who are you seeing and how has your experience been so far?

I have my injection on Wednesday and then a follow up on 12/30. If at that time I'm not getting the warm and fuzzies with my level of care, I will be looking for somewhere else.

My ultimate goal in all of this is to be able to live a somewhat normal life. To be able to walk upright, load the dishwasher with out a stabbing pain in my hip and leg. Also to be able to ride my bike and work out a bit and maintain some level of physical health. We found out that we are going to be having a babe next July, and I want to be able to hold it and care for it as it grows older without falling in the floor from the intense pain....

[black2002ls]

I would encourage you to go to a couple of PT sessions if nothing else but to establish some exercises that will help. I am 2.5 weeks into this round of PT (2x a week) and all of my symptoms are gone. I get a little discomfort with a few directed movements, but all in all I am much better off.

If nothing else, get in the habit of stretching twice a day, focus on your legs and back (tight hamstrings can attribute to back pain) Once you start to losen up, integrate some core building exercises. A strong core is vital to stability and movement, as well as controlling back pain!

[TX21]

I got good results from decompression on my first go round. Have you tried an inversion table? Not sure how active you are. Maybe a few weeks in Pgysical Therapy to help build an exercise routine to strengthen your core?

Haven't tried any treatment. Just did some stretches last night for the first time in a long time. Never had much luck with those. Going to keep active and keep doing stretches then try the decomp.

[jimithing]

Just read through the thread b/c I have a herniated disc at L4 L5. Started about 3 years ago from helping my disabled dad in and out of his wheel chair. Had 3 epidural shots last year but they spaced out a few months between each. They did each help but I'm wondering if I do all three closer together this year if they'll be more therapeutic.

I was afraid to do that last year because I was in so much pain before the first one that I wanted to have that shot be an ace in the hole if my pain threshold got too high again. After the first shot my pain level went from 7-8 down to 5ish. But it slowly crept back and I ended needing to get the others. After the third one the anesthesiologist gave me some hydrocodone/acetaminophen which nobody had even offered to me up to that point. I wasn't sure if it would help or not but I didn't have much to lose and let me tell you those pills are the only reason I can get decent sleep at night.

I still wake up sore as hell in the morning and can't sit up normally in the chair - too much pain. I have to shift all my weight to my left side (luckily the pain has only always been on one side). It makes it difficult just to drive to work in the morning or even go to a restaurant and eat. I'm shifting around every 5 minutes trying to get comfortable.

Anyone have any luck with an inversion table? I think that and losing a little of my beer gut might need to be my next steps. I used to be real active but now with this pain there's no way I could exercise like I used to. I have a bike but haven't dared to try it - figured it would just cause more pain. Guess I can give it a shot. I tried PT for a good 3 months in the midst of doing those shots last year and I don't think PT did a thing for me.

[black2002ls]

I got good results from decompression on my first go round. Have you tried an inversion table? Not sure how active you are. Maybe a few weeks in Pgysical Therapy to help build an exercise routine to strengthen your core?

[TX21]

Got my results. L5 S1 disc issue and arthritic lower spine. Basically not much they can do. Been hearing a lot of good results from decompression treatment so I may try that.

http://youtu.be/hmX70Baofp4

[black2002ls]

I had my MRI yesterday. I pulled up the images to see what was going on. I still have 2 disk herniations/bulges. I believe one is at the same location I had repaired and the other is 2 discs up from there. The same location I had a loss of height and minor bulge on my last MRI. I don't have my original images though to compare then and now. Follow up appointment on Tuesday to discuss with doc. I am in far better shape pain and discomfort wise than when I started down this road the first time. So I am hopeful that reestablishing my exercise and PT rotine will take care of the issue

[Treadhead]

Thanks! The only muscle pain I have is from not enough exercise and that usually feels better after a little bit of stretching out. It is worlds better than a fusion so, if it comes down surgery I would push for the disc replacement if possible.

[black50]

I had L5/S1 disc replacement in 2005. Made a world of difference for me. I don't know anyone who has had it recently but, mine went great. I haven't had any real pain or trouble with it and only ended up with a 5% disability rating.

WOW, that is great news for you. I believe back surgery only has like a 40% success rate. Alot of people that have back surgery come out feeling the same or worse. This is probably what I will be doing in the near future. How is the muscle pain in your lower back?

Screw a bunch of bone fusion crap, that is old technology.

[Treadhead]

Has anyone had an artificial disk replacement. I know they had some trouble with them back in the early 2000's just wondered if they have perfected it.

I have an L5/S1 Herniated disk with sciatica

I had L5/S1 disc replacement in 2005. Made a world of difference for me. I don't know anyone who has had it recently but, mine went great. I haven't had any real pain or trouble with it and only ended up with a 5% disability rating.

[davbrucas]

Had to look that up. Aside from the IBS, that's not a bad diagnosis over the internet, Doc! I bet you didn't even have to Google it, either...

Nope. That's a paramedic skill.