topic Re: Update from my Dr appt today in Wellness

Update from my Dr appt today

smoochy — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 18:37:07 GMT

saw my surgeon about worsening neck, shoulder and arm pain. Xray looks good. My bone is growing in nicely and fusing with the donor graft. The cage around the operated vertebrae is in place. He said this nerve pain can happen spontaneously, no obvious reason, and may resolve on its own. He prescribed a short course of steroid and Gabapentin for pain. Will see me in eight weeks. If not better he will get an MRI. I think this will go away.

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

m0rgan — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 18:43:52 GMT

So glad to hear your good news!

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

ciao_bella — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 18:56:19 GMT

@smoochy Sounds like good advice and, hopefully, the pain will resolve itself.

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 19:44:50 GMT

That is good news for you, hopefully the pain will go away in time.

I have pain in my shoulder where the surgeon put in a plate when I broke it last winter.

He offered to remove the plate but I am not interested in going thru another surgery....for now I will deal with the discomfort.

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

Zhills — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 19:53:08 GMT

Fantastic! Hope the pain goes away soon!

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

Kachina624 — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 20:13:44 GMT

@smoochy. Things sounds promising. At least you didn't walk out with a subsequent surgery date. We'll keep fingers crossed for you.

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

Goodie2shoes — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 20:32:43 GMT

Awesome news !! Glad the fusion is progressing well. Thanks for the update and wishing you a full recovery

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

We rescue cats — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 21:15:25 GMT

That sounds encouraging, Smoochie, is the Gabapentin working well for you?

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

catter70 — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 21:15:33 GMT

Wishing you well. lt's a terrible thing to be in constant pain.

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

meallen616 — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 21:30:06 GMT

@smoochy,

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

smoochy — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 22:52:56 GMT

@We rescue cats wrote:
That sounds encouraging, Smoochie, is the Gabapentin working well for you?

it has not. But that's because I only take it sporadically. Doc said take it regularly like three times a day and it should work.

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

DSD2 — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 23:34:40 GMT

I will pray for lessening pain and that you continue to heal...

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

Terrywu — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 23:55:03 GMT

Good news from your doctor. My husband takes 4 Gabepentin a day for severe arthritis in his neck and shoulders. He really gets relief.

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

pdlinda — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:08:10 GMT

I have an ongoing problem with pain from my hamstring and back of my knee from back problems.

I've had an MRI and X-ray. The spine surgeon went through a number of steps in trying to deal with the situation short of surgery.

He sent me to a Pain Mgt doc. He gave me an Epidural injection. Both docs were clear that there was no guarantee it would work. That was 2 wks ago. There was no improvement. I had a follow-up visit last Friday with Pain Mgt doc. He suggested we try another steroid injection more focused on the area that's giving me the most pain. He also prescribed Gabapentin, 100mg, at bedtime. He said I could increase dose to 200 mg. after a week depending on how my body tolerates it. I think it's helping me sleep; however, regardless of what I'm doing(also use topical cream to dull the pain), I cannot sustain this level of pain or its treatment (3,000mg Tylenol a day) for a long period of time.

I'm returning to the back surgeon on Friday to discuss options. Kind of discouraging that with all the good care I take of myself, I'm stuck with this level of physical dysfunction.

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

smoochy — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 02:29:51 GMT

@pdlinda wrote:
@

I have an ongoing problem with pain from my hamstring and back of my knee from back problems.

I've had an MRI and X-ray. The spine surgeon went through a number of steps in trying to deal with the situation short of surgery.

He sent me to a Pain Mgt doc. He gave me an Epidural injection. Both docs were clear that there was no guarantee it would work. That was 2 wks ago. There was no improvement. I had a follow-up visit last Friday with Pain Mgt doc. He suggested we try another steroid injection more focused on the area that's giving me the most pain. He also prescribed Gabapentin, 100mg, at bedtime. He said I could increase dose to 200 mg. after a week depending on how my body tolerates it. I think it's helping me sleep; however, regardless of what I'm doing(also use topical cream to dull the pain), I cannot sustain this level of pain or its treatment (3,000mg Tylenol a day) for a long period of time.

I'm returning to the back surgeon on Friday to discuss options. Kind of discouraging that with all the good care I take of myself, I'm stuck with this level of physical dysfunction.

you poor woman. That kind of relentless pain makes life miserable. I feel bad for you. I am concerned about the amt of Tylenol you're taking. 3000mg daily is over the safe recommended limit. It causes liver damage. What a shame the epidural didn't work. I totally relate to your comment about the level of dysfunction. It smacks us in the face when we realize that our aging bodies are going to have medical problems whether we like it or not. Let me know how your next appt goes.

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

pdlinda — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 02:37:40 GMT

@smoochy Oh, I assure you my doctor reccommended the 3K mg Tylenol and said it was safe (it used to be 4K mg but in 2019 when I had my right knee replaced, they revised the safe dose to 3K mg).

Anyhow, I have IBS so I cannot take any other pain killer, like NSAID's or any of the "benzos" so if my pain is over "5" out of 10 I must tamp it down.

Friday will tell the tale of where I'm heading with this situation. I've had 3 joints replaced (2 hips and 1 knee) and in those cases, the surgery was "guaranteed" to fix the pain I was having (similar to what I'm experiencing now). In every case, the replaced joint did the "trick" and I was pain free.

HOWEVER, the back situation is quite another matter, unfortunately.

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

smoochy — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 02:48:26 GMT

@pdlinda I want to apologize for misspeaking about the Tylenol dosage. I realized after posting and researching that your dose is within accepted safe range. When I was a working RN it was less. Shows you how being retired for six years has put me a little behind.

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

pdlinda — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 02:52:36 GMT

@smoochy Understood and thank you for clarifying.

I am EXTREMELY CAREFUL ABOUT TAKING PAIN MEDS, and as I said before, Tylenol is the ONLY pain med my body can tolerate. That said, however, this cannot continue indefinitely so I'll have to see what other options the spine surgeon has to offer me to resolve this "mess."

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

Lilysmom1 — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 10:35:10 GMT

@smoochy That is encouraging! Best of luck with the recovery!

Re: Update from my Dr appt today

chrystaltree — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:40:35 GMT

Good news. I take gabapentin for nerve pain in my spine. When my back pain isn't bothering me, I take 300mg an hour before bedtime as a sleep aid. Some people have issues with it but for me, it's been a life saver.