Welcome Back, Phil.

I'm from OZ, too......and like Dorothy, I'm glad I'm not in Kansas any more!

So sorry to hear about your back laminectomies and fusion. It sounds as if the surgery was successful until you fell onto your back?

I had a laminectomy on L4, in October, 2016 because I had horrible sciatica. It worked perfectly. I didn't have any fusions, however. Fusions involve "hardware" and are much more complicated.

Did your fall aggravate the area of fusion? L5?

I also fell a year after my surgery, backwards, but landed sitting down hard and suffered a spinal compression at L2. Only rest and waiting needed to recover.

I take 3600 mg of Gabapentin primarily for Small Fiber Neuropathy.

BTW, I fell because I was taking Amitriptyline, added only weeks before my fall.

I had been put on Amitriptyline by my neurology team because Cymbalta had begun to give me very dangerous side effects (Myoclonus and Syncope),

Amitriptyline is highly related to falls. And I did fall, as I said, in a way that I had never done before.

In addition the side effects of Amitriptyline include urinary retention, difficulty with word recall, dry mouth, and of course falling.

I would suggest (I'm not a doctor, of course) that you 'consider' discussing the Amitriptyline with your medical professional, and perhaps changing to another antidepressant.

I take antidepressant for pain, primarily, and am now working to try out Prozac (the old tried and true) instead of the Amitriptyline.

BTW, what does an MRI show about the state of your spine?

Keep us posted on your progress.


Regards, ElaineD