I cannot comment about this procedure but identify with the treatment options not there for your wife. I cannot take meds and had to find another way. I have has great success with a simple free, non med technique which is supported by good science. It works on the principle that the brain changes with chronic pain. The treatment works by retraining the brain that everything is ok. Souns far fetched but it is not. Google "mirro therapy for CRPS".
The US Army is trialling it for veterans with phantom limb pain at present.

In the UK a pharmacuitical company paid hundreds of thousands to put mirror boxes in pain clicnics throught Britain.
This might be worth considering

jeisea
http://www.crps-rsd-a-better-life.blogspot.com

Dear wakegirl and jeisea,

Thank you both for your input on our scs research. Non medical interventions are always sought, but unfortunately, Marilyn has not found a non-medical treatment, protocol, or procedure that has really helped much. We rule nothing out.

When Marilyn has recovered, and hopefully she will, from tendon surgery and rehab, we will begin to narrow down her options for the scs. For now, we are still gathering our thoughts and opinions from others. Thanks to all who have responded thus far.

johnthepainter

Hi Johnthepainter,
Welcome to the group. I had my scs implanted in 2003. It worked for a while and I really liked the way it felt. I had a really bad fall and one of the leads slipped out. They had to shut it off. The lead is sitting on a nerve. I think that if i didn't fall, it would have help me alot. But it never took away the pain to where I could go with out meds. I went without meds for a year but had to go back on. The two together was great. Now I am trying to decide if I want to have the whole thing taken out. Its kind of painful at the site that the lead is on the nerve. If your wife decides to have this done, I hope it works for her. Please tell her I wish her well.

Sue K.

I half thee SCS but broken sense 1st days. If I turn it on it shockes me liked hart attack. Pain is thru roof. Mine is sown in place so it can't move. Doc said gonna be a big problam gettin it out. I scared of crippln for life or even death. I put if off for 3 yeards now out of pure fear. No doc can tell me that surjerie will be good. Lord help me. I no scare you. But I play Devil's Advocate. My doc for serjery was a pinhead. He shouldn sew it into my spinal but he did. That is my misfortune. Your wifes will be more better.

Chin Up!!!! Mark

Dear Wicked and SueK--Thanks for your input and comments. To all those who have responded to this thread thus far, a great big thank you as well. Please keep more comments and opinions coming.

johnthepainter

Hi John,
I wanted to welcome you to the group.This is a wonderful group you have found. I had a scs implanted in my right abdomen and the leads put in between my shoulder blades. I was implanted with them on December 17, 2006.I had a temporary one in for three days prior to that to make sure it was going to work first. It was wonderful. It had taken away about 60-70% of my pain.I thought this is the way to go. I am on cymbalta 60mg once aday,trazedone 50mg once aday. My family doctor tried to take me off the cymbalta after being on it for 2 and a half years and I had major withdrawal symtoms. That very same time I went through major muscle spasms non stop. I shut my scs off and it took 15 minutes to a half an hour to get them to stop. To double check I turned it back on and the spasms started up immediately.So I shut it down again and contacted my pain doc. They told me to restart the cymbalta and gave me 90 pills of skelaxin 800mg to try and help with the spasms. I am now out of the skelaxin. They also told me to turn my scs down. I told them if I turn it down it won't do me much good. Well I did as they said and have been back on the cybalta now for just over two months and I have not had much luck at the spasms going away. They told me once I got the cymbalta back in my system that that should help with the spasms. Suprise it has not yet. I turned my scs down from 1.10 to .90, get if I am lucky 30% pain coverage, and still deal with the spasms. I use to run my scs constantly and now run it very little because I can't handle the spasms and the really bad burning sensation down my entire arm. I don't know to this day if the spasms and the burning sensation I am having is related to the scs or not but in my opinion I think it is because when I have it off there are little spasms but a lot of pain. I guess all I can say is each individual is different in how they react to different things so how it reacts with me or anyone else may not be the same as how it reacts with your wife. I am not trying to scare you or discourage you in any way, I am just telling you the experience i am having to this day. Good luck with everything you do and it is good to see a spouse stick by there partners side like you are doing. You don't know how many people wish they had a spouse like you. You sound like a wonderful person. Keep up the good work and make sure to tell your wife she how lucky she is to have someone in her life like you.Keep on smiling and keep your chins up.
If you have any further questions you can contact me by email or if you or your wife just want to talk go ahead and email me.

Tracy

Dear screwballpookie,

Thanks so very much for your current experience with your scs. If anything, Marilyn and I have learned in dealing with her RSD over the past 10 years, it is this disease is perverse. Symptoms, reactions, meds, etc. seem to apply more individually than applicable to a group in the same boat.

We want to examine a range of personal experiences with scs devices in order to surmise how Marilyn may adapt or not adapt to such a unit.

We have much faith in her pain doctor. He has been with her since 1995 and knows the case well. We are indeed fortunate to have such a good man managing Marilyn's situation.

Thanks a lot for your thoughtful and descriptive report on your own specific situation. We both hope your symptoms improve.

johnthepainter