Hey, everyone! Hope you all are having a great holiday season!

I'm 6-weeks post laminectomies with fusion and instrumentation at the L2-S1. In the past couple of weeks I've started getting a lot more new pain in my legs and tail bone. A few weeks prior to surgery the weekness in my left leg got worse and my knee kept buckling. I also had inconsistent, but frequent pain in my hip, down the front and side of my thigh, at the top and around my knee and down the leg into the foot. Right after surgery that pain cleared up for the first 3 weeks or so and then started coming back, but at a lesser level. In the past two weeks it's gotten worse than it was before, is now in my right leg, too, and I have new pain lower down the lower back all the way to the tailbone. At first it was mostly after I'd sat/reclined for a long time and at night when I went to bed and woke up in the morning. Now it's more frequent and it's actually making walking at times very painful. To top it off, when I go to bed, it hurts enough to make me want to move my legs frequently sometimes making it difficult to go to sleep. I don't think it's at the level or type to be considered restless leg syndrome, but it's definitely uncomfortable. I'm still on hydrocodone and soma, and while it takes the edge off, it doesn't always make it bearable.

I've seen enough on the forum to know that surgery does not necessarily fix pain and that it can make it worse, so I know this isn't out of the ordinary. I see the NS on 10 Jan fo my "6-week follow-up" (he's on vacation now). I have a few questions I hope you can help with so that I can be better prepared when I see him:

• With the new pain in the tailbone and right leg, could this be an early sign of the domino effect? Or a problem with the fusion?
  
• Is there another possible explanation for the change in pain?
  
• Is there another pain med I should ask for?
  
• I expect him to prescribe physical therapy at this appt. Should that help with this pain?
  
• I was seeing a pain mgnt doc before the surgeries and he said I could see him anytime now without a referral. Should I try to get in with him before I see the NS?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Leigh Ann

So, there are a lot of scenario's that could be at play here and they are all speculative at this point. What I can tell you is that inflammation can be the culprit. I just found out that I am fighting an inflammatory disease and the mechanical pain as well. One hid the other for almost 7 years and until this week I felt like you are now. They had me on Ibuprofen but I guess it wasn't effective enough. I was prescribed Volatren, also called Cataflam and I seriously feel like a new man. That pain in the hips and thighs is gone! Google inflammatory back pain vs mechanical back pain and you will see the difference. The main indicator leading me to this suggestion is the fact that inflammatory pain will awaken you or keep you from sleeping, while mechanical pain is relieved when laying down and usually you rest through it

I know how hard recovery is and as you know they did alot back there, and put a huge amount of tramua on your body. I would ask for a different pain med. And give therapy a shot. And most of all be patient. I wish you the best of luck.....

Get in and see the pain doc. Don't wait to be discharged by the surgeon. My guess is that he/she will do a better job of sorting out the problems. Your body may just be raising post op chaos or their may be multiple probems. If the surgery was a failure, the surgeon may not be quick to say so or even own up to it. I like that second opinion. You may need a med adjustment in order for the body to calm down and heal. Yup, go see the pain doc. Best wishes.

I dealt with the leg issues for a couple years pre op. I had multiple docs try to deal with this as a restless leg issue. Turns out it was all from the nerves being disturbed from my spine. I can tell you the one med that helped me long term was methadone. Many docs shy away from it though. I have had a couple tell me it is great for dealing with nerve pain due to this. I had it so bad that I had to replace my sheets yearly due to wearing a hole in them where my feet would be. Obviously I can't speak to the post op as Im currently waiting on my surgical date to arrive. Hope you can get some help because I know how irritating this can be. Best Wishes and Merry Christmas!

I also have hardware in my lumbar spine. Reading your post is like looking in the mirror. PM doc implanted a Spinal Cord Stimulator in my spine. So far so good helps alot but still need meds. Weather changes really have a negative impact on me. Have you discussed the possibility of ARACHNOIDITIS with any of your doctors? Wishing you the best.

Lets not scare her with Arachnoiditis. I dont think the symptoms match that of Arachnoiditis. I think like others have stated, she's looking more at mechanical pain and/or inflammatory pain.

It takes the nerves a long time to heal, and they heal at an average rate of one inch per month -- and it can be painful during the process!!! There's been a lot of cutting thru nerves/etc. and now they're trying to heal. Plus there's still alot of inflammation in there as you're still pretty early in the healing process.

I wasn't able to go back to work part time until 4 months after surgery, and not full time until 6 months!! And I didn't have FUSION. I just had a laminectomy/diskectomy/foramenotomy. So you had alot more done that I did.

I wish you the very best. God bless and please take care. Hugs, Lee

Thanks, everyone. Yes -- I do hope it isn't arachnoiditis! I hadn't heard of it before and it doesn't sound pleasant...

I agree that it may actually be several issues combined because the pain seems to change frequently. This morning my knee gave way when I stepped of a little half-step from the kitchen to the laundry room and I ended up on my butt with my head in the cabinet. Thank God I had my brace on since it helped keep me from twisting to much.

I'll call the pain doc tomorrow and see when he can see me and check on some new pain meds.

Lee, how was the decision made to keep you off work that long? I can do things like go to the store as long as I'm on the meds and don't push it too hard, but then usually by the end of the day I have the pain I mentioned in the earlier post. I don't need to be off work that long and think I might be able to work at least part-time, but I also don't want to jeopardize the healing process anymore than I may already have. (I have to admit that I've pushed things at times between the holidays, a senior Mom who's having issues and several large dogs that can be hand full). I just don't know what to expect at this point and want to make sure I do the right thing. And after the things I've read here I know I can't count on the NS completely!

Thanks again, everyone, for your comments! It's great to have you all as "consultants"! ;-)
Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

I know its hard, but be strong and hope it gets better I just had my year anniversary for back fusion S1,L5,L4 7 titanium screws and a plate, 3 plastic discs. You need to start moving around and walking. Also mild streches. Every day is a struggle, but at least were walking. I have bad neuropathy down both legs. My only obstacle is myself. I still take Norco and baclofen off and on, but "baby steps." You may want to try LYRICA later if it doesn't subside. Good Luck

Hi lal ~ I was off that long because the pain was HORRENDOUS! If I got up, I couldn't stand the pain. If I sat, I couldn't stand the pain. All I could do was LAY DOWN. And I doubted that my employer would like that. LOL Since I was an Optician, I was on my feet all day, and there was NO way I could work and be on my feet! I could barely get to the bathroom let alone be on my feet all day. LOL

So that's why I was off work so long.