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spinal stimulators

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Chronic Pain
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Posted 12/12/2007 10:59 AM (GMT -6)

I know I should have ask this question before I had it done. how much pain did the stimulator mask for you? I have mine now and am not getting the results I was hoping for. Sometimes I can't even tell that I'm getting benefits from the thing at all. when I turn it up I have a hard time functioning. after having it put in three times in the past couple of months, I'll hate to tell the doctor I'm still in pain.

Posted 12/12/2007 12:11 PM (GMT -6)
Hey John, where is your pain located? Is it low back, legs, or both. Is yours the newer three lead type? You may just need to have the Medtronics rep or whatever yours is take another look at it to adjust the programming. Good luck and have a Blessed Day!
Posted 12/12/2007 5:22 PM (GMT -6)
It's in the lower left quadrant and wraps around to the mid to lower back. I've tried having the rep change the settings a couple of times, but unfortunately I'm having trouble getting much stimulation in my abdomen. the stimulator works best if I'm laying down and don't move, but that's imposable to do while I work. I need to be completely coherent while I work, which is why I went the stimulator route. which brings up the question, is there any decent long term pain medication which won't make you a zombie. I tried methadone, but it drove me nuts. anyone know of a good nerve pain medication?
Posted 12/13/2007 12:26 PM (GMT -6)
John D, your doc may need to reposition your leads. My stimulator wasn't providing the necessary relief due to one of the leads slipping which required going back in to reposition it. As far as the drugs are concerned, for me any thing that provided enough pain relief also caused side effects. Lortab makes me hateful and also not near enough pain relief. Percocet worked better but not good enough. Pain patches which work for many left me feeling like my head was disconnected. Morphine to me offered the best overall relief. However, even though I felt like the drug had little effect on me mentally my family could tell the difference. Said I wasn't myself. This all lead me to the stimulator. Mine is still new so I have some adjustment to do to fine tune it. I am also taking endocet, gabapentin and a host of other meds daily. The gabbapentin helps with the nerve pain. Have a Blessed Day!
Posted 12/19/2007 12:44 AM (GMT -6)

It took two fridays in a row 8 hours each day and they inserted 12 wires 4-up,8-down and it's not like you are out like a rock either, you have to keep telling them if it's in or out of position, I thought the surgery was overwelming , both times, for the stimulator.Trying to correct a nerve pain in my foot. Everytime I moved, The stimulation would shift as well. From my ass all down one leg then in my foot. I tried to get them re-programmed a couple of times, but It really did'nt help. Once I realized it wasnt for me I had it removed asap, and feeling alot better with out it.

keep in mind this is one persons experience. I definatly do not want anyone to think that because mine was'nt succesful that yours wont be. Everyone's condition it different. 

                                                 good luck

                     

                                                               mike

Posted 12/19/2007 10:33 AM (GMT -6)
I am going for my first adjustment since surgery today. Right now my leg coverage is decent but back coverage is almost absent. I had one lead slip within the first two weeks. They wanted to put a surgical paddle lead in but doc wasn't available to do it so my doc repositioned it. I hope this works because I sure don't want to go back on ultra heavy narcotics.

Have a Blessed Day and a Wonderful CHRISTmas!!!
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