L5/S1 spinal issues

[Scooper87]

Hi,

May 17 first microdiscectomy August 17 second microdiscectomy- followed by deep infection and hospitalisation.

Sciatic pain eased but constant pain when I lie down and try and turn in bed. Like horrific pain that makes me cry! Numerous nerve blocks since 2017 make no difference. MRI showing a mass that is growing but consultant seems to think it’s bone edema.

However the last 2 weeks I’ve had constant muscle style pain and spasms which cause me to be totally paralysed whilst in bed. This pain however is in the top to middle of my back / spine.

I’m on oxy, gabapentin (reluctantly started this on Monday) diazepam and I can still feel it and have no relief!

I’ve heard that sometimes an infection can still be ongoing but unseen on blood work. I’ve read the research that suggests 6 months of antibiotics can sort the pain out as it may all stem from an infection.

Anyway, I just need to figure what the hell is going on as I’ve put so much weight on and only phys I can do is walk. I hate being miserable due to lack of sleep and pain!

Help 😭

[Dalrymple]

Hi Scooper , I know a little of how you feel , I had hidden infection in my new hip joint , all the blood tests said I had high inflammatory levels , so the consult decided to put me under anaesthetic and took fluid from around the joint , and it was sent off to the lab for them to try and grow a culture , this gave us the type of infection, plus the type of antibiotics to have , maybe they could try that with you good luck Jacqui

[phil4u]

Only opiates will possibly be of a relief however the problem comes to people who take these types of med's as the addiction rate is worse than the pain whilst gabapentin is for other use's and pain relief properties were found in this medication.I think what your consultant is attempting is a slow attempt to relieving your pain with out causing further problems, belive me I am on the other side of the situation a reducing my diazepam at 1 mg per month and it is very uncomfortable, thats life.Good luck for your future !

[HearYou]

Hello. You discuss "microdiscectomy surgery" in two places n your back, with an infection following. Does this mean only part of the discs were shaved off, and there was no complete removal of the discs or fusion of the vertebrae with bone from your hips? Was this in your lumbar area, thoracic or cervical areas? Infection from the second requiring hospitalization is alarming.

Even with complete laminectomy, discectomy and fusion is just a two day hospital stay for me in the US. Where was your infection and how long after you went home from the surgery did the infection happen? Did a MRI detect the infection? Review committees in hospitals here really question neurosurgeons when this happens.

Something doesn't make sense, since the disc surgery should have relieved your pain after time, but not necessarily all of it, but you shouldn't be in this much pain.

And when you said you had "numerous" epidurals after the surgeries.....how many are you talking about?

I have had two complete disc removal and fusions, no infections, and definitely no epidurals until a year afterward. No pain meds. Then an epidural every 6 months so I could control the pain to practice law, as the oral pain meds cloud my thinking.

With what you are writing, I am questioning that growth as being edema.

Sorry to ask so many questions, but I am concerned about you......our health systems are different, but the results from care shouldn't be this different.

My first surgery was when I was 34. The second was 43. Both times no infection, back to work in a reasonable recovery period to allow the new bone to fuse where the discs were removed. An epidural every 6 months kept me working.

[Scooper87 in reply to HearYou]

Hi, thanks for your reply. Both ops were done on L5/S1 (lumbar) - first time he claimed to not have shaved enough off, second time he shaved some more. However most recent MRI shows it’s reherniated! My bloods detected the infection and was also seen on scans. They claimed it was post operative and didn’t go into more detail. I have been told it’s edema thats now causing my pain. However the upper back has now turned into muscle spasms which are preventing me from moving. I have literally just been prescribe nefopam today by my GP and due to see consultant in 2 weeks.

In total I’ve had 8 epidurals in 2 years

[HearYou in reply to Scooper87]

Sorry for the delay in response but I am recovering from an epidural. It has relieved the pan n my lower back, but now my neck and arm are yelling......the brain can only respond or recognize a certain amount of pain at any given time.....so my neck where I have the fusions has taken advantage that my lower back is calming down....So, I'm scheduled for an epidural in that area to cam the headaches,neck and right arm pain. This has not happened before, so I just threw my hands up and am considering it just a fact of chemistry, anatomy and my life. But still no infection.

But sounds as though your upper back is doing what mine is doing.......and am glad at least your GP is responding. Post op infection is unacceptable. Means the surgeon usually screwed up before closing. Hospitals have infection control committees to monitor this sort of thing, and more than one neurosurgeon has been relieved" of his medical privileges for this sort of thing in my metro area.

Hope you don't have the same surgeon. Do you have that option? The lumbar area has so much more space between discs and vertebra than in the neck area. When I practiced law, clients having neurosurgery in the lumbar area had a much harder time of it. I am not a surgeon, but never heard how a disc could"reherniate".....it's either ruptured or not. I always thought the "shaving" involved the outer lining of a disc, and the fluid in the disc was in tack. I hope you get some reiief ASAP, and you push for very definitive explanation to what the heck is going on because it is beginning ot sound like a "cover my ass" situation now.

Wish I could offer more, but please stay in touch.

[vulcantanker]

Hi Scooper 87

I am sorry that you have had to have 2 microdiscectomy. I had one over 20 years ago and still suffer the pain but gabapentin is advised to gradually increase the dose so keep taking it if you can because for me it definitely works.

I don’t know when you will see your pain onsultant again but see how much they have advised you to increase too. Like most medications they take several weeks to see any improvement.

Sorry you have had infection. If you are not confident in the advice that the mass is bone oedema would it be possible to have a second opinion? Gabapentin can cause weight gain in some people but the increase in appetite does ease after a few weeks. Hope it can help you.

As far as antibiotics can you not discuss this with the prescribing doctor. Hope you can find some relief from pain soon.

Hope someone else can offer you more advise. Take care.

Vulcantanker