Anterior Cervical Discectomy

Guest · Guest

i had surgery on c4 c5 c6 on 12 jan. it's been a month on monday and that is when my follow up is scheduled for. i called yesterday to have it moved up to today. i had already went back once due to my intense pain and they took tons of xrays and said that everything was okay. i went through about 40 vicodin in a little over 2 weeks. the pain pills are the only thing that will ease the pain. i have sharp stabbing pain across my back from shoulder to shoulder and especially intense in the neck. the pain is so awful that it literally takes my breath. i can't sleep because i hurt so badly..i can't work..even at a desk job..i can't be on my feet more than a few hours without having to be in bed or on the couch for at least 8 hrs. after my outings. has anybody else had this kind of intense pain? my arm pain is back also. pray for me!

elliegrl · Newbie Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 7

Hi there! I just searched pain after cervical fusion and found this thread. I had anterior cervical fusion of C5-6 on Dec. 5th, but am still in a huge amount of pain. They sucked out the disc (an 8mm by 3mm bulge that was compressing the spinal cord) but I still have pain down the arms, muscle spams between my shoulder blades and in my neck, and I'm miserable. I'm currently taking Aleve, Robaxin (muscle relaxer), Vicodin, and Neurontin (a anti-seizure med that blocks nerve pain). The neurontin makes me very out of it, and I'm a work at home mom to 2 kids, ages 8 and 5. My work is as a seamstress and involves a lot of handwork so I'm very depressed that I cannot work without lots of pain. The past 2 days I've sat in a chair lying on a heating pad w/ a neck roll while my kids were at school.

I have an underlying neuromuscular disease which my doc thinks is affecting my muscles and taking me longer to adjust w/out the collar. I can't get into PT (they're booked) till the 23rd but I want to scream!!! I don't want to live on pain meds and clearly something else is wrong. I don't understand why I'm still having all this pain if the nerves & spinal cord are no longer compressed. The MRI showed a add'l minor non-remarkable bulge in C3-4 and bone spurs, but it was taken in June *just* before we moved into our new house. My pain jumped through the roof after moving and I think maybe I made it worse. I asked the doc for another MRI but he says I'm just out of surgery and he wants to wait. He's the best in the area & well-recommended, but I really feel something is wrong. Everyone else says the radiculopathy stopped post-surgery, but mine hasn't. Anyone have any ideas? I'd be grateful for them=0)
Noelle

stillinpain · Newbie Joined: 14 Feb 2007 Posts: 1

Here we are 8 days after all of my dreams were supposed to come true. I began having pain about 2 years ago. I saw several doctors in that time. Some tried nerve blocks, injections, and manipulation. I don't know for sure if any of them believed that I was in pain.

Then I found a surgeon. He did an MRI and sent me to a neurologist who did a EMG(?) an they both saw I had 2 bulging discs. On 02/06/07 I woke up from surgery and everything was supposed to be ok. I felt like I got hit by a truck. Not just any truck a big huge truck!

My doctor didn't put me in a collar at all. I fell in and out of consiousnous. I would wake up just to cry myself to sleep. They sent me home the next day.

I still feel pain. I am at home doing very little, but I don't think there is any improvement yet. Is it going to come?

scrappinkaren · Newbie Joined: 17 Feb 2007 Posts: 1

Had my surgery 02/08/07 for C4-5-6, (I had 2 herniated and 2 bulging discs). I got hurt and have been having numbness and loss of use in arm with severe headaches. Had surgery and awoke to a severe headache but the neurosurgeon did tell me he may not be able to fix that. Reaeased 02/12/07 from hospital. Have spasms in neck and shoulders which work down spine probably shifting since surgery. Have surgical pain. Continue with some numbness in arm but pain in arm is almost all gone, occasional movements remind me. D/t titanium plate and artificial disc no collar was needed. My big problem is I choke easy and awake to choking on saliva. My raspy voice was gone in 5 days, but throat feels funny yet. It may be too soon to tell.

oltl4me · Newbie Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 3

hi my b/f is the same age as you, i would love to hear how it went.please email me

**edited by moderator ** e-mails not allowed **

thanks

Guest · Guest

I had my surgery on july 17,06. and at first i thought i had did the best thing too help myself, but i'm thinking now that i must have been crazy. as i should say ,at firist i felt better.now alot of the same pain i was having prior to surgery is back.i called my surgeon and he has been NO help.he says i should not be having any pain.i have fallen, at least 4 times in the last month.when i told the DOCTOR, he says to be more careful.
i can only hope that you get better care than i have. the time prior to my operation 5 YEARS the most i was ever prescribed --was lortab 5/500. that is even after surgery. now my pain level is back at a horrible level of 8 on a pain scale. and the doctor will not prescribe anything to help ar do anything to help me. i only want him to explain to me why i am 19thousand dollars in debt and still in pain.
i also would not wish this stuff on anyonei hope you all get to well and have very blessed lives.

raz2006 · Newbie Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 9

elliegrl · Newbie Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 7

Hello again! In response to the above poster, I'd say that it's an individual thing. I think had I read all this before I made my decision, I still would have done it. Had I known how much pain I'd still be in, I would not have done it. I thought it was going to be the end of pain! I was unable to drive for 6 weeks, and it was really hard on my family and children, all to still be in pain. My doc doesn't know why I'm still hurting, I think I'm bringing my new MRI films to a new doctor Confused

shutterbug · Newbie Joined: 14 Apr 2007 Posts: 1

Went to emergency room with neck pain/muscle spasms

Now, four months later, my neck goes "crack" inside when I turn my head left to right, lift or rise it. It occurs irregularly, resulting in pain on the right back of the neck just below the bone of the skull. Limited range of motion of neck, and generally constant dull pain down onto area between neck and shoulder.

Given clinical "impression" based on CT scan of "moderate spodyloarthropaty" and "degenerative disk disease" with "severe narrowing sclerosis and osteophytosis at C6-7"

Can anyone tell me what this means? How bad is this?
I'm a working biologist. Prognosis?

Heynow · Newbie Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2

Anterior Cervical Discectomy

LIFEFORM SOCIAL COMMUNITY NETWORK