Hi all
I'm 2 1/2 months post-op for an l5s1 discectomy. I now have no sciatic pain only slight numbness and tingly foot if I stay in one position for too long.
My only issue is, my operation site has started to become very sore. I was discharged from physio after 3 sessions over 4 weeks and I was doing my exercises twice daily. My pain seemed to disappear so I slowly stopped doing physio which I now realise was a massive mistake. My question may seem stupid but is this the reason for the pain? I'm signing up to the gym to see a rehab specialist and will be starting Pilates. It's horrible because I really feel like I'm starting from scratch and the pain is like it was a couple of days after the op.
Good luck to anyone going in for the op and if you've had it, I hope you are coping ok with the recovery.
Post -op breathlessness
Hi Guys
Well, all is going well, exercising and walking lots.
Two questions:
1) My problem is that I'm nearly 3 weeks post-op but I get so very puffed out and breathless doing the smallest thing. Walking up stairs, activities like folding up some washing or showering all make me breathless.
I'm walking on average about a mile a day in a couple of outings throughout the day. I can walk along the flat OK but at the slightest rise in the going I have to stop to recover my breath. This is worse at the start of a walk, stopping every 10 paces while on the flat I can easily manage 50 yards. (Pre op I could hobble a mile or so without becoming at all breathless). I'm pretty sure it's not a DVT, I've googled that. Is this normal or am I just terribly unfit?
2) This next question may seem totally stupid but I don't know what I have had done. The Surgeon isn't the most communicative of guys and his writing was totally illegible when I tried to read my notes. All the physio and I could make out from a page of scribble were the words massive and empty refering I guess to the state of the herniation/s.
At the preliminary appointment I understood he was going to do a Discectomy at right and left L4/5 and left S1/L5. However on my discharge notes he has written Spinal Decompression. I have looked at this on the internet and this seems to be a different operation than that of a discectomy. Any one care to venture an opinion?
Heather 3162: How are you getting on? Did you need any treatment following your pain?
Reply chrissie
Hi Chrissie
Glad to hear you are getting on well. In response to your post - I'm unsure about the breathfulness I'm afraid, maybe your body is exhausted overall after the op, or is getting used to increase speed in walking post op, not sure, I'm sorry.
However, I have the same problem with being unsure exactly how the op went. I have vague memory of the surgeon talking to me, but was so obviously I was so dozy after the op I can't remember what he said. The next morning one of his team saw me and I just remember the horrible word 'calcified' which freaked me out (though microsuccess has since reassured me!) but also I think something similar was said that you mention about 'decompression' but its hazy. I wish they had told me when my husband was there so he at least would have absorbed it! Have you tried calling surgeons secutary to ask for more info? I called last week and she was very nice on the phone and said she would call me back with more info, but of course she didn't!! I was just lying in bed thinking I must call again tomorrow when I saw your post.
Even though I didn't hear back from here, she didn't seem surprised at my request so well worth calling I think. I didn't even get any notes....not good really!
Anyhow, glad you are recovering well? Has your leg pain subsided?
Mine is lessening I think but is worse at night when I lie down and then when I wake up first thing I think it's back to pre-op stage but after a few paracetamols and a walk around it subsides. I just hope some day soon I won't rely on any painkillers!
Hopefully it's slowly but surely, guess its only been 12 days!
Take care and let us know how you get on.
Sali
Thank you for your reply Sali.
I am going back to the hospital today for last of the physio there, more to be arranged through my GP. I will ask again to find out what happened in the op.
I got myself off Paracetamol - not difficult - but it was such a routine and a 'comfort'. It's now 19 days on and so pleased to say I have no pain at all during the day and only an occasional twinge at night when rolling over or moving and the numbness tingles in my foot. . Since I changed the mattresses over, the terrific eye wateringly awful pain that I had last Monday ( "Post Laminiectomy Syndrome" ????) has abated.
The only problems now are the breathlessness and numb top to my foot and middle 3 toes. Other than that, it's wonderful.
Re: My problem is that I'm nearly 3 weeks post-op but I get so very puffed out and breathless doing the smallest thing. Walking up stairs, activities like folding up some washing or showering all make me breathless.
Ha ha!! I saw GP who did blood test and then rang next day to say I should get to local NHS hospital for further tests. I spent most of yesterday doing the rounds of more blood tests/ECG/Chest X- ray but given clean bill of health - no problems at all.
Still breathless so I spent a while googling 'breathlessness' and found bits about acid reflux. I took a big slug of Milk of Magnesia and hey presto!!! I can walk up hill with no problems - it appears to be side effect of laying down for a long time.
Excellent!! That simple remedy must have been such a relief there was no further problems! Good news 🙂
Still breathless so I spent a while googling 'breathlessness' and found bits about acid reflux. I took a big slug of Milk of Magnesia and hey presto!!! I can walk up hill with no problems - it appears to be side effect of laying down for a long time.
A lightbulb moment then!
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Sometimes the simplest answer is the best!!
Post op
Brief history. After moving house just over a year ago and helping my daughter with mucking out horses I started getting severe pains down my right leg and back. After 8 months of complete agony and living on Tramadol and Gabapentine I got an MRI scan done just under three weeks ago and they discovered a badly herniated disc on L4/L5 I think he said. My GP then sent a request ot the neurosurgeon team at the RVI in Newcastle on 5th November. I received a phone call at 7 pm on the 6th November from the surgeon who asked a few questions and he told me that the nerve being affected was also the one that could cause incontinence and since my symptoms were consistantly getting worse he wanted to operate ugently. It turned out if I had gone incontinent it might not be able to be fixed. He asked me to come to the hospital the next morning for surgery. I had a discectomy done on the 7th November.
So, I had no time to worry as I had never been operated on before. And at this point would like to thank the surgeon for his quick work at getting this done.
I was awake by the evening and could feel pain in my back from the surgery but the pain in my leg and the numbness etc had all gone. The immediate relief was gratifying. I was one my feet and going to the toilet the next morning and even walked out the ward and onto the street for a cigarette by 9 o'clock on the 8th Nov. Strangely after that they sent my home by lunchtime. I cannot bend at the back at the moment due to the tenderness of the operation site but apart from that I am feeling better than I have for months.
I feel very grateful after reading a lot of the stories on here as it appears I have been very lucky, only three days since surgery and I am well on the road to recovery and already bored with sitting around too much but I have to be patient.
Again a big thank you to the team at the RVI who made this possible when I was thinking I would have to wait 6 months to a year to get it sorted.
Hi there,
I had a discectomy l4 last month following years of sciatica, back pain and then incontinence.
I had to have the appointment as it was an emergency with the incontinence.. but.. before I went into hospital a few weeks before the op (I don't know if this is normal) the pain went away entirely I was just left with the pins and needles which ran down the left side of my leg.
Now I'm in constant pain again (much worse than before) and I find I'm always short of breath, I don't know whether I'm not doing enough exercise or too much. My physiotherapist is very happy with me so I must be doing something right.
When can I go swimming? I'm thinking it'll be awesome to take the weight off but really worried!!
I had a L5/S1 discectomy on Tuesday and I am still in as much pain now as I was before the op. I was expecting to be back to normal life after a few weeks, am I kidding myself?? I run a small rabbit boarding business and have rabbits booked in for over the Christmas but now I'm worrying I wont be up to caring for them and maybe I should ring the owners to cancel.
Three Years Post Op
I had L5/S1 discectomy on 26 November 2009 and I can honestly say I've never looked back. I won't lie and say I'm pain free but its not enough to cause too much discomfort. As long as I exercise regularly and don't overdo things then I'm OK.
I would definately recommend anyone to have it done is its got to the stage where it is seriously affecting your life.
I kept an excel spreadsheet diary of my progress from day one and looking back I can tell you that once the clips are out you will feel more comfortable.
Keep your chin up - it does get easier but for the first couple of weeks I felt as though it was one step forward and four back.:)
discectomy and sciatic pains
I saw my consultant today and told him how things had progressed since surgey nearly six weeks ago. He has again said that the nerve had been scarred by the disc pushing into it for so long and that it will take time for the nerve to recover.
He felt it was very unlikely that the disc had prolapsed again although reading the entry by colrob1 it is apparent that this can happen.
The consultant has told me to try and carry on with as normal a life as possible, (without bending or lifting), and to work through the pain and try to avoid giving in to the pain and going for a lay down.
I start Physio tomorrow to start to free up my lower back. I will keep posting and let you know hoe things progress.
Really interesting to read this site - My wife was suffering with severe sciatic pain for 2 months. Eventually 999 had to be called as she became loose down below, had MRI and voila prolapsed disc.
That was 2 weeks ago and she has started to get sciatic pains so the info above has been very informative to us - thank you
Breathlessness after operation
It has been nearly 4 months since my spinal decompression operation (L4/L5 right and left and right side S1 /L5) which for my right leg has been a total success but the trapped nerve in my left leg is still dodgy, no pain but numbness in my foot with a foot drop which is not going to recover.
The worst has been the constant breathlessness which I though was cured initially with indigestion meds. However it has been a continual problem with a post nasal drip, coughing and a sort of breathlessness and anxiety. Even lifting a basket of washing made me have to sit down for a while.
I have been googling everything I could think of since my op and my GP has tried every test known but today I found a (now closed forum) thread [url] http://www.healthboards.com/boards/acid-reflux-gerd/608722-constant-shortness-breath.html [/url]
where this can be common problem for many who can pinpoint the day the breathlessness, anxiety & post nasal drip started from some sort of post viral event or trauma. (I count my spinal op as being fairly traumatic!) . I had a few days of anxiety prior to my op. with breathing problems which continued afterwards.
It seems magnesium/zinc deficiency can be a problem and also a vicious circle of being breathless which causes a response of anxiety
Well, today I took a double dose of magnesium / zinc supplements and kind of mentally relaxed, knowing that others had this problem and it wasnt all in my head. Ive just returned from a long walk with no breathlessness apart from a few stops because of being a bit unfit.
I hope that this is the cure I will continue with a single dose of supplements and knowing that breathlessness = anxiety = breathlessness can be stopped. I have no mucus or nor coughing all day.
had the surgery - great. just got to cut the tablets
Had surgery almost 2 weeks ago. Amazed that the pain down my right side went instantly although has very slight twinges if I try to sleep on that side. Have only slight pain from surgery point and could give up tablets if there wasn't withdrawal syptoms. Managed to reduce tramadol from 8 x 50g to 3 x 50g but playing havoc with my stomach. Possibly trying to do it too quick but have always been one to shy away from tablets (even headache ones). Also on 2 x 100g pregabalin but haven't tried to reduce them yet, one thing at a time.
These last few days I have what I thought was a really bad cold & cough but I'm not sure if this isn't just another withdrawal symptom or trauma re-action.
Anyone give me any ideas on how to overcome withdrawal symptom.
Hi PAINFREE
Great news your feeling the benefit of surgery and I hope it long continues.
As for the tramadol everyone tapers differently. The leap from 8 to 3 is huge and a lot for the nervous system but more importantly the brain to cope with, due to the effect tramadol has on the seretonin levels. The only thing we were told to take while tapering is milk of magnesia or a magnesium supplement. Also the gut has a 1 way valve and prolonged laying can put pressure on the valve giving you a sick/rough tummy. Only a more upright posture when walking corrects this, but dont rush it, im sure a slight sick tum over pain is preferable.
The cold/flu symptoms are common, your bodies been getting a leg up for so long with the medication that once it feels its being short changed some people start feeling ill. Don't panic if your getting strong leg aches (restless leg syndrome) as this occured in everyone in my physio group that was reducing the tramadol.
Hope this helps