Discogram more painful than 3 lvl fusion?

[real_army_wife]

Hi Maria,

I think a main issue was that both the sedative (versed) and pain killer (fentanyl) they injected did not work. They even tried 3 times. They also injected steroids, but that also was excruciating, so I screamed for him to stop. What were the findings of your discograms? Do you remember? Also, have you had surgery? Thanks for your reply!

Originally Posted by Maria

I've had 3 and they didn't hurt anymore than my back going out or flaring up terribly over the 20 years before I had the 1st discogram done! With the first one I learned that with the 2nd I asked for something to be given in the disc space to help with the pain afterwards so I was given Marcaine in the injected discs. The 3rd time I had an ESI (epidural steroid injection) done after the discogram so that was even less pain and longer duration of relief!

My discograms were 3 levels...

[real_army_wife]

Maria- disregard my questions!! Sorry! My phone only showed the 1st paragraph!

[real_army_wife]

Besides my bad discs, I have facet athropy (arthritis), DDD, spinal stenosis, and SI joint issues. From what my surgeon has said, a laminectomy is off of the table due to that. I will ask about artificial discs. Can you do that without a fusion? I've been deciding on surgery for over a year. Mainly because I needed it over the summer, due to my 3school age kids, and 4 year old. I'd have to stay with my mother who lives in a different town, because my husband works crazy hours. I know I don't want to wait another year. To function I take 2- 10/325 percocets a day; 1 zanaflex every 8, 1 mobic a day, 1 Valium at night. I also was on some cream, and lidocaine patches, but it caused eczema on my back. I just cannot function like this, but can't stand to live with the pain either. Thanks for your help!

[jsewell]

Real Army Wife,
I so agree with you regarding the pain of my very bad discs. However i had a 6 level discogram. as i mentioned i had 2 very very bad and painful like nothing my back ever caused levels. the other levels which all had tears and little problems hurt but not that bad compared to the super painful levels. I only gave them a 6 on the 1-10 pain scale. Probably would have scored higher if i had not had the excrutiating levels.
I also had a thoracic fusion first before the discogram which did nothing to stop my pain but was also very painful. Neither my doc nor i could figure out why it hurt me so bad . I lay in the hospital bed for days without moving in a crunched up ball until my surgeon came in several times a day and moved me up and straightened me out. A few months later it was discovered that i had an imflammatory muscle condition called polymyalgia rheumatica. So with my back muscles already inflammed (as were the rest of the muscles in my body) the cutting of the muscle sent me into horrible pain. Even though i softly cried constantly for days, it was not as bad as the pain from my discogram!!!
I have had some huge fusions, the first do to scoliosis and a quickly advancing kyphosis. It was affecting my lung function and i already had a 50% loss of lung function. I was almost on oxygen so I had to do the long fusion. But i don't really have any problems with it. I am much better off. I know most people on this site are for ADR's, as i said i was never a candidate. Another long fusion starting in the cervical area happened because i broke my neck. So that could not be avoided as well. So fused from C4 thru L4 has not been a problem . a little stiffness and only with the last level added did i have problems standing up straight. But it has been a year now since the last fusions and it is getting better , but it was not painful . Just a hard to explain uncomfortable feeling but it is also do to my curve being messed up and not having enough of a curve to my spine.

I think you will be fine, but do find out all you can about ADR and if you are a candidate maybe at your young age that is the thing for you to do. Do find out though
judy

[Maria]

Army Wife,
the biggest thing when wondering if you're a candidate for ADR is to make sure you see someone that does both ADR and fusion. A surgeon that mainly or only does fusions is going to tell you that you're not a candidate or put this type of surgery down.. even if you might be a candidate.

My findings were an anular tear at L3 which I've had forever, bulging disc at L4 (had surgery on it and it rebulged) and worse disc was L5S1 with bulging and so forth even tho I also had surgery on this disc (discectomy). Also DDD worse L3-L5S1, scar tissue on the rt.S1 nerve root and so forth, so on.

I've developed facet arthropathy too and have SI joint probs in the past and just about every rotten symptom possible in lumbar area then finally after many years living with really debilitating chronic pain my L5S1 area auto fused and that has given me an incredible amount of relief! Not that I don't still have pain because I do with L4 still but I cannot see having more surgery and taking the time out for recovery and not knowing whether I'll function any better than I do or whatever... and probably setting myself up for more surgery.

I'm 58 and if I can keep going like I am hopefully if I do have to have another surgery it will just be one more because of how long I'm waiting!

However you sound fairly young and active still with kids and such so you have to do what you have to do in order to try and regain your life~ that's understandable.

Before you go see anyone else just make sure to find out if they even do ADR if you might possibly be a candidate even at one level. I was offered a hybrid surgery with ADR at L4 and fusion at L5S1 but I don't like the idea of fusions and the screws. Mostly the screws. Plus I was just worried about being worse off and adjacent segment syndrome (fusion putting more pressure on discs above or below to perform) tho not sure if this doesn't happen with ADR too.

Good luck! It's a difficult position to be in re researching surgery and what to do tho hopefully you'll make the best "informed" decision.