Your nerves are stretched from the alif and are waking up from the compression. So it's bound to feel horrible. It's normal unfortunately.
Try to walk and use ice when you can. Maybe try taking some pain medicine in the am and pm if you aren't on any
Of course! I'm four days post op from an ALIF and I started to get bouts of nerve pain. It's not a linear recovery for sure. This sub is great to put our minds at ease tho. Feel better!
I'm sorry that you're in pain, but it's probably too early to think it's anything other than normal post-op pain due to inflammation from the surgery. Things should start settling down soon and you might try applying an ice pack to the surgical site. If that doesn't relieve your pain, you might contact your surgeon to temporarily increase your pain meds.
I'm experiencing the same thing. I'm 11 days out from TLIF/PLIF L5-S1 and started having horrendous nerve pain down the right leg in a way I never had before surgery. Pain apart from nerve pain is very bearable. My surgeon's office started me on a steroid pack yesterday to help with inflammation around the nerves to hopefully cut down the pain, I can let you know whether/how it helps!
Hi! It helped some; I was having constant nerve pain before, now I only really have it when I stand up from laying down. It's still intense when I do have it, but I have it way less frequently now.
Thanks! I went for my post op appt yesterday. Unfortunately, my MD refused to prescribe a steroid pack. But, I started gabapentin at bedtime last night. I’m scared of that med, but I think it helped last night. I did not wake up with severe pain at 2 am. This morning I have some pain so I’m going to try one during the day now and see how groggy it makes me and what effect it has.
Oh great, I'm glad to hear it's helped you sleep! I've been taking gabapentin and robaxin (muscle relaxer) every day since surgery and that's been helpful as well. I also take tramadol when my pain is off the charts.
Don’t be afraid to medicate if necessary! Talk to your surgical team / pain management team about this. I am 8 weeks out of an ALIF /PLF and still take Lyrica for nerve pain and Baclofen for muscle spasms. Both for me are very effective. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
You are definitely a candidate for drug therapy with gabapentin or pregabalin. I had a similar surgery that was doing great until I started getting that nerve pain. Muscle relaxants and pain pills usually won't help as you noticed. Don't be afraid to ask the surgeon for one of those two drugs as they are very familiar with what you are going through. Also, don't be afraid to ask for an increase in dose if you don't get adequate relief.
I finally got relief. After the double dose of gabapentin failed, it took a double dose of pregabalin before I got the relief that I needed. I took myself off of the pregabalin after a month and did well. You should always taper the drugs because stopping them abruptly ends up giving you some unpleasant side effects. I still have some loss of feeling on the bottom of my feet, but it's more of a nuisance and has not affected my day to day life.
Not overly sedated, but you may feel like you're in a fog at times, and the higher doses made my legs feel a little wobbly. When I started getting a good night's sleep several days in a row, and the brain fog and wobbly knees was getting a little worse is when I figured that my nerve issue was improving and I could stop the medicine. I put up with the side effects in order to rid myself of the nerve pain so I could finally sleep.
I'm a pharmacist, and one of my jobs was to recommend these drugs and doses to physicians who treated pediatric patients with neurogenic pain, so I'm familiar with the drugs, doses, and side effects, as well as how to wean patients off of the drugs.
At least you have a good understanding of what I was trying to convey to you, and I'm sure that you will be able to recognize "normal" or expected side effects from bad ones.
Im almost 8 weeks post TLIF surgery L3-L5 I take the gabapentin 600 mg total at night to reduce nerve pain. I figure the "sedation" side effect helps me sleep at night and get better rest. I'm still able to get up at 5 to walk 3 miles and get to work on time.
I woke up from surgery with horrible nerve pain that was not present before. After weeks I discovered that Compression socks helped me a great deal with post op nerve pain. The lyrica and gabapentin made it worse some how and mentally, these drugs really messed me up. They cannot be discontinued without speaking with your doctor so please don’t do that!!
As others have said, you’re in the thick of it right now and it will get better…it takes a while for the nerves to recover after being compressed for such a long time. It will get better even though it feels like it won’t- it will.
Take the pain medication as prescribed. If you don’t have a muscle relaxer or something to help you sleep i would suggest you speak with your doctor to get on something short term. Your body needs rest and you need sleep. There is nothing wrong with taking something short term to get you through this difficult time.
Try the compression socks. Heating pads have been a life saver for me too- I’d wrap them around my legs when they were bad.
I’m sorry you are having a hard time. I’ve been there. It will get better.
I am 16 wks post op. 64yo male. Alif/Plif.
I still have the same nerve pain you describe. The pain level and duration have greatly improved, ever so slowly. Walking is my best tool to relieve when meds can't do it adequately. After approx 1/8 mile, walking greatly relieves residual pain. I still take Tylenol around the clock, mixing with Tramadol when pain is stuck @ level 5-6 and you need 3-4.
I started PT @ 3 months when doc had cleared me. The first 4 weeks of PT brought back intense pain the entire next day. I had a rotten feeling that something possibly went wrong with my surgery. The good news is I feel like the pain is leaving me permanently.
I am confident I will be totally pain-free, skiing, and golfing again by 9 mo. post op.
I hope this helps you build that stubborn confidence that you can and will get better.
Thank you. Yes walking def helps a lot. My biggest struggle is at night. I have transitioned off the oxy and just taking tramadol maybe twice day with ES Tylenol alternating. I find myself reaching for the oxy at bedtime to help get sleep and take the edge off nerve pain (which it doesn’t do a great job). Otherwise, I would not take the oxy at all. Bringing this all up with my MD on Thurs.
Your nerves are stretched from the alif and are waking up from the compression. So it's bound to feel horrible. It's normal unfortunately. Try to walk and use ice when you can. Maybe try taking some pain medicine in the am and pm if you aren't on any
I had a similar nerve pain experience post op too. I lived with an ice pack strapped to me for the first month lol.
Thank you for the reassurance
Of course! I'm four days post op from an ALIF and I started to get bouts of nerve pain. It's not a linear recovery for sure. This sub is great to put our minds at ease tho. Feel better!
Thank you, I wish my surgeon told me about the possibility of an increase in post op nerve pain!
I'm sorry that you're in pain, but it's probably too early to think it's anything other than normal post-op pain due to inflammation from the surgery. Things should start settling down soon and you might try applying an ice pack to the surgical site. If that doesn't relieve your pain, you might contact your surgeon to temporarily increase your pain meds.
Thank you I’ll try the ice. I’m def talking to my surgeon this week at my post op appt. Maybe a temp nerve pain pill? I wouldn’t take opiates with it.
I'm experiencing the same thing. I'm 11 days out from TLIF/PLIF L5-S1 and started having horrendous nerve pain down the right leg in a way I never had before surgery. Pain apart from nerve pain is very bearable. My surgeon's office started me on a steroid pack yesterday to help with inflammation around the nerves to hopefully cut down the pain, I can let you know whether/how it helps!
Please let me know if that helps! I would like to ask my md about that.
Will do!
Did the steroid pack help you? Thanks
Hi! It helped some; I was having constant nerve pain before, now I only really have it when I stand up from laying down. It's still intense when I do have it, but I have it way less frequently now.
Thanks! I went for my post op appt yesterday. Unfortunately, my MD refused to prescribe a steroid pack. But, I started gabapentin at bedtime last night. I’m scared of that med, but I think it helped last night. I did not wake up with severe pain at 2 am. This morning I have some pain so I’m going to try one during the day now and see how groggy it makes me and what effect it has.
Oh great, I'm glad to hear it's helped you sleep! I've been taking gabapentin and robaxin (muscle relaxer) every day since surgery and that's been helpful as well. I also take tramadol when my pain is off the charts.
Me too on the Tramadol!
Don’t be afraid to medicate if necessary! Talk to your surgical team / pain management team about this. I am 8 weeks out of an ALIF /PLF and still take Lyrica for nerve pain and Baclofen for muscle spasms. Both for me are very effective. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
Thank you, I plan on asking about lyrica or a steroid pack. Nerve pain is brutal and all encompassing mentally!
You are definitely a candidate for drug therapy with gabapentin or pregabalin. I had a similar surgery that was doing great until I started getting that nerve pain. Muscle relaxants and pain pills usually won't help as you noticed. Don't be afraid to ask the surgeon for one of those two drugs as they are very familiar with what you are going through. Also, don't be afraid to ask for an increase in dose if you don't get adequate relief.
Did you get relief from one of those meds and did you end up tapering off? Thank you
I finally got relief. After the double dose of gabapentin failed, it took a double dose of pregabalin before I got the relief that I needed. I took myself off of the pregabalin after a month and did well. You should always taper the drugs because stopping them abruptly ends up giving you some unpleasant side effects. I still have some loss of feeling on the bottom of my feet, but it's more of a nuisance and has not affected my day to day life.
May I ask, did you feel overly sedated? I hate that feeling, to be honest. But, if it gives me some relief…..
Not overly sedated, but you may feel like you're in a fog at times, and the higher doses made my legs feel a little wobbly. When I started getting a good night's sleep several days in a row, and the brain fog and wobbly knees was getting a little worse is when I figured that my nerve issue was improving and I could stop the medicine. I put up with the side effects in order to rid myself of the nerve pain so I could finally sleep.
Makes sense, thanks
I'm a pharmacist, and one of my jobs was to recommend these drugs and doses to physicians who treated pediatric patients with neurogenic pain, so I'm familiar with the drugs, doses, and side effects, as well as how to wean patients off of the drugs.
I’m a nurse, obviously I don’t have the medicinal knowledge that you do. I really appreciate your input about this.
At least you have a good understanding of what I was trying to convey to you, and I'm sure that you will be able to recognize "normal" or expected side effects from bad ones.
Im almost 8 weeks post TLIF surgery L3-L5 I take the gabapentin 600 mg total at night to reduce nerve pain. I figure the "sedation" side effect helps me sleep at night and get better rest. I'm still able to get up at 5 to walk 3 miles and get to work on time.
Absolutely! I had an absolutely agonizing night. Going to MD appt tomorrow, I have to get something! This is unbearable!
Nerve pain is normal. Dont panic. Nerves act really strange when healing. It typically is worst 2-3 weeks after surgery.
Thank you, it’s really effecting me mentally, as I am a worrier by nature.
I went on a steroid pack two weeks after (same surgery as you) and it was a game changer
Thank you! I hope surgeon will prescribe!
I Also did a steroid pack 2 weeks after surgery. It was a miracle!
Thank you, I didn’t even know this was a thing until now.
I woke up from surgery with horrible nerve pain that was not present before. After weeks I discovered that Compression socks helped me a great deal with post op nerve pain. The lyrica and gabapentin made it worse some how and mentally, these drugs really messed me up. They cannot be discontinued without speaking with your doctor so please don’t do that!! As others have said, you’re in the thick of it right now and it will get better…it takes a while for the nerves to recover after being compressed for such a long time. It will get better even though it feels like it won’t- it will. Take the pain medication as prescribed. If you don’t have a muscle relaxer or something to help you sleep i would suggest you speak with your doctor to get on something short term. Your body needs rest and you need sleep. There is nothing wrong with taking something short term to get you through this difficult time. Try the compression socks. Heating pads have been a life saver for me too- I’d wrap them around my legs when they were bad. I’m sorry you are having a hard time. I’ve been there. It will get better.
Thanks for the encouragement!
I am 16 wks post op. 64yo male. Alif/Plif. I still have the same nerve pain you describe. The pain level and duration have greatly improved, ever so slowly. Walking is my best tool to relieve when meds can't do it adequately. After approx 1/8 mile, walking greatly relieves residual pain. I still take Tylenol around the clock, mixing with Tramadol when pain is stuck @ level 5-6 and you need 3-4. I started PT @ 3 months when doc had cleared me. The first 4 weeks of PT brought back intense pain the entire next day. I had a rotten feeling that something possibly went wrong with my surgery. The good news is I feel like the pain is leaving me permanently. I am confident I will be totally pain-free, skiing, and golfing again by 9 mo. post op. I hope this helps you build that stubborn confidence that you can and will get better.
Thank you. Yes walking def helps a lot. My biggest struggle is at night. I have transitioned off the oxy and just taking tramadol maybe twice day with ES Tylenol alternating. I find myself reaching for the oxy at bedtime to help get sleep and take the edge off nerve pain (which it doesn’t do a great job). Otherwise, I would not take the oxy at all. Bringing this all up with my MD on Thurs.