Post op pain and muscle spasms

[52skeedoo]

I know it hasn't been very long and I have seen some improvement, but I would like to know if what I am experiencing is normal.

I had posterior fusion from T5-L4 on June 30. It took 9 hours. I was in hospital for a week. I expected to hurt but I thought I would experience better pain management than I do. Mostly I have awful muscles spasms on my back. Sometimes it feels like there is something crawling around back there.

Also, my the skin on my back is extremely sensitive --not in the middle near the incision, which is still mostly numb -- but on both sides. It's like a bad sunburn which hurts particularly badwhen I try to change positions in bed.

I'm taking oxycontin, and hydrocodone for the pain. I was given flexiril for muscle spasms but when I mentioned I was still having a lot of muscles spasms the doctor changed me to clarisoprodol. I haven't noticed any improvement.

I can't sleep more than a couple hours at a time and usually need something like the TV going to divert my attention from how I feel so that I can fall asleep at all.

Is this what others are feeling/felt?

Sheri

[Doodles]

You are awfully early yet so it's possible to have lots of weird sensations. I don't think I really have had the spasming so many talk about. I definitely have the burning--especially along my shoulder blades even though much of them are still numb. The incredible soreness and trying to sit for any period was probably my main thing the second month. That is much better. It all takes time I guess. Hope the new meds will help you. Janet

[asccbodypro]

Sheri,

Before I get started just let me say that I am 3 months post op as of the 22 of this week! I experienced the same thing. First I never really had good pain management in the hospital or at home in the very beginning. At night though I would have these terrible spasms in my back and all around my rib cage to the point where I couldn't breath and I would hyperventilate.........then of course the tears would start and that made everything worse because I was scared. I called my doctor and he put me on Zanaflex 4mg (I think) at night time and by the second night those awful spams at night were gone. Once in a while during the first couple of weeks I would have a bad night but for the most part the new meds helped. My breathing issues lingered for a long time though. During the day I take 10mg of valium 3 times per day and still am on that same dosage.

As far as your skin, again, very normal, when my husband would pull up my pants I would have to stop him and say be gentle and he would of course say he was! It hurt worse than a sun burn. That will go away soon. I can't really remember how long that feeling lasted for me though.....a month maybe. For me I lost all my numbness very quickly. For the most part I really don't have any...just small spots here and there.

Another big problem I had was while sleeping at night on my side I would get these terrible jolts of nerve pain on the sides of my hips that would wake me up so fast and I would try and roll over....of course I couldn't move, so I would be grabbing at my husband to help me. That to eventually went away maybe by the 1 month mark.

Hang in there and hopefully some of these things will pass. Talk to your doctor about getting on some different meds that might work better for you! Good luck and I wish you well!

[debbei]

I know it hasn't been very long and I have seen some improvement, but I would like to know if what I am experiencing is normal.

I had posterior fusion from T5-L4 on June 30. It took 9 hours. I was in hospital for a week. I expected to hurt but I thought I would experience better pain management than I do. Mostly I have awful muscles spasms on my back. Sometimes it feels like there is something crawling around back there.

Also, my the skin on my back is extremely sensitive --not in the middle near the incision, which is still mostly numb -- but on both sides. It's like a bad sunburn which hurts particularly badwhen I try to change positions in bed.

I'm taking oxycontin, and hydrocodone for the pain. I was given flexiril for muscle spasms but when I mentioned I was still having a lot of muscles spasms the doctor changed me to clarisoprodol. I haven't noticed any improvement.

I can't sleep more than a couple hours at a time and usually need something like the TV going to divert my attention from how I feel so that I can fall asleep at all.

Is this what others are feeling/felt?

Sheri

Sheri,

At not even 1 month post-op, I was having ALL those same symptoms, including sleeping a few hours at a time. Heck, I'd sleep for a while, wake up, and be counting the minutes till I could go lay down again. Give it time, you will improve slowly. Sometimes it's hard to see the improvements day by day, but give it a week or 2 and then read your post. I bet you will see some improvement.

Feel better,

[52skeedoo]

Janet, Debbie & Susan,

Thank you all for your responses. It was very reassuring to hear that others have been through this.


Sheri

[JenniferG]

Can't add any more than what's already posted, but wanted to wish you the very best for a smooth recovery. Lie back and let yourself be looked after and sleep as much as you can.

[lapieper]

I know it hasn't been very long and I have seen some improvement, but I would like to know if what I am experiencing is normal.

I had posterior fusion from T5-L4 on June 30. It took 9 hours. I was in hospital for a week. I expected to hurt but I thought I would experience better pain management than I do. Mostly I have awful muscles spasms on my back. Sometimes it feels like there is something crawling around back there.

Also, my the skin on my back is extremely sensitive --not in the middle near the incision, which is still mostly numb -- but on both sides. It's like a bad sunburn which hurts particularly badwhen I try to change positions in bed.

I'm taking oxycontin, and hydrocodone for the pain. I was given flexiril for muscle spasms but when I mentioned I was still having a lot of muscles spasms the doctor changed me to clarisoprodol. I haven't noticed any improvement.

I can't sleep more than a couple hours at a time and usually need something like the TV going to divert my attention from how I feel so that I can fall asleep at all.

Is this what others are feeling/felt?

Sheri

Sheri,

Yup, that's how I felt. I felt like I was sleeping on a 2 X 4. As the months went by, that feeling went away. It was really strange, because it seemed to affect how I could slide in bed! I only slept a couple of hours, then would get up, put on brace, take off brace, go to bathroom, put on brace, sit and read for 20 minutes, take off brace, lay down and sleep for another 2 hours. I would get up out of my recliner, turn around, then sit back down. Felt like a slo-mo jack-in-the-box! Kept telling my husband I was practicing! He would say, let me know when you get it right! Thank goodness for his humour. Some days it was the only thing that got me and kept me going.
This last surgery, Apr 09, revision and repair of T3 fracture, my skin was extremely sensitive. But that has resolved itself now. Each day truly gives me new opportunities. Try to look at the positives. Take one day at a time!
Les