I'm wearing soneone else's back and it ITCHES!!!

[txmarinemom]

Geez, Louise ...

My back's numb in places, normal in some, tingly in others. No big deal ... just *strange* (like I'm wearing someone else's back).

I lean back on the car seat and I barely feel a thing (but oddly, I can feel the pressure where it touches in places that were rotated before and didn't make contact ;-).

Trying to describe the numbness/nerve insult to someone who's never had an incision over 2" - much less 17" - is pretty much impossible. Sometimes it goes away, sometimes not: My first knee surgery from '92 still has numbness and phantom itching.

Anyway, a few days ago by entire back started itching like crazy. I was literally afraid to scratch it because it's so numb and you can't get to the itches anyway. I would have clawed it to pieces.

They started me on Gabapentin yesterday. Dude. For all my tolerance to pain meds, THIS stuff has me lOoPy. Anyone else have that effect?

Other than that, it's working *great* for the pain, and I only took about half the normal dose of my Percodan/Norco today.

Pam

[samsmom]

Pam,

You are not alone. Sam has been having having the same thing. She has been saying her back is numb and feels very weird. When she has pain and I tried to give her the heating pack, she says why bother, she can't feel anything! I thought that was bizarre, but I guess not.
- Michele

__________________
Samsmom
Mom to Samantha, Age 17

64 Degree Thoracic Curve
42 Degree Lumbar Curve
Fused T-4 to L-2
Yale New Haven
2/5/08

[txmarinemom]

Originally Posted by samsmom

Sam has been having having the same thing. She has been saying her back is numb and feels very weird. When she has pain and I tried to give her the heating pack, she says why bother, she can't feel anything! I thought that was bizarre, but I guess not.

Nerves are so odd. I've been able to feel the sensation of my clay heating pack even on the parts of my back that have no feeling.

I DO, however, have to be VERY careful on certain areas that are particularly numb ... I've already blistered myself in a small place.

Hopefully she won't get the itching, Michele ... it's MADDENING to not be able to reach it. I know it's a normal part of healing from all my *other* surgeries, but had no idea they could do anything for it. I sat through it for 2 days before I finally called Hanson's office.

If the sensation really gets to bothering her, you might want to call her doctor. I've heard the med works better on some than others, but it's working great for me. Another day of that phantom itching and I was headed for the looney bin!

[skoshi314]

Originally Posted by txmarinemom

They started me on Gabapentin yesterday. Dude. For all my tolerance to pain meds, THIS stuff has me lOoPy. Anyone else have that effect?

What strength are you taking? I've been taking Gabepentin (Neurontin) 300mg for a while for nerve pain and it really helps. I only take it at night though because it does make me quite sleepy but that helps counteract the wide awake feeling I get from taking Norco (Lortab). My pain management doc prescribed 100mg capsules to take during the day with the hope that they won't make me as sleepy but will still receive some relief from the nerve pain. I'm waiting until this weekend to try the 100's so if they do make me sleepy, I can take a nap in my bed instead of under my desk LOL. You might check with your doc about trying the 100s so you could adjust the dosage to better suit you. Hope this helps!

[txmarinemom]

Originally Posted by skoshi314

What strength are you taking?

I just looked ... I'm taking the 100 mg's.

Let me clarify "loopy": It's not sleepy, not "under the influence", it's producing a rather surreal mood and seriously screwing with my depth perception and night vision (I discovered the last two when I walked my rent check to my landlord 2 houses over earlier).

I've never had anything affect me like this. Not intolerable, just weird. Like anything else, the effects may settle down. They certainly aren't unbearable enough to discontinue at this point.

Man-oh-man ... I don't know how you handle the 300's. I'd have to take it lying down in bed - LOL!

[The Slice]

Hey Pam, why not make yourself a "safe" back scratcher? Get a piece of flat stock (aluminum, or steel) and either attach some rubber, or easier, make a ball of cloth like a terry dish towel or something. This will should give you enough of a rough texture to get the scratching and no chance of hurting yourself. You can find flat stock easily enough at Home Depot, or your equivalent. Good luck.

[csc]

Samsmom,
I hope you don't mind a word of warning. When I went to my two week visit, I was told not to use a heating pad. Since areas are numb a burn could develop without that person being aware of it. When I had used it, I used the lowest setting. Advised to use ice packs instead.
I have not developed that "itchy" feeling. My back does not feel like it's a part of me. It seems so swollen at times and that is when it really bothers me. I wore a
Milwaukee brace as a teen-ager and now it feels like it's inside me. It feels like I am leaning against bars when I lean back in a chair. Anyone experience this?
Thanks for replies. Sorry, I don't have an answer for the itchiness, Pam. Hope it goes away soon for you.

[cameol998]

Pam,

For your itching back, you should try a Dry Brush. They are used in spa treatments. They have them at places like bath & body or the Body Shoppe. Even at pharmacies. They have soft bristles and some come with a long handle. They are really great for softly rubbing your incision. They are the brushes with the wooden handles. Cameo

[samsmom]

Originally Posted by csc

Samsmom,
I hope you don't mind a word of warning. When I went to my two week visit, I was told not to use a heating pad. Since areas are numb a burn could develop without that person being aware of it. When I had used it, I used the lowest setting. Advised to use ice packs instead.
I have not developed that "itchy" feeling. My back does not feel like it's a part of me. It seems so swollen at times and that is when it really bothers me. I wore a
Milwaukee brace as a teen-ager and now it feels like it's inside me. It feels like I am leaning against bars when I lean back in a chair. Anyone experience this?
Thanks for replies. Sorry, I don't have an answer for the itchiness, Pam. Hope it goes away soon for you.

Thanks for the word of warning. I honestly never thought of that!

[txmarinemom]

Originally Posted by The Slice

Hey Pam, why not make yourself a "safe" back scratcher? Get a piece of flat stock (aluminum, or steel) and either attach some rubber, or easier, make a ball of cloth like a terry dish towel or something. This will should give you enough of a rough texture to get the scratching and no chance of hurting yourself. You can find flat stock easily enough at Home Depot, or your equivalent. Good luck.

Y'all don't understand ... it NOT the incision that's itching. THE SKIN IS NUMB. Trust me ... I already lightly tried my bath back scbrubber. *nada*. I might as well be rubbing it along my countertop.

What I'm experiencing is nerve regeneration/misfiring - the skin itself doesn't really itch.

This is underlying nerves (severed in surgery - or whatever world y'all settled on - LOL) trying to make the synapses fire from A to B again. It produces phantom itching (and as Geish described) the "ant bites" (some say "bee stings" ... same concept).

My incision is *completely* healed, and I have NEVER had itching on the surface of the skin at the incision. This is different.

Pam