Electrical implant for pain relief anyone know?

[Garyis]

Hi, this is my first time here! I never knew there was so much information and discussion regarding sci pain anywhere! WOW! I need to find out about electrical implants ans do they work; I am desperate, in the chair for 30 years, 20 years pf pain 10 years of nasty pain. I put up a link describing my pain on my web site.
Here is a list of what I have been using for the past 4 plus years for pain relief.


Fentanyl Transdermal Patches (Narcotic) - 50 mcg/hr - 24/7
Double strength Percodan 10/325 - 4 ea. a day
Neurotin - Varying doses (300 to 900 mgs daily) to establish an adequate strength. Will be soon discontinued as it does not appear to be working after 3+ months of use.
Ibuprofen - One dose of 4 ea. daily
Tylenol 2 ea. a day

I am open to communicating with any of you regarding yours and my pain issues as we all need answers. I am so glad to connect here!

Gary

[David Berg]

Have you tried a TENS unit first?

[Garyis]

David, I used a tens unit several years after the accident and again about 15 years ago. It did not work either time. Both times I was assisted by a trained physical therapist in the proper useage. Thanks for the reply. Gary

[bevo]

Gary,
I too am in a chair and have had chronic pain for the past 5 years. After trying a shopping list of pain medications, I (along with my pain management doctor) decided to go with a spinal cord stimulator. The goal of this device is to reduce the pain by 50%. It does so by disrupting the pain signal that is sent to the brain. The electrical leads are implanted in the spinal column and powered by rechargable implant.
In my case I would say that the device is a success. I still have good and bad days, but overall, I am able to sit longer and do what I need to do.
You may want to "Google" spinal cord stimulator. Or go here:
http://professional.medtronic.com/devices/restoreultra/overview/index.htm

[alan]

Remember that Percoset and Tylenol both contain acetaminophen, which can damage the liver at high doses or with long term use. Each Percoset has 325 mg. - your Tylenol pills are all acetaminophen.

[bollefen]

Hi,

A newbie, ruptured disc in 2005 with 100% compression of spinal cord at L4-5 emergency surgery and luckier than most here. Fused L4-5 and a year later L3-4. Chronic pain, sporadic spasticty, weakness below the navel, drop right foot, no sensation as associated with L3,4,5 issues.

Tried all drugs and was taking high doses of morphine and had pain so unbearable I spent the night in the yard with a loaded 45.

Chose life.

Got a dorsal spinal stim trial 11/08, permanent in 1/09, tore it loose by march and surgically implanted at T9-10 6/08.

Pain relief? best days 50% relief, worst days 30% relief.

No longer suicidal, enough help to make it through. Some folks get better relief though, know a couple at 80+%.

I think it was worth it.

Kindly,

Bill

[alex22]

I have a family member who was on the same meds (high doses of fentanyl, oxycodone, neurontin. She had had 12 epidural blocks, the spinal cord implant and tried lots of alternative therapies. She had limited relief with the spinal cord implant - maybe 30%.

The thing that has by far been the most help is Frequency Specific Microcurrent (www.frequencyspecific.com (http://www.frequencyspecific.com)). It is completely different than other microcurrent devices or TENS units. It's not about the current, the efficacy is in the frequencies. It is FDA approved for pain control and also is none invasive and no side effects. After receiving these treatments for a year, she was able to completely get off the fentanyl and neurontin and is taking only 10mg a day of oxy (down from 100). She finally has quality of life back.

Best of luck to you.

[Danimal]

Hi Gary:

are you talking about a neurostimulator? I recently had one implanted on 1/16/09 and I had two trials first. Did you know you can trial them? The trial will help you determine how helpful it will be to you and it's a fairly low risk procedure. If you have any questions, please ask! I've also written a blog about my experience..if you are interested in that, let me know.

Danimal

[bollefen]

Hi all

I did do a stim trial and it was more effective than the permanent (until I ripped it off and dislodged it.

the second permanent is surgically implanted and sown in pretty tight and it is even less effective. like every invasive procedure it causes scar tissue which will diminish the effect.

Still worth it, not suicidal anymore.

Bill

[Danimal]

Aw Bill...you poor thing! How did you rip your stim. loose?? :mad: I'm sorry to hear that that happened to you and that you aren't getting great pain relief. I'm getting maybe out 40% but it's so hard to put that into a number. Still have to take my pain meds. but I do find that I want the stim. on most of the time and, to me, that's something.

I was very very sad to read that it got so bad for you that you were suicidal. What made a difference for you??

Are you on pain meds too?? Do you have a good pain doc??

Best,
Danimal

[bollefen]

I guess I'm just a poor patient.

I'm old military, martial arts, athlete and just don't know how to take care of myself :zombie:. "Over activity" is what they said dislodged it and helped cause additional scar tissue.

My neurosurgeon did a laminectomy and sewed it in with tension relief loops top and bottom as he knows that despite my promises i'll abuse myself, although that gets harder and harder as I just don't come back as far anymore.

I have great doctors. I shouldn't be walking. My neuro saw me in his office and sent me to hospital immediately and he followed. When he got there I was still in prep and he wheeled me out and into the OR and started despite not being blood typed etc. said it was na emergency and get out of the way, they could do anything they wanted while he was working. Net I walk:D.

Pain guys are good too. I have an extrememly high pain tolerance. Pretty much give me anything I want as I usually don't use it, why bother, it doesn't help very much and I hate the mental side effects. I have nerve pain, back pain, leg foot pain. Even where I have no feeling which I find a cruel joke :thinking:.

I use the stim all the time, Lidoderm patches 12 on 12 off. Baclofen which helps the screamer spastic pain, but only as needed (usually a 3 day run every 7-10 days) as it makes me dumb (or dumber as my daughters say :p). Valium for back spasms. Vicodin for what I deem mechanical pain but only a few times a week as it doesn't do much.

Over the years I guess I've tried everything and the all work like pooh.

But and the big but, is that in combination, it keeps me this side of suicide, a good thing. Should they all stop working I'd have to make serious decision about if I could go forward. But so far the good Lord has seen fit to keep me this side of the line :applaud:.

God Bless

bill

[metronycguy]

Have you tried a TENS unit first?
tens units have nothing in common with soinal cord stimulators, except they kindo of have the same sensation.
the docs said the way they work are not related at all, so luck with or without tens means nothing on SCS outcome

[metronycguy]

on my second scs , does zero for my hacksawing nerve pain , i have the gold standard laminectomy implant 8 paddle newest best boston scientific precision plus crock of shit. they couldn't get a trial to work on me , so of course they talked me into the laminectomy, said it would definetly work,80% to 90% or higher.
however boston scientific precision plus scs , the company makes all these super duper claims about how they have all these great outcomes , however they do not and refuse to track the success or failures of the devices on the patients pain. i called them to tell them not to count it as success, cause i knew the boston scientific rep was saying it was a success, and i knew it did nothing even after about 8 reprograms.
i gotta remember to call the fda on that
google this

[bollefen]

That's the one I have. It definitely did not do what the nifty DVD shows. :mad: Has kept me this side of suicide though. :applaud:

Don't know how many surgeries and other invasive procedures you've had but my primary neurosurgeon said that the more spinal work and scar tissue, the less benefit and I got all I could hope for. I love and trust this guy who kept me walking when they said I couldn't. :)

My primary pain doc is not the one who put it in but felt it was worth a try. The doc who put it in swears by them. A poll in the waiting room I took shows jaut about a 50-50 split on how well they work, and also support the more surgeries, the less efficacy. My primary pain doc says with his patients it is 50-50.

you pays your money and takes your chances

bill