Spinal Cord Stimulator

[funnywalk]

Hello group. After six years of surviving with a SCT that is inoperable, I've been enduring neuropathic pain the whole time. No painkillers work well for nerve pain. So I'm about to get a spinal cord stimulator implanted. Has anyone on here had any experience of this? I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks. FW.

[dabisbon]

Hi, I saw the post and wanted to respond. I had a Medtronic SCS implanted by paid pain management doctor in 2014. I got decent relied for 2 years. Early in 2017, I started developing a pain that was chronic in the center of my back. I have never had any issues there before. I had the device put in because of low pain. I told my PM doctor and he said just a little scar tissue has formed. Nothing major. So fast forward to now, I have my pain meds increased, a compound rub and taking Celebrex(www.rx-discountcoupons.com/pharmacies/cheap-pharma-com/). It is at least 10 times the pain from the lower back issues I had the SCS implanted for. The chiropractor told me it was a huge mistake putting it in. She told me about the 5 people she has helped 3 took their out. And have never looked back. I can have an MRI with mine. I made sure I had that type put in. I am 50 and lay around on ice most of the day. I pray no one in here has this issue.

[funnywalk]

Thank you so much. After a lot of thought, I decided not to go ahead with the operation. I couldn't face more pain and a cut into my old scar. I have found a treatment called Calmare Therapy. Non-invasive, with amazing results for neuropathy. Going ahead in November!. xx FW

[billanschell]

I had a bad experience with Calmare. To read about it, go to spinalcordtumor.proboards.com/thread/2276/leg-pain-stops

[kathyb]

To the only people who really get it,
I have been discussing pain management options with my NP(I want to give methadone a try, she does not) and she wanted me to get another nerve conduction study done, which I was not convinced the first one told us much, but if I want to move this discussion forward, she was insisting, so I went back to Igor (yes, the doctors first name that does these tests is actually Igor) and had another nerve conduction test done. The second one was a much better experience as he had a very competent assistant doing the set up instead of trying to figure it out himself. Then he does the exam and says, yes, we are seeing what she is saying and he says to me, "spinal cord stimulator". I don't think he read my record so I informed him of the previous evaluation I had which was that it would need to be placed to high, etc (I posted on this March 2012). He stated he was not going to disagree with this but technology does change and that Abbott Labs has a new one out that you can trial and do not need a lamenectomy to place. I am interested, this gives me some hope, but Igor was hanging out the door in a hurry to get to his next patient and not paying attention to my questions. Not exactly building a strong relationship for having someone mess with my spinal cord. He advised me to call the sales rep and gave me a nice glossy brochure. Right. I asked if he saw results with this, he asked me "Don't you think we know what we are doing? You are not the guinea pig."

I am ready to give him the benefit that he could be an amazing MD for someone, he is from another country so maybe things are done differently there? I have seen him 2 times and don't really want to see him again. However, there are not a lot of options where I live now, so I can go to LA, San Francisco or to Tucson where my primary neurosurgeon is.

I would like to think there is some hope out there, truly. I have read thru all the past references to SCS and it seems like a lot of experiences were awhile ago and w/ the Medtronics device. Has anyone tried the Abbott Labs one? Any good recommendations for a practice in LA or in the Stanford area? OR has anyone used methadone for nerve pain? I work with hospice and cancer patients, and we use it a lot for nerve pain in that population. It works well, does not cause constipation.

All ways looking for hope,

Kathy
Ependymoma C3-C7
February 2010: Eric Sipos; Tucson, AZ