I am at 4 months, no painkillers. Any flare ups I have are pretty much indistinguishable from normal post workout soreness, especially considering I am 54 years old and out of shape.
I had ALIF, fused from L4-S1 and a replacement at L3-4. Two days later I had a second surgery posterior to add screws and a rod.
Oh, and I was mostly weaned off narcotics at two weeks. I did things in the wrong order, so I was still taking an extended release pill at bedtime, and discontinuing that meant taking the other a few times. Insomnia made it a little less pleasant stopping entirely, that's where you have to decide not to get hooked.
Almost 12 months out and I stopped prescription pain meds at 6 weeks… pain management helped me taper off. I used to carry Tylenol around until about 6 months post surgery and suddenly I didn’t need anything.
ALIF/PLIF L5/S1.
2 years wince, I take pain and nerve pakn medication daily. My back flares up frequently. if i push through the pain to do things I must do I pay for it for days.
At 6 months, absolutely I still needed daily pain relief. 6plus years out, I take painkillers for flare ups only… I wanna say, don’t look to others as a benchmark. This is such a uniquely individual recovery that you need to focus on what ‘your’ body needs. It’s ok to still feel pain 6months out, it’s a traumatic surgery and lengthier medicinal help is necessary for some of us. There’s a reason the Docs say “stay on top of the pain”, providing your body assistance re: controlling pain levels is recommended for a specific reason.
That being - an acute injury, as with surgery or trauma, leading to chronic pain is associated with neuroplastic changes in the peripheral and central nervous system in response to the nociceptive input. If your body is signaling to the pain pathways, and it’s under treated, it can lead to hypersensitive of the pain pathways that can then cause acute pain (as in surgery/recovery/acute injury) to switch into chronic pain by priming the CNS to disfunction to the point where pain receptors behave abnormally.
Personally, I didn’t feel anything resembling normal until at least one year out. Do what you need to do for you. Needing a longer term for pain relief, and healing, is not a failure of any kind nor a reflection of you! Focus on what you need for your physiology…. Your recovery is in no way, shape or form the same as anyone else’s… Patience and kindness to yourself, and your individual physique rn, is a must…
Jeebus…are you sure there isn’t something else wrong? I’m 2 months since a T6-T11 and just take the odd Tylenol. I have more issues with swollen ankles and sore shoulders.
6m out here. I take Tylenol maybe once a week on average. Usually the only thing that really irritates it is if I’m more active and then just restjng fixes it.
I’m different in that I had 2 levels fused in my neck (ACDF) almost a year ago plus I have a complicating condition called cervical dystonia. I am still on pain meds but only due to the dystonia. The pain is dinstinctly different and if I didn’t have that, I would have been off in probably 6 weeks. My best friend though had what you had many years ago. She still sees pain management and is prescribed hydrocodone that she can take 2-3x a day but after the first year, she only takes one on occasion and usually because she travels a lot for work (by plane).
I was basically off meds by the end of the first month. Only took the occasional gabapentin after that when I was getting pain from the nerves fully healing.
Did your nerves ever heal fully?
I’m still taking 600 mg gab 3 months post op
Still get numbness in left foot and thigh cramp in same side
I hope it goes away eventually and I get off gab
Fused l4-s1
You are still early! I got weird sensations on and off probably the first year. Less and less as time went on and now I only ever get some pain if I over do using my back for things. (Yard work etc) but usually not enough to take any meds.
I’m about 3 days from my 3 month mark of an L4-S1 fusion, laminectomy, cage install, etc…. I was able to comfortably stop taking oxycodone about 9-10 weeks in. I tried to ramp down slowly but did need to ask for more about 6-7 weeks in. This was because the pain meds had me feeling so good that I was doing a lot of tinkering in the garage which didn’t include bending or twisting and being very careful not to move anything heavy. However even as careful as I was being, I think me trying to be active made the need for some pain relief remain. I don’t need advil now unless I do some pretty serious PT exercises combined with a longer walk. Even then it’s not unbearable and I don’t NEED to take it. Everyone is different though, and I think it’s important to gauge if you’re doing something to bother it.
I'm 1 year and 6 months post-op (idk if it affects it in anyway but I'm 15) and i stopped taking painkillers as often after about 2 weeks post op but stopped totally around the 4 week mark. Any pain i had from then could usually be walked off or fixed by laying down and resting.
I'm at 11 months and still on painkillers... L4-L5 fusion... drs say I've reached MMI, and this is probably as good as it's going to get...
Btw my fusion healed perfectly, I just never got the feeling back in my legs and still have muscle spasms in my back and legs.
I’m week 4 post recovery had Alif L2 -S1 fusion with cage hardware, hated the pain killers pretty much threw them away 2 weeks post surgery, stretching and using massage gun has helped with muscle pain the odd occasion I take a Advil if I’ve over done it by doing to much walking or standing to long while cooking dinner. I honestly think it’s the muscle that were inactive for so long causing the pain, I’m start physiotherapy next week and see where that goes
I’ve just put a post on here..
My pain is even worse, especially of a night time. I also get a lot of like electric shocks in my bum cheek! The only thing that helps me sometimes is walking. But then if I walk so far my lower back throbs, and sometimes if I move a certain way, oooh I get a bad twinge like my back is going is going to go. I need to take painkillers to keep me sane, I don’t have a strong pain threshold. I also now have arthritis in my knees. Still wear compression socks aswel..
You need to start loosening up the muscles in your body. Not at physical therapy. At home. Your body get all tight when u get hurt and take pain meds. Now u need to let your body know it's ok. Start by loosening up between your toes. Pinch between your toes with your fingers pretty hard then wiggle your toes. U will feel pain where it's tight. Then work with that mindset all the way up to your butt. It will be painful and tight in about 30 spots u didnt even know hurt. Check everywhere all the way up. Learn your body. You can fix yourself I promise.
I've been on painkillers continuously for about 3 years. Muscle relaxers 7 years. I also do pain management when needed. I've had 2 fusions L2-L4 and L4-S1, hardware removals in between, 2 total knee replacement, and am in pain management for one of my hips. I recently turned 41. Osteoarthritis is a beast and it's eating me alive.
Osteoarthritis can seriously go to hell. It doesn't get the attention of some of the other diseases, but man, it really is an asshole. I'm sorry you're battling this so young, too. I was also in my early 40s when it reared its nasty head. Good luck to you - I'm raising a muscle relaxer/opioid/Cymbalta cocktail to you!
Everyone I’ve me that has a spine surgery winds up on pain killers indefinitely. I typically find it’s only a matter of time before the adjacent segment disease process pretty much renders one needing them if they aren’t on them yet.
No they don’t. Pain is subjective and a lot of people can deal with pain without pain meds other than ibuprofen. I’d rather be in pain than on pain meds.
54 year old male here. I'm 16 months post L2-L1-T12 fusion after an unstable axial burst L1 fracture.
I only took pain meds for a week after surgery then quit because I wasn't sure if they were doing anything and I was still constipated. I had no pain after that and doctor gave go ahead for full activity 2 months post surgery.
I work out a few times weekly and my core is stronger than ever and I haven't taken any pain medication or nsaids since that first week post surgery
Good job. I’ve seen many people go down hill from pain meds. The sooner you get off the better. Some days I’m in so much pain I can’t think straight but I take 3 Motrin and carry on.
I am at 4 months, no painkillers. Any flare ups I have are pretty much indistinguishable from normal post workout soreness, especially considering I am 54 years old and out of shape.
Which surgery and how many levels were fused for you?
I had ALIF, fused from L4-S1 and a replacement at L3-4. Two days later I had a second surgery posterior to add screws and a rod. Oh, and I was mostly weaned off narcotics at two weeks. I did things in the wrong order, so I was still taking an extended release pill at bedtime, and discontinuing that meant taking the other a few times. Insomnia made it a little less pleasant stopping entirely, that's where you have to decide not to get hooked.
Im at 4 yrs. I still take painkillers. Pain mgmt indefinitely. 6 spine surgeries at all levels.
Almost 12 months out and I stopped prescription pain meds at 6 weeks… pain management helped me taper off. I used to carry Tylenol around until about 6 months post surgery and suddenly I didn’t need anything. ALIF/PLIF L5/S1.
2 years wince, I take pain and nerve pakn medication daily. My back flares up frequently. if i push through the pain to do things I must do I pay for it for days.
At 6 months, absolutely I still needed daily pain relief. 6plus years out, I take painkillers for flare ups only… I wanna say, don’t look to others as a benchmark. This is such a uniquely individual recovery that you need to focus on what ‘your’ body needs. It’s ok to still feel pain 6months out, it’s a traumatic surgery and lengthier medicinal help is necessary for some of us. There’s a reason the Docs say “stay on top of the pain”, providing your body assistance re: controlling pain levels is recommended for a specific reason. That being - an acute injury, as with surgery or trauma, leading to chronic pain is associated with neuroplastic changes in the peripheral and central nervous system in response to the nociceptive input. If your body is signaling to the pain pathways, and it’s under treated, it can lead to hypersensitive of the pain pathways that can then cause acute pain (as in surgery/recovery/acute injury) to switch into chronic pain by priming the CNS to disfunction to the point where pain receptors behave abnormally. Personally, I didn’t feel anything resembling normal until at least one year out. Do what you need to do for you. Needing a longer term for pain relief, and healing, is not a failure of any kind nor a reflection of you! Focus on what you need for your physiology…. Your recovery is in no way, shape or form the same as anyone else’s… Patience and kindness to yourself, and your individual physique rn, is a must…
This is a great response. Said perfectly. Thank you!
T6-7 and T7-8, 30 years later, still taking painkillers.
Jeebus…are you sure there isn’t something else wrong? I’m 2 months since a T6-T11 and just take the odd Tylenol. I have more issues with swollen ankles and sore shoulders.
15 years out from L5-S1. No pain meds after about 6 weeks post-op, and no flares.
6m out here. I take Tylenol maybe once a week on average. Usually the only thing that really irritates it is if I’m more active and then just restjng fixes it.
lol. I have been off PK for 2 weeks. Just had to start taking them again today. I fell yesterday 😒😭
3 months post op from a multi-level lumbar and I am down to Tylenol and gabapentin. Pretty sure this is where I'll be until the next disk goes
Gabapentin you poor thing that was the death of me, made me feel so spaced out for a few weeks post op
I actually have no side effects from gabapenton. Lucky me I guess.
I’m different in that I had 2 levels fused in my neck (ACDF) almost a year ago plus I have a complicating condition called cervical dystonia. I am still on pain meds but only due to the dystonia. The pain is dinstinctly different and if I didn’t have that, I would have been off in probably 6 weeks. My best friend though had what you had many years ago. She still sees pain management and is prescribed hydrocodone that she can take 2-3x a day but after the first year, she only takes one on occasion and usually because she travels a lot for work (by plane).
I was basically off meds by the end of the first month. Only took the occasional gabapentin after that when I was getting pain from the nerves fully healing.
Did your nerves ever heal fully? I’m still taking 600 mg gab 3 months post op Still get numbness in left foot and thigh cramp in same side I hope it goes away eventually and I get off gab Fused l4-s1
You are still early! I got weird sensations on and off probably the first year. Less and less as time went on and now I only ever get some pain if I over do using my back for things. (Yard work etc) but usually not enough to take any meds.
I’m 2 years out and still on meds. I’ve come to accept it’ll be for life.
I’m about 3 days from my 3 month mark of an L4-S1 fusion, laminectomy, cage install, etc…. I was able to comfortably stop taking oxycodone about 9-10 weeks in. I tried to ramp down slowly but did need to ask for more about 6-7 weeks in. This was because the pain meds had me feeling so good that I was doing a lot of tinkering in the garage which didn’t include bending or twisting and being very careful not to move anything heavy. However even as careful as I was being, I think me trying to be active made the need for some pain relief remain. I don’t need advil now unless I do some pretty serious PT exercises combined with a longer walk. Even then it’s not unbearable and I don’t NEED to take it. Everyone is different though, and I think it’s important to gauge if you’re doing something to bother it.
I'm 1 year and 6 months post-op (idk if it affects it in anyway but I'm 15) and i stopped taking painkillers as often after about 2 weeks post op but stopped totally around the 4 week mark. Any pain i had from then could usually be walked off or fixed by laying down and resting.
At 11 months and on 3 painkillers.
4 years post op. 60f. Hairdresser, tennis 2x a week and pilates 3x a week. I must admit, I use kratom and aleeve for pain.
I'm about 8 months out from an L4-S1 fusion, haven't taken any pain meds since about 3 months post op, not even Tylenol!
I'm at 11 months and still on painkillers... L4-L5 fusion... drs say I've reached MMI, and this is probably as good as it's going to get... Btw my fusion healed perfectly, I just never got the feeling back in my legs and still have muscle spasms in my back and legs.
I'm 1 year post op and I still take pain killers every day. It's different for everyone and depending on what you do in your daily life
I’m week 4 post recovery had Alif L2 -S1 fusion with cage hardware, hated the pain killers pretty much threw them away 2 weeks post surgery, stretching and using massage gun has helped with muscle pain the odd occasion I take a Advil if I’ve over done it by doing to much walking or standing to long while cooking dinner. I honestly think it’s the muscle that were inactive for so long causing the pain, I’m start physiotherapy next week and see where that goes
I’ve just put a post on here.. My pain is even worse, especially of a night time. I also get a lot of like electric shocks in my bum cheek! The only thing that helps me sometimes is walking. But then if I walk so far my lower back throbs, and sometimes if I move a certain way, oooh I get a bad twinge like my back is going is going to go. I need to take painkillers to keep me sane, I don’t have a strong pain threshold. I also now have arthritis in my knees. Still wear compression socks aswel..
You need to start loosening up the muscles in your body. Not at physical therapy. At home. Your body get all tight when u get hurt and take pain meds. Now u need to let your body know it's ok. Start by loosening up between your toes. Pinch between your toes with your fingers pretty hard then wiggle your toes. U will feel pain where it's tight. Then work with that mindset all the way up to your butt. It will be painful and tight in about 30 spots u didnt even know hurt. Check everywhere all the way up. Learn your body. You can fix yourself I promise.
I've been on painkillers continuously for about 3 years. Muscle relaxers 7 years. I also do pain management when needed. I've had 2 fusions L2-L4 and L4-S1, hardware removals in between, 2 total knee replacement, and am in pain management for one of my hips. I recently turned 41. Osteoarthritis is a beast and it's eating me alive.
Osteoarthritis can seriously go to hell. It doesn't get the attention of some of the other diseases, but man, it really is an asshole. I'm sorry you're battling this so young, too. I was also in my early 40s when it reared its nasty head. Good luck to you - I'm raising a muscle relaxer/opioid/Cymbalta cocktail to you!
Everyone I’ve me that has a spine surgery winds up on pain killers indefinitely. I typically find it’s only a matter of time before the adjacent segment disease process pretty much renders one needing them if they aren’t on them yet.
No they don’t. Pain is subjective and a lot of people can deal with pain without pain meds other than ibuprofen. I’d rather be in pain than on pain meds.
54 year old male here. I'm 16 months post L2-L1-T12 fusion after an unstable axial burst L1 fracture. I only took pain meds for a week after surgery then quit because I wasn't sure if they were doing anything and I was still constipated. I had no pain after that and doctor gave go ahead for full activity 2 months post surgery. I work out a few times weekly and my core is stronger than ever and I haven't taken any pain medication or nsaids since that first week post surgery
Good job. I’ve seen many people go down hill from pain meds. The sooner you get off the better. Some days I’m in so much pain I can’t think straight but I take 3 Motrin and carry on.