cervical stenosis ongoing
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Hi All,
I have been posting here fore a while now, sometimes needing, sometimes helping.This is a needing information post.
I have suffered progressive cervical stenosis/spondylosis with my old path for 6 years, The prognosis is that all cervical vertebrae are beyond repair and the bone spurs (osteophytes?), are gradually growing further into my spine at levels C4,5,6 and 7. My pain control pathway is holding up for now but my everyday symptoms are changing. I feel very tired and lethargic all the time and can fall asleep very easily whatever time of day. Now, when I write down my meds you will think that's the problem, but I have been taking these meds for several years now.
Naproxen 500 mg 1 twice a day
gabapentin 900mg 3 times a day
Amatryptaline 40 mg at night
sertraline 40 mg per day
Morphine patch 10 microns 24/7
I also take certrazine and purple and blue inhalers for asthma, and tablets for my cholesterol.
Now, are there any others on here taking the same meds for simular cervical problems feeling tired all the time, or should I be concerned that my spinal cord compression is now leading to blood/oxygen supply deficiency to the brain.
Mike.
0 likes, 3 replies
Sgr9111 mike09523
Posted
mike09523
Posted
I have suffered fingers, hands and arms numbness for several years now and complete loss of upper body strength along with heavy tired painful legs and bladder problems.
My last mri was a few months ago and my consultant neurosurgeon said that compression had progressed but all the cervical vertebrae were problematic and multiple fusion was not an option.
Mike.
Sgr9111 mike09523
Posted
I left it up to drs since 1997 and my MRI in 2006 showed cord compression, at that time I was having dizziness and bad headaches pain in neck and sore muscles like the flu so they diagnosed me in 2001 with fibro and herniated discs resulting from whiplash in 1997. They kept sending me for pt and chiro treatments all those years, . in 2011 I noticed weakness in hands , left leg and severe fatigue, quit my job and Dr sent me to a rheumatologist who for 5 yrs kept telling me it was fibro and inflammatory arthritis. I finally found my own Dr in 2015 and she did a full exam and sent me for lumbar and cervical MRIs. Immediately called me 1hour after the mri and said you need to see a surgeon. Ended up having progressive myelopathy from cord compression of 5mm which normal space is like 14mm at least. Surgeon was surprised I was still walking. Had acdf c5-6 2weeks later. The symptoms subsided for 3 months then came back with a vengeance because I had congenital stenosis causing compression from the back side of my cord, so had a posterior cervical fusion c3-7 with hardware 1year later sept 2016.
If I were you I would get a 2nd or 3rd opinion, you know there's something wrong in your body. Neurologist, and orthopedic surgeon can give a 2nd option on this too, not just neurosurgeons.
Don't wait, the longer you have symptoms the more chance of being permanent even after correction from surgery which is only to keep it from getting worse. Wish I would have listened to myself but I thought I was pretty persistent. But someone dropped the ball.