I had a trial St.Jude Spinal Stimulator with no relief at all.

Hi pat,

My problems are cervical spine but I have suffered lower back pain for years, just lately the lower back is much worse, possibly because I use my lower back to take the strain when sitting or bending over. I haven't heard of the St. Jude trial, so can't comment.

Best of luck,

Mike.

Hi Pat.. sorry to hear about your pain,I am in a similar situation. I have also had everything done from injections to my 3rd stimulator and still no relief. The Nevro HF10 gave me no relief so they removed it and gave me a peripheral nerve stimulator that also is a joke. My very last resort will be a fusion from T10 all the way down to L5 S1 or a Medtronics pain pump. Do your research, these doctors get a lot of money if they push the right product.

My pain doctor swears by the Nevro.  It's the only one he will implant now.  Can you ask for a trial of the Nevro?

Why did you not your doctor choose the Nevro.

 

I know how you are feeling because Ihave had the same things and more. I had the injections, trial of pain pump,trial of Medtronic pain stimulator and 3 back surgeries. 6 years ago at this time I had a laminectomy but the Neurosurgeon left "debri" behind and I was worse off after the surgery. I then had a fusion of L4-L5 by a different Neurosurgeon and it took a year before I started feeling like it was working. Then when I was more than a 1,000 miles away from home that I drove to (a convention) and the day I was leaving I felt something pop. I knew immediately that I had ruptured another disc. The drive home was excureating, I didn't think that I would be able to make it home, I stopped every half hour for a break. I was on the phone with my husband the whole way home and he gave me the courage to keep coming home. When I got home I saw my Neurosurgeon (not the one who made a mess of my back but the one who did the fusion) and it was confirmed that I had another ruptured disc and he did another fusion, L3-L4, that was 5 years ago.

It took more than a year to feel like I could do anything because of the previous fusion  with the second fusion so closely on the heels of the previous fusion my immune system was at an all time low so I caught everything that came along, shingles (I had a shingles shot), pneumonia (I had a previous pneumonia shot), H-Pyloria (I had never heard of it before I had it), and so many other things too.

Last year I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a lumpectomy followed by 6 1/2 weeks of radiation. I was then told that a new study showed that having better numbers would help for longevity but I had to wait 6 months after I finished my radiation therapy. That is why I said that I understand what you are going through, in follow up appointments the Oncologist thinks that  they were able to get all of the cancer. I think that my current pain was caused by the positioning during the radiation treatments because they had to "rock" me back and forth to get the correct spot. I think that moved things enough to start the process of it hurting again.

I had a different pain Dr who wanted me to have the Nevro HF 10 but I changed pain Dr and he tried many things before suggesting a pain stimulator. He asked me if I would be willing to do a trial of the St. Jude, now Abbott pain stimulator. The trial was really very iffy if it gave me enough reduction in pain.

I decided to go ahead with the St. Jude SCS and did the trial, I wasn't sure if I got any reduction but told my pain dr that I did because I was desperate to try anything. The trial and then the surgery hurt worse that I could ever imagine, I felt like screaming because it hurt so much. I am not 2 months out from the implanting of the device. I have had several followup appointments with the Rep where the device settings were changed.

This past setting change seems to be helping, I take an Oxy whenI first wake up in the morning, I try very hard to not take anymore during the day. If I have an active day then I generally have to take another pain med. My husband says that he has noticed a big change in my activity level and also less complaining on my part of pain.

Please do not give up, I am working hard to be able to help with some of the chores around the house. My husband has done everything these past 6 years, I have had 9 surgeries this past 6 years, the pain stimulator 2 months ago which I think has finally been helping.

CT/Myelogram with contrast is the "gold standard" for spine tests...gives the docs a complete map of your spine so they can find the problem and fix it...permanently.  I'd suggest starting there.

I know how you are feeling because Ihave had the same things and more. I had the injections, trial of pain pump,trial of Medtronic pain stimulator and 3 back surgeries. 6 years ago at this time I had a laminectomy but the Neurosurgeon left "debri" behind and I was worse off after the surgery. I then had a fusion of L4-L5 by a different Neurosurgeon and it took a year before I started feeling like it was working. Then when I was more than a 1,000 miles away from home that I drove to (a convention) and the day I was leaving I felt something pop. I knew immediately that I had ruptured another disc. The drive home was excureating, I didn't think that I would be able to make it home, I stopped every half hour for a break. I was on the phone with my husband the whole way home and he gave me the courage to keep coming home. When I got home I saw my Neurosurgeon (not the one who made a mess of my back but the one who did the fusion) and it was confirmed that I had another ruptured disc and he did another fusion, L3-L4, that was 5 years ago.

It took more than a year to feel like I could do anything because of the previous fusion  with the second fusion so closely on the heels of the previous fusion my immune system was at an all time low so I caught everything that came along, shingles (I had a shingles shot), pneumonia (I had a previous pneumonia shot), H-Pyloria (I had never heard of it before I had it), and so many other things too.

Last year I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a lumpectomy followed by 6 1/2 weeks of radiation. I was then told that a new study showed that having better numbers would help for longevity but I had to wait 6 months after I finished my radiation therapy. That is why I said that I understand what you are going through, in follow up appointments the Oncologist thinks that  they were able to get all of the cancer. I think that my current pain was caused by the positioning during the radiation treatments because they had to "rock" me back and forth to get the correct spot. I think that moved things enough to start the process of it hurting again.

I had a different pain Dr who wanted me to have the Nevro HF 10 but I changed pain Dr and he tried many things before suggesting a pain stimulator. He asked me if I would be willing to do a trial of the St. Jude, now Abbott pain stimulator. The trial was really very iffy if it gave me enough reduction in pain.

I decided to go ahead with the St. Jude SCS and did the trial, I wasn't sure if I got any reduction but told my pain dr that I did because I was desperate to try anything. The trial and then the surgery hurt worse that I could ever imagine, I felt like screaming because it hurt so much. I am not 2 months out from the implanting of the device. I have had several followup appointments with the Rep where the device settings were changed.

This past setting change seems to be helping, I take an Oxy whenI first wake up in the morning, I try very hard to not take anymore during the day. If I have an active day then I generally have to take another pain med. My husband says that he has noticed a big change in my activity level and also less complaining on my part of pain.

Please do not give up, I am working hard to be able to help with some of the chores around the house. My husband has done everything these past 6 years, I have had 9 surgeries this past 6 years, the pain stimulator 2 months ago which I think has finally been helping.

They all work differently.  I started with the Nevro and it only worked on half of my pain problems.  I opted to do a st. Jude trial and it worked on all of my pain and so I had that implanted permanently.  I have been a huge success story with them and am doing really well, LOL so well that I want to have another SCS put in my neck.  But I would say to definitely go for a second trial as different machines work for different people.