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Reprogramming stimulator

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tamra73559
tamra73559

Hi, I am new here and have a question for anyone that can give me an answer. I had my St. Jude stimulator implanted June of 2015. I have not had very good luck with it and still in pain. Yesterday I have new pain that started where the device is (upper right buttock just below waist) and goes down my right leg to my knee. Worst pain ever and had no pain in that area before. 

I should be contacting my rep to have it reprogrammed, I have not had contact with him since my surgery in 2015. My question is, do I have to go to my pain management clinic and set up an appointment for this? I have not been back there either for the last 2 years. There was an incident that happened with them that makes me not to want to even step foot in the door, hence my suffering for the last two years. 

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  • allaroundanne
    allaroundanne tamra73559

    Posted

    I had that short-lived weight loss by basically starving myself which I couldn't maintain.  My problem is basically lack of activity and the drugs I am on for pain, principally gabapentin which makes me hungry all the time.  Are you on any drugs? You need to look at the list of side effects to see if that's the problem in your weight gain.  My other problem with weight is I have been hypothyroid since my 30's, I am 58 now and I do keep it well controlled but it is always a factor. Since chronic pain is an inflammatory process and some forms of hypothyroidism are, you should have that checked as being hypothyroid will wreak havoc with your weight.  I do believe that any change in your weight after placement of the battery pack is bound to affect it and may cause it to migrate. It is easy to imagine a bigger fat pad pushing it out of the pocket it is supposed to sit in, just like my shrinking fat pad let it drop onto my sciatic nerve.

    As for the buzzing in your back, I suspect that too is related to having a foreign body in your back that is rubbing on your nerves.  If the battery pack moved, it may have tugged on the leads and now they are misplaced too and pressing on nerves as they leave the spine just as a bulging disc would do.  I really think you need a surgical consultation to evaluate what needs to be removed.  Good Luck!

    Lynn

    • tamra73559
      tamra73559 allaroundanne

      Posted

      My problem is also lack of activity compared to all the walking I used to do before my surgeries. I was on gabapentin but wouldn’t stay it. It didn’t help with my nerve pain and also because of the weight factor. I also have bipolar and a lot of the side effects of meds is weight gain, which my dr knows I won’t go on because the weight gain just causes me to be more depressed. My thyroid was checked at my last appointment and was normal. 

      I miss my daily cappuccino, can’t remember the last time I had a French fry or any type of potato, no white bread and I’d give anything to have a Cheeto right now!!

      I’m going to talk it over with my PCP on my appointment on the 25th to see what I should do since I have a pain contract signed with her now. I might need her referral for whatever I decide to do or where to go. 

      Thanks!

  • DJ1976
    DJ1976 tamra73559

    Posted

    Boy you sound like me.  You should contact your tech and meet him to have your stim re-programmed ASAP.  Can you meet your tech at the surgeons office instead??  If pain mgmt is not an option due to an issue you should ask to meet where you hade the surgery.  The tech can call your surgeons office to find a time for you too meet.

    Your Pain is exactly where mine is.  Buttocks, down outer thigh around knee to foot, which is numb.  The pain is sharp that it affects sleeping, getting out of bed, standing, sitting in certain chairs and last but not least walking.  It stinks.

    You May have better luck.  I also suggest you call Abbott and talk to the tech people.  They also can walk  you through programming it yourself if you cannot meet with your rep.  Keep me updated on how it goes.

    Dee

     

    • tamra73559
      tamra73559 DJ1976

      Posted

      My surgeon is also my pain management dr. I was referred over to him when my original dr (who I loved) moved out of state. We got off to a bad start my first appointment with him when I was 46 (59 now). He walked in the room and the first thing he said was that I was too young to be on pain meds the rest of my life. He hadn’t even looked at my file to see that I had two surgeries, the last one being a disc replacement and titanium cage above at level 4-5S1, with no pain relief. When called out on it (my husband called the director of the clinic, in spite of me telling him not to) he prescribed my meds but refused to see me anymore and pushed me off to a PA (who I liked better). Unfortunately, I still had to see him for all further injections and surgery. 

      I don’t know who you are referring to when you say Abbott, I have a St. Jude SCS and my rep is out of Milwaukee. 

    • tamra73559
      tamra73559 DJ1976

      Posted

      I see that now after doing some research. Thks 
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