Anyone ever heard of this....

[Double D]

An "intrathecal drug delivery systems"? I went to see my neurosurgeon today and he recommended this as a way of relief of my constast low back and leg pain. I have looked on the web and found alot of sites that expain what it is but no where can I find a forum or blog by people that have had the procedure. I have not had a pain free day on almost 3 years and this really sound like the way to get rid of the pain BUT I am alittle afraid of the unknown. If any of you have some information--please forward it to me.

[hipshot]

david. i wish that i could respond to your request, but i never even heard of it.

i LIVE with lower back pain 24/7, just like you. i had surgery 4 times, and all that the Dr.s ," healed up", was their bank accounts!!!!!!

 

leg pain, indicates a "pinched sciatic nerve", so ANY drug delivery system, would only MASK the symptoms, and not repair what is actually wrong.

i am told, that in all Scandinavian countries, back surgery, is an absolute NO-NO!

they believe, that rest and NO exertion, will heal ALL back problems.

so their respective governments , pay you ,your annual income, just to lay around and heal.

they have, by the way, a 95% success rate!

i would be leary of ANY new "intra tracheal" delivery system.

drugs, don't heal, they only make life tolerable.

 

 

having said that, when do you think you will have time to re build my carbs?????????!!!

 

just jt

[wild hair 39]

this is wild hair 39 wife i have been suffing from lower back pain and a tourn sciatice nerve .for 7yrs. ihave not heard of intrathecal. i be in pain 24/7 ihave not had sug. on my back because like you said it will not stop the pain because it is the sciatic nerve that is the problem.so if you find something out that will help the pain let me know.

[spear]

intrathecal (IN-truh-THEE-kal)

http://www.cancer.gov/images/spacer.gif

Describes the fluid-filled space between the thin layers of tissue

that cover the brain and spinal cord. Drugs can be injected into

the fluid or a sample of the fluid can be removed for testing.

 

So, there you have it.

http://www.cancer.gov/images/spacer.gif

[cowpuc]

Hi David:

I have had 5 back surgeries since November of 03. I am also facing another major repair in my low back and at least 2 in my neck.. A car accident left me almost cut in half by my seatbelt (we are forced to wear them here - NOT GOOD!!!) and the resulting snap of my torso did major neck vertabra damage. My sacrium was separated from my L-5 vert and broken pieces of the Facia Joints (the little fingers on the side of the spine that keep it aligned) we in there cutting things up.. The L-5 was sitting on the edge of the sacrium and captured by less then 1/8inch of surface - basically my spinal cord was held in a real tight "s" and PAIN beyond belief was the result...

Sciatic Nerve pain was a HUGE part of this pain as well as low back pain so bad that, if and when I could stand and brush my teeth I had to support my body weight with my elbow on the sink to brush... All this coming from someone who was VERY active - Motocross was my game of choice and I was pretty good - MANY first place semi pro races from 69 to 78....

Anyway,,, my HERO now - my Neurosurgeon went in - cut off the broken joints - moved all the nerve bundles back in place - rebuilt my L-5 spine with titanium rods and a ti cage to support the spine.. I as flat on my back in a body cage for 6 months, did 2 years of therapy and am just now getting to feeling ready for my next repair..

I write all that so you KNOW that I can relate.. The "system" that you speak of is a pain med delivery system that is held within your body. It automatically delivers a prescribed amount of pain med so you dont have to fool with pills.. The system may or may not be for you, it all depends on your tolerance to different meds and to having a foriegn object (literally a small pump) in your body..

I personally had an electrical stimulator installed in my spine with the controler installed in my left side.. I had a progammer that I could program the pulse lengths and stuff (very simular to remapping an EFI system on a bike). IT WORKED AWESOME!!!! I literally could "tweak" out sciatic pain in seconds!!! I had it for a while but after chatting with my neuro surgeon about it I decided to try life without it again - with med therapy I am doing ok....

The pump your surgeon has suggested does basically the same thing only chemically.. I have heard MANY good things about this method of pain control.. If you think about pace makers that millions of people use to stimulate their heart you will probably be more relaxed about this type of help. The pump system is very simular in technology only instead of being hooked up to your heart its hooked up to a pump..

Also,, many years ago I found this really cool web site called "Spine-Health.com". There are forums upon forums with everything from med pumps to surgeries,, may times the actual manufactures will jump in with suggestions,, neuro guys from all over the world at times will check in.. Check it out, grab a screen name and get involved..

SOmething else that I have noticed about back pain and its related issues (depression, suicide, pain management ect..) is that many times good meaning people will say things and do things that they think are correct but they dont have a clue.. Comments like,, be a man you dont need drugs grit your teeth and handle it think of how much pain a woman goes thru when havin a kid your a sissie and so and on and on and on.. MANY time even a spouse does not have a clue as to the frame of mind that chronic back pain can leave you in... Pain meds are a MIRACLE sent by God!! Dont let ANYONE fool you into thinking you have to live with severe pain - get in good with a good neuro-surgeon and listen to him..

Hope this helps somehow!!! If I can help more let me know.

'Puc

[cowpuc]

this is wild hair 39 wife i have been suffing from lower back pain and a tourn sciatice nerve .for 7yrs. ihave not heard of intrathecal. i be in pain 24/7 ihave not had sug. on my back because like you said it will not stop the pain because it is the sciatic nerve that is the problem.so if you find something out that will help the pain let me know.

 

Wild hair:

You REALLY need to check out an Electrical Nerve Stimulator.. THere are several types - I am currently using an external body one that keeps muscles alive.. Like I was saying in my prior post, I had an implanted unit at one time... That unit is made by Medronics. One of the big down falls of the implanted unit is that it works FANTASTIC on sciatic nerve pain BUT is suffers in its total back coverage abilities.. If you have predominitly sciatic pain it would be AWESOME!!!!

They take a small wire with little protrusions on it separtated with about 1/2 inch of space between each one. Each of these protrutions are a transmitter for electrical pulse.. A controller is implanted under your skin that controls the pulses to these transmitters.. You are awake during the surgery while they move this wire along your spinal cord (not much fun) and find the exact spot on the nerve system to effect the pain.. When its all done, you program this unit to intercept pain messages from the sciatic nerve -- YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT HOE EFFECTIVE IT IS!! I had such massive sciatic nerve pain before this surgery that I literally could not sleep for days!! I was a zomby - this VERY effective method saved my life and prepared me for some very sensitive repair work to be done.. I have some pics around here somewhere of my testing of the unit,, gonna see if I can find them.. Dont let them scare you off!!! The pics are actually during some totally PAIN FREE times because of the unit!!

'Puc

[Double D]

CowPuc,

I appreciate your informative reply. My wife suffers from singles and she had a stimulator put in about 2 years ago and she loves it. She carries her "remote control" with her and can increase or decrease the electrical impulses at any time. Some times she turns it off completely. My only concern is that the nuerosurgeon made a comment about not being able to ride after the surgery. I told him that I would have to think about it before I make a decision. I would love to find someone that has had this procedure done that I could talk to. I will check out the website that you listed. Again thanks for the information.

[Guest MotorCycleRadio]

I won't make this longer by listing all the things I've tried that didn't work FOR ME. But here is what did...my doctor wanted to fuse my spine in 1979, so in desperation I went to a Chriopractor. That worked out GREAT! I now go to one about six times a year. In-between I flip and hang nearly upside down on my "INVERSION TABLE". These two things have solved all my problems related to my back situation. I use the table once a day normally. If I lift something and get the pain back I just get back on the table for about three minutes. Pain gone! I purchased my Inversion Table from SAM's Club. Oh yeah, I also wear a "warehouse worker" type back support when lifting, and any activity that causes vertical impact. No, riding the bike is not one of my problems. No back support needed for that. Mowing the yard, yes. Good luck!

[BOO]

I too have had back problems for many years probably 45. Like most of you guys I have abused myself through the years and I pay for it and have been paying for it quite some time.

 

I also use to dirt bike a lot, can't do that anymore. Rode a 1st gen for years and finally got to the point I could only ride it about 100 miles at a time (50 with pain). Bought the 01 and it fits fine, hardly any back pain when I'm riding and I do some 800 mile days.

 

Anyway I also live on pain meds but not all the time. Unlike the other guy there I can't hang or go to a Chiropractor, I am worse when I leave the office then when I go in, he had to help me to my truck one time so I could come home.

 

L1 and L2 are fused in my back.

 

The other comment I would like to make is my wife has never had any back problems until the last year or so and I think she now looks at me in another prospective. For people that don't have back pain, they have no idea.......

 

Good Luck,

 

Jerry

[Terry Richardson]

Man.... is this Venture Nursing facility? Just kidding... I walk with a cane most of the winter because of a busted up back years ago that now has degenerative arthritis. I keep my compact cane strapped to my venture. I am also only good for about 100 miles at a time but brother I will keep stopping if it means I can keep riding. Never heard of the med injectors you speak of either. Maybe this is something new that is going to be great for us. Time will tell I guess.