Lupus Support Group
Lupus is an auto-immune disease in which the immune system cannot distinguish between threats (like viruses and bacteria), and healthy cells and tissue. As a result, the body produces antibodies that inflict cell damage, most commonly targeting joints, skin, kidneys and the nervous system. Join the group and find support for coping with lupus.
Hi, I just had a two level lumbar fusion, L 4-5/S1, and my recovery has been extremely slow and painful. My back doctors seem to think I should be completely off of my pain pills by now. But, there's absolutely no way that I can do that. I wake up in excruciating pain, with right leg pain from the hip all the way down to my toes, deep into the bone it feels like. It's like my leg is in a vice and being crushed. And now I'm getting the third degree from my back doctors (PA), since the actual doctors on vacation now. I'm not quite sure what to do. And my rheumatologist just started me on methotrexate once a week, and upped my prednisones. I just want to know Is everyone's recovery this slow and painful? The pain in the back and my left leg isn't as bad as it was when I went into surgery it's actually better, but the crushing right leg is the problem. Any information can help.
When I had a repair of my tibia and my orthopedic surgeon told me that it shouldn't hurt anymore, I talked to my internist who thought he was nuts, and kept me on pain medicine for a time longer. These days, though, there is so much hysteria about pain meds, so you might somehow get in trouble.
I hope things improve soon. I had a compression fracture of T11 while I was on methotrexate, and I believe it somehow helped with the pain.