Unsuccessful neurostimulator trial?

My pain started at 20 and I am 2 weeks away from my 29th b-day. I, like most of you, have tried EVERYTHING except the pain pump. I hate increasing my meds and have refused to do so for 2 years and th epain is getting worse and worse. All-over burning, deep aching in my legs and arms (mid back down) and sharper pain in my low back and SI joints. I take 50 mcg fentanyl patch (every 48 hrs), 7.5 mg percocet 3x day, naproxyn 500 2 x day, neurontin 300 mg 3x day, and I took soma 3 x day along with lyrica before I got pregnant.I just tried the neurostimulator and on Friday they took the leads out and we decided it was not for me. Now I am looking into the pump....hoping to get the trial done ASAP. Any words of advice or experience with drugs that helped better than fentanyl on nerve pain? Thoughts about pain pump? Have you had an unsuccessful neurostim trial? What was your experience like?

Hi Blackdove,

Sorry to hear that you had an unsuccessful trial for the neurostimulator. It happens, unfortunately. How long was the trial for? What /where is the pain that they were trying to help you with? Did they try to re-adjust the stim pattern over the course of the trial to see if you would get better coverage or pain reduction before making the decision that it was not a successful trial?

You are on a pretty low dose of fentanyl to be considering the pain pump. That is a truly invasive procedure, having to have a tube implanted into the spinal fluid for pain med delivery, especially at the doses that you are on at this time.

I know that 9 years seems like an eternity, but if I were you, I might consider waiting on the pump , at least until you are at much higher doses, or the meds just aren't working as they once were any longer. You are so young and have many, many years ahead of you, and that also factors into the considerations for getting the pump now.

Anyway, whatever you decide, I wish you the best. Stray gave you some good direction regarding the pump and locating the various threads.

Sandi