A Question For Bion People.

[KarenIC]

Hello to Fellow Bion ICer's,

I was just wondering if any other patients with the Bion implant were experiencing leg pain on the same side as Bion. My Bion was implanted on the right side last April. I'm having alot of leg pain that becomes unbearable the longer I sit. It also hurts to walk and climb. I went to a physiatrist (physical medicine-rehab doctor) who told me I had ischial tuberosity bursitis and sent me to physical therapy for 6 sessions. The physical therapy didn't help, and I'm wondering if Bion is to blame. My doctor said that Bion wasn't near the ischial tuberosity & wasn't causing this pain, but I'm still not convinced.

Thanks,
Karen

[ICLori]

Oh, Karen, I'm so sorry. I know that the Bion IS placed near the ischial spine, and one of the complications that was listed on the page I signed, was possible nerve damage. Now, with as complicated as the nerves are in that general area, it seems very possible to me that you could have some nerve damage from the Bion, that is perhaps referred to a nearby area, causing the pain.

I absolutely think this is from the Bion. I'm so sorry. I hope it gets better and goes away completely.

I don't have that pain, but then my stim was set incredibly low, and I've had it off for about six months or longer now.

Blessings,
Lori

[KarenIC]

Thanks so much Lori. My doctor took an x-ray and felt that Bion wasn't close enough to the ischial tuberosity to be causing my pain. But Bion stimulates the pudendal nerve, and this nerve is close to the ischial tuberosity. My pain could be originating by the pudendal nerve and then be referred to the ischial tuberosity. My doctor feels that sitting on the Bion chair pad every day may have caused the bursitis, since the chair pad is so hard. I don't know what to think anymore. All I know is that every night, when I sit down to watch some TV, after about 15 minutes, I feel the pain starting, and gradually it intensifies to excruciating pain. I keep lowering the stim level (now at 2.2) to see if it lessens the pain. I even shut Bion off for 1week. This really didn't help with the pain, because like you said, I may already have nerve damage, and lowering or turning off Bion might be too late........like they say.....the damage is done.

I see my doctor again on Wednesday and I'll see what she wants to do next.

Take care Lori and I hope you're feeling well.

Karen

[Pryor2007]

Leg pain from the Bion

Karen,

Hello I just had my implanted March 6, and my Trial 1 week before that.
I was wondering the same thing I also have Leg pain but its on my left side.
I also have a bad back I asked if it would interfear with my back the doctor said NO! I had back surgery 2 years ago it has realy realy helped me alott.

Do you have a Bad Back.? Maybe thats one of the resons its bothersing you
like ICLori said about the nerves is true. But my leg pain can be prety intence.
I go see my surgion tommrow for my first fallow up. I'll ask him about it and get back to you.

Kimmie

[KarenIC]

Hi Kimmie,

Thanks for your reply. Is your Bion implanted on the right side?
I have chronic lower back pain and a severely degenerated L5-S1 disc.
I'm seeing a Physiatrist (Physical Medicine/Rehab. doctor) for the leg pain.
She thinks the pain may be bursitis at the ischial tuberosity (near the ischial spine) which is close to where Bion is implanted. For this reason, she gave me a cortisone injection in this area yesterday. Now I'm sore, but the pain is a little less intense. She hasn't totally ruled out Bion as the cause of the problem. I have to call her in 1 week and if the pain is no better, I have to to for a Cat-Scan of the lumber spine to check for herniation, which as you say, may be causing the leg pain.

Kimmie, thanks so much for answering my post and for asking your surgeon for me about the pain. There aren't too many of us ICer's on the ICN Message Boards who have Bion, so it would be great if we could keep in touch periodically just to exchange information and see how each other is doing with the Bion.

Again, thank you and keep in touch.
Karen

[Jean12]

Sent You A PM

Karen, I had a minute to check the board - just a minute - and wanted to see if you had any update. I was going to ask if a cortisone injection was suggested. I have had them before and found them helpful (other body parts). I also have L5/S1 issues and have been seeing a woderful physical therapist. She's been able to eliminate my back pain altogether, my feet no longer hurt (I can actually wear any shoe now with NO foot, leg or back pain), I'm not "frozen" or immobile after sitting/resting/working for periods of time. It's amazing what some good gentle body manipulation can do for you.

I encourage you to keep following up on all of the possibilities out there. It could be a combination of issues with a domino effect.

Keep me posted.

Jean

[Pryor2007]

Leg pain from Bion

Hello,
I went and say my surgeon he said the leg pain is caused from my interstim I have little battery and I have 4 setting on my programmer and he said to just mess around with the setting to see witch one helps stop the pain.

So I toyed doing that tonight okj its on program 1 at 1.5
I turned it to program 2 and put it on 1.5 it hurt and then I turned it to
program 3 I could feel the stimulation. crazy!!! has this happened to any one else.?????


kimmie