Re: spinal accessory nerve damage/muscle spasms

[Guest guest]

Dear thyroidhelp -

Welcome to the group!

You've really been through so much in the past 5 months!

I wish I could give you some advice, but I don't recall anyone ever writing

about a similar problem.

(As an aside, I can't believe they told you that the muscle spasms were

your fault for not exercising enough!)

There are several members who have had neck dissections (modified, left &

right, and radical), and hopefully they'll write in to share their

experiences. In the meantime, you may want to check out this chain from

our archives where another member asks for people's experiences. Here's

the link to the original question; follow the links at the bottom of the

page for the answers .....

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Thyca/message/6262

" Excision of neck lymph nodes (modified radical neck dissection or

functional neck dissection) is only performed in papillary or follicular

thyroid cancer when these nodes are enlarged and proven to be infiltrated

with tumor. The major risks of neck dissection include a significant

increase in the length of the incision and scar; and a small risk (5%) of

injury to the spinal accessory nerve, which would result in weakness of and

pain in the shoulder on that side. " .........

http://www.mythyroid.com/thyroid_surgery.htm

-

NYC

TT 2/99 dx pap/foll; RAI 100 mCi 3/99 & 4/00; clean scan 3/02;

current TSH ~.06 on .225 levothyroxine

Complications of Neck Dissection for Thyroid Cancer

http://link.springer-ny.com/link/service/journals/00268/contents/02/6670/paper/i\

ndex.html

interesting article on various types & classifications of neck dissections

..... http://www.emedicine.com/ent/topic501.htm

thyroidhelp wrote:

> I had a thyroidectomy and then a modified left neck dissection to

> remove 27 lymph nodes - both surgeries took place in the same week

> this March 2002. One week after the neck dissection, I ended up in

> the ER in horrific pain with muscle spasms in my entire trapezius

> and down my back. (I was told it was my fault for not exercising

> enough and given a muscle relaxer.)

>

> To make a LONG story short(er), after getting progressively worse to

> the point of being almost completely bedridden, an EMG in June

> finally provided me with a diagnosis: severe spinal accessory nerve

> damage (thankfully, with signs the nerve is regenerating).

>

> I have been getting PT 3x a week, had trigger point injections, take

> nuerontin and flexeril. I am still in a lot of pain ((I have some

> decent days and some very bad days, but the bad ones leave me in

> hopeless and crying all day), but I really need to be able to manage

> it while I " wait " for the nerve to heal itself.

>

> I have a few questions:

> 1) Has anyone ever dealt with this complication?

> 2) Do you have any suggestions for the pain?

> 3) If this complication had not occured, how long does it typically

> take to " recover " afer a neck dissection?

>

> I would appreciate ANY help.

[Guest guest]

Sorry to hear about the nerve damage. That's something that can happen

though, due to the way your neck is positioned during surgery. Be careful

with that Neurontin-it really works to calm down the nerve endings but it

also has some nasty side effects. I've had to take it for tingling feet at

night and it can really wipe you out and make you dizzy the whole next day. I

thought I was getting depressed until I stopped taking that. Have your docs

suggested a neck brace at all? I wonder if that would help the nerve heal by

protecting it. Good luck with this-Lin in Pa.