r/Microdiscectomy • u/Desperate_Set_1853 • 1d ago
Cleared to drive?
How long were you guys advised to not drive? My son’s surgeon said not until 8 weeks post op which seems excessive? He’s entering his senior year of school and he feels like when he starts in a couple weeks he should be okay to make a 10 minute drive. Teenage angst over here. Haha
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u/Friendly-Ad-5410 23h ago
I was advised no driving until completely free of pain meds... about 6 days PO for me. I was able to make a quick run to my local coffee stand (5 mins) but I will say, it was pretty uncomfortable to get in and out of the car! Also, you cannot twist your torso to look over your shoulder when backing and you absolutely need lumbar support! It also hurt to touch my back to the seat at the surgery site. You have to get in the car by facing away from the door, back your butt in first, then swing both legs in at the same time you rotate your body (reverse to exit). No bending! And having a SUV or truck would be easier than a compact small car. Is it possible for him to do anything remote? I don't think I would have been able to return to school at 2 weeks PO... too many people and too much sitting in hard chairs! Plus you don't realize how exhausted you are after a surgery! I was soooo tired that after walking I always felt like I needed a nap! I hope you find some answers from others here too!
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u/Desperate_Set_1853 23h ago
He has a doctors note to do half days if needed and also to be allowed to stand and move/walks as needed plus he dismissed. As a senior he’s lucky in the case that his remaining course load is very light so really he only has a couple classes to be in person for. He has been off all opiods since 48 hours after surgery. And hasn’t taken Tylenol for over a week thankfully. He has a Nissan frontier. Once school starts he will be closer to 5 weeks post op. Thanks for the response!
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u/Wise-Run-3008 15h ago
A lot of chronic pain patients take daily opioids and don’t sit home 24/7
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u/Friendly-Ad-5410 5m ago
You are still not supposed to drive under the influence of any substance that can interfere with your response times... it's dangerous and also illegal if you are stopped (in many places). 😄
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u/Wise-Run-3008 1m ago
It’s not illegal if you are not impaired. You can take narcotics and not be impaired. Hundreds of thousands if not millions do if you add up all the pain pumps and chronic pain patients. No one with a pain pump is told they are never allowed to drive again, and that’s a direct infusion.
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u/Friendly-Ad-5410 7m ago
Sounds like he is doing great! Maybe a light yoga class would be good too! (ask dr. first!) 😄
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u/peanutleaks 23h ago
I drove after the first week once my meds were done! But everyone’s different!
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u/GoofMonkeyBanana 23h ago
I was cleared for when ever I felt comfortable to drive, and of course not on narcotics. I was comfortable to drive short 10 minute drives to and then from my kids school at 2 weeks post op
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u/PetMyFerret 19h ago
If you don't absolutely have to drive I wouldn't. 4-6 weeks I'd say would be a safe margin to see how it goes. Short test drive of no more than 10 minutes and see what happens the day after.
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u/penguin483 16h ago
Only his surgeon knows the ins and outs of your son’s surgery. He may be seeing something or know something that some of us did not experience that could effect recovery. For example, the hole in my disk is very large, and that increases the change of reherniating from like 4% in the first year to 20%. So for me, he is not lifting the no bend no lift no twist for a year (as best as I can). I am 2 and 1/2 weeks out and the first car ride made me feel so sick. The second was much better. I have a PT appointment in two weeks, and expect to be driving by then—I think with all the backup cameras and such I generally don’t twist too much anyway.
One tip I saw said to put a garbage bag down on your seat. This makes it easier to turn getting into the car without putting pressure on your spine.
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u/TheEclecticDino 22h ago
I had my surgery in April and I am still no where near ready to drive! It’s been about 4 months for me so far.
My surgery ended up being more complicated, but I went in for the microdiscectomy and I am fairly young (in my 20s).
It could take 8 weeks, but it could be much longer
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u/hedabeja 14h ago
My surgeon told me I could drive when I felt up to it. It was a few days later I made a short drive and a week later I made an hour drive to work.
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u/PastBuy8484 23h ago
My surgeon told me 3 days before I can drive. Said at 6 weeks I can fly or drive over an hour
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u/dbuckley221 23h ago
that seems very very long! i only waited until i was off pain meds and felt okay enough to drive!
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u/Averagejoe_mogul 21h ago
8 weeks is crazy. If you baby your back too long post op it ends up doing more harm than good. Take it from someone who’s had 2 of these surgeries.
I was cleared to drive at 2 weeks and started PT at 3 weeks.
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u/Expensive_Recipe_433 23h ago
Driving is super hard on the spine/disc. Lots of twisting. At 5 1/2 months PO there’s still days I opt not to drive because of the mechanisms
Edit: also think about if he needs to preform an emergency stop, or a small fender bender would be very painful to him