not looking forward to this

[raidersrule76]

I have to go in to the hospital in the morning to have an epidural for my back pain. The doc wants to try this first before we talk any more about surgery :( I hope this does the trick that he thinks it will I am not so sure I have read a lot of things lately that all this does is cover it up for a time and then your right back or worse off then you were to begin with. Well I hope this does the trick because I know that I can't afford to be off work for six weeks or better if I have to have surgery I just want the pain to go away this really sucks.

best regards
Mark

[Rodeo0530]

Good luck to you...I have a bum back right now and it sucks, but I think yours sounds much more serious than mine.

[kawizx9r]

Sucks to hear, and I wish you the best of luck Mark. Seems like these past 2 months have really been bad for alot of us on the forum. Hope things get better for you!

-Freddy

[disneyjoe7]

Try to stay positive, as I believe thinking the worst brings the.....



Good luck :)

[janmike]

All the best Mark. Think positive as Steve mentioned.

[danz1906]

All the best to you!

[everpress]

Good luck to you. I hope health finds it's way to you.
Regardless of if you are a religious person, I'll give a quick prayer.

[raidersrule76]

Well sitting at home. It wasn't as bad as I expected but it still sucked they had to give me extra numbing medicine about 3 times because as they were going in the pain was a little intense but overall it turned out ok. I am in a little bit of pain right now but hopefully in the morning it will be gone so work wont be so bad tommorrow.
Thanks for thinking of me all of you


Best regards
Mark

[janmike]

There you go Mark - piece of cake. I know, Dr.'s scare the hell out of me too. Glad you are on the mend.

[obieone]

I hope this works out for you.

[NJPOLKER]

Well sitting at home. It wasn't as bad as I expected but it still sucked they had to give me extra numbing medicine about 3 times because as they were going in the pain was a little intense but overall it turned out ok. I am in a little bit of pain right now but hopefully in the morning it will be gone so work wont be so bad tommorrow.
Thanks for thinking of me all of you


Best regards
Mark

Can you drink heavily? If yes, begin at once. Good luck :D

[dorokusai]

I've had 3 rounds of epidural steroids injected into my C5/C6 so far...with varying levels of success. DOn't expect a miracle but they may eventually help you. I'm still on pain medication for the moment and my next injection is on the 30th. It's real cool huh?

[schwarcw]

Good luck to you Mark, and Mark. I hope that you guys feel better.

[dorokusai]

Screw you, pain free Polkie ;)

[raidersrule76]

Well heres an update.....I have to go back in again in the morning for another injection. I really hope that this does the trick. They say that you can only have 3 in a year and this is 2 in 2 1/2 weeks. When I talk to the surgeon the other day he asked me how I was doing and if there was still pain I told him that it was a little better but not really the pain is still in my left cheek and lower back but at least for the most part the pain in the leg was gone most of the time, it comes back every now and then but not all that much. So here we go again we will see what happens this time.

best regards
Mark

[sTiLlLeArNiNg]

I know how you feel, it suck's! I go once a week for injection's, have been for over a year :o

[nooshinjohn]

deleted....

[sTiLlLeArNiNg]

funny since you can only get them 3 time's a year :rolleyes:

1) I'm not in the US 2) maybe my injection's are different from the one's the OP receive's.

Funny how you constantly assume :rolleyes:

EDIT: why did you delete that?

[Keiko]

Best wishes...I know how back pain can really put a monkey in the wrench.

[wutadumsn23]

Best of luck Mark, I am dreading my surgery here in a few weeks so I know how you feel. Hoping you make a speedy recovery.

-Jeff

[dorokusai]

Well heres an update.....I have to go back in again in the morning for another injection. I really hope that this does the trick. They say that you can only have 3 in a year and this is 2 in 2 1/2 weeks. When I talk to the surgeon the other day he asked me how I was doing and if there was still pain I told him that it was a little better but not really the pain is still in my left cheek and lower back but at least for the most part the pain in the leg was gone most of the time, it comes back every now and then but not all that much. So here we go again we will see what happens this time.

best regards
Mark

I'm not sure what your doctor based that on or how they even determine that but I was told no more than 4 shots every 6 months. I'll have my fourth done sometime next month.

[Face]

I had one epidural and it leaked. Be sure to take it easy for a few days afterwards, the side effects suck.

[Willow]

I had 7 of them during a 6month period.....it did help but not enough. I went for my 2nd surgery.

The part that bothered me the most was when he would move the needle around to get it at the right spot and he'd sometimes hit a nerve. Once I turned green and felt dizzy!

[shadowofnight]

I'm not sure what your doctor based that on or how they even determine that but I was told no more than 4 shots every 6 months. I'll have my fourth done sometime next month.

I was having a lot more then 3 or 4 a year at one time period, in the knees...shoulder and back...it's when they are done in the exact same place numerous times that it becomes an issue.

" Cortisone injection should not be given more than three times a year into the same area. Too many steroid injections can cause thinning of the skin, thinning of cartilage, and weakening of tendons. A serious side effect from too much cortisone is avascular necrosis of bone. This is a condition where the bone dies. It is most common in the hip, shoulder and knee. "

The knee and shoulder ones were a piece of cake, but the back ones were diagnostic as much as they were for pain relief...they used zero numbing medicine before using the large needles...with the flouroscope on they pinpointed exactly what the pain generator was and what was causing the numbness. Of course they gave the good drugs after, but I would love to have seen the actual bill...I am sure they charged for a pillow case because I tore a huge chunk off with my teeth.



I had 7 of them during a 6month period.....it did help but not enough. I went for my 2nd surgery.

The part that bothered me the most was when he would move the needle around to get it at the right spot and he'd sometimes hit a nerve. Once I turned green and felt dizzy!

Same here, the shots werent too bad going in...it was the positioning after the fact that either caused severe pain or total numbness...when they got to the nerve causing my numbness..to be sure they injected numbing medicine right to the nerve...entire left leg went as dead as when they did the epidural for surgery on my knee...pretty scary.

[sTiLlLeArNiNg]

The part that bothered me the most was when he would move the needle around to get it at the right spot and he'd sometimes hit a nerve. Once I turned green and felt dizzy!

The kicker about it is the muscle is spasming and you can't move! If ya move ya might fack it up! I get mine in the neck, shoulder's and mid-back between the shoulder blade's :o My doc use's a mix of corticosteroid and a numbing agent called marcaine or lidocaine? Not shure :confused:

Once he hit a nerve that triggered a euphoric experience! I thought he shot me with some #4!! lol Told him it was the best buzz i ever had! He looked at me like i had 3 head's lol :D

[raidersrule76]

Well they said that it would probably hurt pretty bad today unlike last time, and yes they were correct hurts like HELL today. I really hope that this does the trick the dr. said that he went a little deeper this time and got right on the nerve and I believe he did as he had the needle in there I had shooting pain all the way down my leg and he said that was normal and would only last about 30 sec and he was close but today I have the pain back in my leg like I had before I hope it only for a few days like they said. He told me that if in two weeks there is no change then I should sit down with the surgeon and discuss plan B. So hopefully this will work and no more pain and NO SURGERY


Mark

[dorokusai]

Mark - Ok...I figured there were mutliple levels of this style of treatment. Good luck.

[sTiLlLeArNiNg]

When i first started with the injection's i'd feel 'em for a day or two but they do help, it's like a double edged sword kinda.... Damned if ya do and damned if ya don't!

Hopefully this work's out for you and you can avoid surgery, are you doing any kind of exercise/stretching? I know it may not sound like a good idea due to your pain level but it does help, it does in my case anyhow :o

[shawn474]

Mark,
When the pain goes down the back of your leg during the injection, it confirms that he hit the right nerve root. I am assuming from skimming through your post that you have an L4-L5 or L5-S1 problem. If the epidural doesn't work, there are a number of options surgically that could fix your problem (each have their pros and cons). I would suggest, if you haven't already, to consult with an orthopedic spine specialist. Neurosurgeons are usually the ones that deal with nerve related issues and can perform the same types of suregries (discectomy, fusion, etc.), but the orthopedic spine specialists typically have a better skill set because they are the ones performing these surgeries on a day to day basis. I preach to everyone that comes to see me for these types of problems that surgery is the last option. However, it is sometimes inevitable. If you do need surgery, make sure you go to someone who is reputable and does these things often. I may be able to help with professional referrals depending on where you live. In my case, lumbar fusion was the best decision I made when all other conservative treatment failed. If you want to talk off line, PM me. I may be able to give you a bit of insight as to what to expect, how to manage, etc. At any rate, good luck with everything.

On a side note, for those wondering about number of injections - it completely depends on the type of solution that that are using to "numb the nerve". Often times, the first injection will be a straight lidocaine solution. This is to make sure that they have hit the right area. If there is relief with the lidocaine, it will only be for a couple of days at most before it wears off. However, the relief suggests that they hit the right area, so they will then go into the same spot with the next injection, which will be the cortisone mixture.


Shawn