maybe I am doomed

[gtucker]

ok so with much hope I had epidural steroid injection on monday. It was a big deal to me scared but hopeful for any pain relief. our hope was that it might interupt the pain. And in the future we would talk about other things. WEll I had no relief really but was told it might take a while so that was monday and weds. I thought maybe a little relief I wnt and had a massage thinking it would help to also relax the painful musels. well it hurt having the massage on my musels in my back and now It hurts awful. Do you think it means the epidural isnt working or just an aggravation of pressure on my nerves?

I am so depressed.

[rohrer01]

ok so with much hope I had epidural steroid injection on monday. It was a big deal to me scared but hopeful for any pain relief. our hope was that it might interupt the pain. And in the future we would talk about other things. WEll I had no relief really but was told it might take a while so that was monday and weds. I thought maybe a little relief I wnt and had a massage thinking it would help to also relax the painful musels. well it hurt having the massage on my musels in my back and now It hurts awful. Do you think it means the epidural isnt working or just an aggravation of pressure on my nerves?

I am so depressed.

I recently had an epidural injection. The injection site was sore for a while. I didn't feel the full effect of the injection for a couple of weeks. I still occaisionally get some symptoms back, but not nearly as severe as before. Give it some time before you give up on it. If you don't get any relief in about 2 weeks time, call your doctor.

[gtucker]

been hoping someone would post something! Thank god maybe their is still hope? Ahh awful hard to put so much hope into pain relief.

[loves to skate]

I didn't get any relief from my first shot. They can give you a second shot in one month. I did get relief from my second and third shot, one of them for about 8 months. After that, I didn't get any relief. I hope it kicks in soon and yes, it can sometimes take two weeks to kick in.
Sally

[LindaRacine]

What type of shot did you get? Was it done under flouroscopy?

--Linda

[gtucker]

it was a steroid epidural injection. it was done while an xray was showing where it was going and showed where it was spreding out not sure what that is called.

[rohrer01]

it was a steroid epidural injection. it was done while an xray was showing where it was going and showed where it was spreding out not sure what that is called.

That's the same kind I had. I hope it starts working soon. Did they give you a lifting restriction for the first 24 hours? I was told not to lift more than a milk jug and not to bathe for two days, showers only, and NO heating pads, only ice. It said in my pamplet that the heat could cause the steroid to spread beyond the area where it was needed.

[jrnyc]

i've had 3 epidurals so far...the first one was done at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital...felt like a truck was on my back..i had no restrictions after it, but my back didnt feel good enuf to do anything anyway i got a little relief for a few months...
the 2nd and 3rd were done in doctor's office...anesthesia/neurology specialist...hurt alot both times, no relief both times...i've had some relief from facet block and nerve ablation...but not much...maybe a month...most help was from sacroiliac injections...it gave 90% relief, but only lasted about 5 weeks!

dont give up...you dont know which shot or which kind of shot will help you...sometimes it takes several! i just keep trying, cause the alternative is surgery...which i keep putting off....the botox shots have been the most effective! but they only help my upper back, not lower at all....they last for 3-4 months, then i have them done again...

jess

[rohrer01]

i've had 3 epidurals so far...the first one was done at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital...felt like a truck was on my back..i had no restrictions after it, but my back didnt feel good enuf to do anything anyway i got a little relief for a few months...
the 2nd and 3rd were done in doctor's office...anesthesia/neurology specialist...hurt alot both times, no relief both times...i've had some relief from facet block and nerve ablation...but not much...maybe a month...most help was from sacroiliac injections...it gave 90% relief, but only lasted about 5 weeks!

dont give up...you dont know which shot or which kind of shot will help you...sometimes it takes several! i just keep trying, cause the alternative is surgery...which i keep putting off....the botox shots have been the most effective! but they only help my upper back, not lower at all....they last for 3-4 months, then i have them done again...

jess

Can they do botox on the lower spine? What are the risks?

[jrnyc]

my doctor tried it once...it didnt work...i dont know the risks, but i suspect the muscles in lumbar were too big to benefit from the injections that botox can give you...it is one syringe, after all, and those are some big muscles! but he put some in my hips this last time, and it did help a little bit with the pain...he wants to try epidural for the sciatica next time...i dont have much faith in epidurals anymore for me, but i'll humor him and let him go ahead

i actually found out, years ago with lyme disease, that doctors need encouragement too! they want to know that they are helping you, or they can get very discouraged and give up!

jess

[gtucker]

well I dont think I feel any better today.. My mind is rather fried as a matter of fact. I did call yesterday and speak with the nurse at the pain managmnt clinic. I had not been given any restrictions on lifting. I explained what was going on. We agreed it was prob from the massage I had that was aggravating my musels.
she said to ice then heat and do this all day and she would have the dr call me as he would not be in on friday { today}. He did not call me.

I am thinking about going to my pcp and see about getting a shot of toradol.

The days are ticking off till I need to go back to waitressing and oh my I dont know. I may have to crawl to wait on tables and mopping and sweeping and putting all the chairs up at the end of the night I dont know. shoot me now.

[jrnyc]

i think you need to talk about oral pain meds (not over the counter, either!) until such time as a pain treatment works for you...do you have a doctor you can discuss this with? i see that toradol is an anti-inflammatory...has that worked for you before? oral anti-inflammatory meds never worked for me...... oral meds can be taken repeatedly!

jess