Query about Epidurals

[ck43]

I am see my doc next Thursday and one of the things he might suggest are 2 to 3 epiduals to my neck, at C5-C6 for disc generation (pain is in my shoulder).

Without anyone saying anything scary, could you please describe what it was like and how long it took?

I would be going to a pain management clinic.

I wasn't going to think about this until next week but I started feeling fear today.

I know the Moms on this group will say, honey, in labor? You pray for the epidural.

But I am not getting an anesthetic injected that is (I'll be more informed next Thursday) I think. I was such a brave little scoli girl but as an adult I have choices, experience, and the ability to research.

[SandyC]

I had my neck injected about 11/2 ago. It didn't help at all and ended up having my neck fused at C5/C6/C7. I had a fabulous doc and was in the hospital just over night for the surgery. The scar is on the front of my neck and just off center. My doc made the incision in a line on my neck so that now there is really no scar.

The injections were painful, even though the doc used lidocaine to numb the injections.

[ck43]

Thanks Sandy. So if I am offered Valium, as I was for MRI, I should take it right? I worry about being jittery and things going wrong because I am jittery. I am sure they have seen jittery nervous people before.

How is your mobility in your neck post surgery?

You were in the hospital overnight to "rise" for surgery or you were there overnight post surgery? What was your recovery time, please?

Anything you can't do now that you could do before?

I think surgery is a reality for me. Just a hunch but I have also seen the x-rays. What can you do, right. What words for classification did they use for you, severe? Mine is severe degeneration. I heard it from the radiologist and from the P.A. at the ortho office. He goes to surgery with the ortho surgeon. I thought he was great or at least MUCH more helpful than the internist office. What a crock.

[rainbow2010]

I had injections in my thorasic area. It was done at the doctor's office (he had the equipment there). I took me a total of 30 minutes in the office and that included checking in, procedure, waiting 10 minutes, and paying. I was sore for about 10 days, then felt much better.
Take the medicine for the MRI. I had to so I would not panic!

[SandyC]

ck43,
If you think you might need a valium, then you proabably should. I was in overnight post surgery. I went home with a removable neck brace that I could only take off to shower. I also had to sleep with it on. But it wasn't really that uncomfortable, just awkward. I wore it just for a 4 weeks and then was weaned off of it. It now has been 6-7 months since the surgery and it is great. I really don't have much restriction in movement. The only time I'm really aware of it is when I have to back up my car. Then I have to really use the side mirrors. I really was leary of having the surgery, but now I don't know why I waited so long

[ck43]

Every DAY I am grateful I can turn my head to back up the car. Actually I am grateful to have mobility period. I am pleased to hear about your positive results! Bummer about neck brace but it's better than an itchy cast.

See if I were to just research this the "normal" way as I already started to do, I just see graphic pictures and cautions and I really don't need that.

Rainbow, I did take the medicine for the MRI. I had a choice of three small pills, 5 mg each. I felt nothing with the first two, and had a smalll panicky thought of reality, the eek, the MRI is only 30 minutes away! So I swallowed the 3rd.

I will say I was okay during the MRI, and didnt panic so.... job well done by the Physician's Assistant who asked for the MRI, and offered me the pills after asking if I was claustrophic.

Thanks all for offering your experience and helping a person.

[triedit]

Glad to hear all went well! Never turn down a vallium! LOL

They tried to do an epidural for my second c-section but because of the rods couldnt reach my spine with any accuracy, so we went with the full anesthesia. Talk about painful! Thats a BIG needle in a VERY tender spot!

[Karen Ocker]

Dear CK:

I hope you are being treated by a scoliosis doc with experience with prior fusions. The reason is that he/she would look at the whole spine alignment. Anyone else would have tunnel vision.

Where I work the patient is well sedated before any pain injections are given. First a local anesthetic is injected near the painful spot then steroids. If you get relief right away from the local injection that means they pinpointed the troubled area. The steroids will then, in turn, reduce inflammation causing the pain (if that is the case).

Another thought: it could be your whole spine is out of balance causing stress on the neck.

[mattie]

ck43, I have been going through epidural injections. I have been going to a pain clinic. The first time I went for my first injections. I had to have one towards the top of my back and another towards the bottom, both on the right side.
The injections I had hurt so bad I was about to cry, the first ones that is. My bottom one hurt worse than the top. My bottom area is much better. My top part is a little better but went back two weeks ago and had another injection at the top again. It was painful and hurt bad but not nearly as bad as the first ones. The pain Doc told me he would only give me three then if the pain continues he will need to do something different. He suggest burning the nerves. I go back next week for my third and last injection. I will have to go from that point and see what the Doc says.
Since you will be having them around the neck area it might be different. Some people say they are not painful and some people say they are.
My pain doc told me that with all the hardware and scar tissue it makes it very difficult to do my injections. Hope this is helpful but that I didn't scare you. Good Luck
mattie

[jessiflute]

I don't know how different it is in the neck than the back, but I have had three injections in the lumbar area of my back. None of them hurt (none of them worked, either, but that's beside the point). My doc numbed me up with a local. One prick to numb the skin, one prick to numb the muscle, then he put the epidural in. Took about 20 minutes, and then about 15 minutes with the ice pack, then checkout.