Epidural for back pain - Anyone?

I would probably not take on the additional medical risk. Someone sticking a needle in my spine isn't something I really want to do unless it's a must. I'd rather work towards the inevitable surgical correction of the problem.

But I've worked in medical negligence for years so I see all the horrible things that go wrong. Like the infections people get from contaminated needles when getting steroid injections LOL so I tend to just play it extra safe. Nerve blocks come with risks. Personally I'd rather be on opiate medications than do steroid injections to get through the vacation period.

 

Hah thanks. I went Friday and panicked on the table and they had to stop. I'm leaving in an hour to try again. Your post isn't helping me. I'm sitting here freaking out.

 

I had them put me out.... no way in could be awake for that.

 

I tried. First opening was 7/10. They told me I can't wait that long. I've got 2 valium sitting here I'm going to take before I go.

 

What I do to help me make choices is just make the right choice for the end result you want. If you are staring an an inevitable surgery, I’d probably just be looking towards that.

I’m sorry you are dealing with this. I hope it gets resolved

 

You know women get this injection wide awake everyday while pushing a small watermelon out their hoo haa and contractions worse than back spasms.

 

Get it every few months into my s1 l5 it’s not bad at all. I just lay down for a half the day after. Works for a few months, I just don’t want to get back surgery at my agr

 

I've had 3 different epidural procedures. 1 went fine, helped for about a day. 1 was little screwed and I have permanent numbness down the front lower half of my left leg and less movement in my ankle. The third was so painful i had to give up on the third needle entry. I was awake for all three.

 

Yup, watched my wife have one done. Nope. I want to be asleep and that's the way it went. Not saying it was a good choice. Like I mentioned before... after, I couldn't sit or lay down for a week. If I did, everything below the waist went numb, then I couldn't get up. It took forever for the feeling to come back the first and only time I did it. After that little debacle, I stood for an entire week. Slept standing, holding on to the kitchen sink.

 

So, got it. All is well..so far.

 

Sweet. I don't know if you've tried it, but I've been taking celebrex (arthritis med) and it's helped take the sharpness out of the pain making it a little more manageable.

 

I don't have a ton of pain. It's more numbness in my ass, legs, and feet. The pain usually comes if I've been standing for too long but it's manageable.

 

Congrats.... hope it helps and lasts for a viod while.

 

Oh okay. For that numbness i do flexibility stuff like ankle and knee rotations while seated and that helps me with the flexibility, but it's still numb.

It was bad enough I was worried I wouldn't be Anne to use the shifter on my Harley, so that was motivation to focus physical therapy.

 

Yeah, I've been doing PT. Doc told me no PT for 5 days after this though other than stretches.

 

My brother had a nerve block in his back done this morning. His went well so far also.

 

Sucks getting old. I hope he feels better..

 

He has been fighting a mysterious pain for quite a few years now after his surgery. He had a full cage built around l4, l5 , and a diskectomy on s1. He had 2 herniated discs s1 and l5 plus a fracture in l4.

 

That's messed up. I don't want surgery in the worst way. My uncle had it years ago. I'm sure medical advancements have changed the procedure but he lived his entire life in pain w/ a morphine pump. Ended up driving him to kill himself. I'm not about that. I'd rather walk with limited pain.

 

We have spoken before. As well as being Diabetic I have degenerative disc desease. 1 disc completely gone so the verts rub on each other, 2 discs beyond ruptured (how the doctor worded it) and slid into the nerve chanel in 6 places, and 5 discs there is only about 1/4 left of each. I am an inch to an inch and a half shorter. I used to get the deep spinal injections and they helped until the UVA spinecenter said no more they shoot my blood sugar too high which is common for steroids and diabetes. I asked what to do about pain and was told, basically suck it up. No operation until I can't walk anymore because when they do it I won't be able to work anymore. They gave me a standing prescription for pain killers but I don't take them. Tylonol is about it. Icing helps sometimes. As far as trips I roll a towel up for extra lumbar support and stop and walk around when it gets too bad. I'm still working a physically intensive job and still hurt everyday. I wish I had a magical answer for you. The diabetes really complicates things