Hi Mike ~ There's a lot of controversy about these. For me, I got NO relief from them at all. I've been to 3 different pain docs and ALL of them INSISTED that I try the steroid shots and I had the same results from all 3. No relief.

They usually want you to try a series of these. If you don't get relief from the first one, don't let them tell you that you have to build them up in your system. You should get relief the VERY FIRST TIME IF you're going to get relief at all!!

Also, there has been talk that these epidurals can cause arachnoiditis, since anything that enters the epidural space can cause it. Arachnoiditis is an incurable inflammation of the arachnoid space. It is extremely painful. How true it is, I don't know. All I know is I sure wouldn't want it!

Best of luck, and I hope you get relief if you have the epidural. God bless. hugs, Lee