Hi Frank
I have occipital neuralgia & i have nerve blocks every 12 wks these do help the pain but don`t take mine away, although people have different reactions.
don`t know if these are what your Docs are thinking of.
mine is caused by 2 brain tumours pressing on these nerves i also have trigemenial nueralgia but the blocks don`t help this.
hope this is some help to you.
keep smiling sophia

Ah yes, Occipital Neuralgia, or O.N., I know all about that!
I have had the nerve blocks 3 times now, and they have worked well for me, and reduced the pain a lot.
I don't know much about MS, and the problems related to it, but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to try the nerve block, to see if it will help with your headaches.
I don't think it's like a lumbar puncture (not that I've ever had one!), the needle used in a nerve block, is quite small, and not very painful at all. Well, it wasn't when my Neuro did it...and I hate needles too!

~Jaime~

cool on the needle info that was a problem here that kind of worried me

but so far the steroids seem to have taken an edge off it which leaves me to lean towards this is ths spinal lesion causing it and should pass hopefully soon if not then a block may still be needed

thank you both of you didnt think of posting this down here, am always in the game or ms section

Hi Frank
No ! nerve block is not like having "lumber puncture"
not to bad at all
Doreen

sophia is the name, i`m a girl with many names "or should i say old girl

Need more info on nerve block for occipital neuralgia. What drug is it exactly that they put into you.? My daughter has had shots to the head and the only thing that works (and like Novacaine only temporarlily) is Lanacaine. She had the occ. nerve severed (surgeon said it was shredded) but 2 months later is still in pain. Now she is trying acupuncture but so far (3 visits) no relief. She never had headaches prior to this occipital neur. alices

I'm not sure of the names of the drugs used in my Occipital nerve blocks, but my neuro used Lidocaine as the anesthetic last time (he previously used something else), but not sure of the name of the steroid. But here's a bit of information on what some nerve blocks consist of...

...The injection consists of a local anesthetic (like lidocaine or bupivicaine ). When treating occipital neuralgia or other painful conditions, steroid medication ( triamcinolone-Aristocort, methylprednisolone-Depomedol, or Celestone-betamethasone) is added to the local anesthetic...

~Jaime~