Anyone had back injections?
 

Hi folks,

I have body wide sensory PN (just had another NCS/EMG - waiting for results - was getting IVIG but now they are revisiting the whole thing) - that has taken away all feeling except unfortunately in my back and guts! Anyway, MRI shows I have disks pressing on nerves in my lumbar spine - the doc says I'm lucky the PN goes down my legs or the pain from the back would run down my legs - but the back pain is really disabling on its own, and wraps around hips and to front...

My doc sent me to a pain specialist (cant take any opiates - make me really sick) - we're tried PT but they have told me cant help me unless can reduce pain level first to try to do exercises they want ... the first pain specialist wouldnt do the injections at all (he said too risky cause afriad I'll move around because wont be able to stay in position long enough cause of pain) but the second one (who has a great rep) -wants to give it a shot (pun intended).....
she normally uses idoine which I know I cant have - but there is another drug they said they would use.... just wondered if anyone out there has had these iinjections - would be at L4-L5-S1.... in addition to reducing pain we're trying to separate it - I also have fibroids and endomitriosis and gastroparesis and they are curious what pain, if any - may be eliminated... Also, to my knoweldge I've never had steroids...

Anyone had any experience wtih this? Side effects of steroids? etc???

Appreciate any feedback:confused:

I've managed to avoid that whole...
 

set of issues...the back, that is. But you got me curious...First off, have you checked out the topic on the spinal forums or chronic pain one?

I did do a quick web for "back pain injections" and here's what I found:

http:..http://www.spineuniverse.com/display...ticle1970.html
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/c...inj/inj01.html and
http://www.allaboutbackpain.com/html/spinesub.asp?id=14

Can you tolerate the steroids?

Knock wood, most of my back problems seem to have been muscle and tissue related, not structural yet. Knock wood again!

Hope this helps! - j

Spine
 

Hi Dahlek - thanks for the links - the more I read I gotta say I'm on the fence - I'm finding that overall "experts" claim they dont hurt if ineffective - so probaby worth trying.... but reading the drugs used - the doc already knows I cant have "ephy" (in novacine) and I see the other drugs used as the temporary anesthesia agent usually cause me nasea when used for small inciisions etc. (so if they are floating around in my spine they are effective for much longer I believe). so thats something I need to ask the doc..... steroids - dont know what they will do to me.... (I'm much more afraid of the meds then the procedure cause of so many adverse reactions in the past)

I will post on spinal form - just wanted to start here cause my PN is causing so many of my other problems like the gastrparresis - and I believe we have a few members that have this (part of autonomic neruopathy - paralyzed intestines)......

Need to make a list of questions for the doc first I think!

been there done that
 

Yup, I've had the injections. I can't imagine why the doctor thinks you can't hold yourself still for them. I think we've learned to deal here with so much pain that the pain of needle is nothing in comparison.

So...The doctor used local anesthetic for the skin. So that was a prick, but then the needle going in was fine. The next step was injecting a bit of saline onto the nerve they hoped was causing the pain, in the hopes that it would give me exactly the pain which I complain about. Well, when that happens, you do jump. I can't believe there is anyone who doesnt'. You're lying on a table, on your stomach, and there's a second of lightening type pain and you twitch with it, say Ouch! and then it stops. It's a split second. Why would they stop the test? I don't get it.

After that, it doesn't hurt anymore. They might then (some docs have, some haven't) inject some lidocaine to see if your pain goes away with it. But mainly at that point they inject a steroid with a bit of lidocaine in the mix.

If you're lucky, in about 5 - 6 days, the steroid is working, and the pain you are suffering with goes away or eases up.

For the pain I had from a cyst in the spine it was a total wonder. For the pain I had after the surgery (and still do have) in my butt, it eased things. But in combination with other things, like acupuncture.

I think you can get throug this; you have gotten through way way more. If there's one thing you totally are, it's courageous. Yeah, you've called yourself a baby to us, and wanted to be forgiven for whining, I remember. But you have managed to deal with an incredible amount of pain in an astonishing way. A wimp you are not.

My husband had them in 2005, when he had back pain and bulging disc at L4-L5-S1.

In his words: "The first injection was magic. The second was tragic."

The first one apparently relieved a lot of the swelling and irritation around the nerve cluster. He felt better almost immediately, and it lasted about a month. He went back for a second injection about 6 weeks after the first, and he was never out of pain again.

We later discovered that the disc had ruptured fully, and then pieces of the hard, calcified disc were now broken off, and sitting directly on top of the nerve cluster. When he finally conceded to the surgery, 5 months after the injections, it was a mechanical process - once the disc fragments were removed, the pain was immediately better.

So, in our experience - it may help, it may not. FWIW, his doctor said they are rarely effective after three injections, since it's more of a short-term solution, like taking Tylenol for the pain of the concussion. It will wear off. If it's a temporary inflammation, it's useful. If it's a structural extrusion of the disc, it's not.

Sandi

Me too...
 

I had trigger point injections in my back in several places. I also had the epidural. Mine sounded just the way Liza Jane described it. No problems...

I am a big wimp. If I can do it, you can too...
Cathie

Me too
 

Can't tell you how many of these procedures they did when trying to help the sit-down pain. Bunches of them. And I had one session where they injected so mannnnny triggerpoints along with this. They hurt. But it isn't any more than the back pain you are suffering now. My back pain is reallly bad and it involves the ribs too. I suspect yours is like this also and if you can stand this back pain with no medication (you and I are alike in this) you can tolerate the injections. The effects of the steroids, I'm not sure about. You haven't had any lately, have you?

But I have to tell you, the ones that helped, ..only helped for a short while. But they may be diagnostic. It's a crap shoot. Maybe help, maybe not.

Billye

Injections
 

Thanks for all your thoughts…. My concerns have been not so much with the procedure itself, but potential side affects of the meds…. From what the majority of you have said – (Sandi - sorry, that must have been awful for your husband) the injections have helped – and we are hoping that they will 1) of course decrease the back pain to a manageable level and give my liver a break from the Tylenol, and 2) also as a diagnostic tool to “separate” the pain (the gut pain could be from many things including the nerve pressure, and as mentioned, gastroparesis, endomitriosis (and adhesions left from 3 surgeries for that), and fibroids….. I’m not a good candid date for any type of exploratory abdominal surgery at this point – in fact several doctors flat out refused to do because of other health issues – so hoping this will help find cause/effect…….

I’m not afraid of the shots at all actually – but again, potential medication problems…. I’ve had some very severe reactions during my life (no illegal meds) – but have had things happen like going into bradycardia for hours wihile the docs had no idea why and were frantic as to why a healthy 33 year old was suddenly in heart failure (turned out it was a reaction to one allergy pill that has since been removed from the market) – terrible nausea that each time resulted in hospital admits following test procedures or day surguries when opiates were used - a couple trips from the dentist to ER unconscious because of epinephrine in Novocain, anti-b reactions which ranged from turning me into a giant hive sausage to giving me C-difficile for six months and the resulting attack on my system (whether it be from the infection or the flagyl used to treat it – we’ll never know) resulting in a six month progression from “slight sensory nerve damage” to “complete sensory nerve death”….

So yes, I’m going to make a list for the doctor of potential medication problems – and be sure I am monitored during initial period after injection – and go forward…..
:cool:

I understand
 

K,
I understand why you are doing it and will be seriously thinking about you taking this step. When do you think it will happen?

Billye

Hi Silverlady
 

Timng...... hopefully in the next two months for back procedure - I have a multitute of doc appts in the next few weeks and tests depending on what is found and have to try to leave time to recover in between - so will plan during a week when there's no other doc appts... also trying bit by bit to pack to move in a couple of months and so purging books etc. and thats a real physical challenge in itself - hopefully the injection will help me get thru that!:)