I am a terrible baby - I find the SGBs very scary and painful. Plus we need to drive over an hour to get there so I am in always in a flare by the time we arrive, my head hurts badly and I'm nauseus (sp?). They have spaced mine 3 -4 weeks apart, although I just moved one up so that it will be only 17 days since the last one. Even though I get versed and now something else to calm my stomach, the procedure is still very painful for me and I still feel very sick afterwards. I've had 6 of them, I guess I should be getting over it, huh? The doctors and nurses couldn't be nicer, and my husband is very good about taking care of me, thank God.

Only the first couple of blocks gave me a lot of relief in my originally affected areas (shoulder, then my neck and head). I actually slept on my head after the first block for a night! Now the blocks help with the spreading symptoms, like the pain and burn and coldness in my hands and arms and legs and feet. And the face and neck rashes and burning. They seem to last about 10 days or so, them the symptoms slowly start to come back.

I am glad you are doing so well with yours, good luck. Sandy

We drive an hour and 15 min away too. I am happy it worked the first time but then again that confirms the RSD and I guess I hoped it wasn't. I feel better about getting them now though, anything to get rid of this pain. The color is more normal now too. The pain is back but not so bad as it was. I feel like maybe I will get my life back. Although now I feel like if we get it into remission I will have to look over my shoulder for this monster for the rest of my life. I was confused though about not getting side effects. I thought that was a sign it was succesful.

What kind of block did you have? a brachial plexus side of neck or a Stellante ganglion front of neck? Where did you have it done what city? Where you given sedation?

i have had alot of these.. and the longest mine have lasted is 12 hrs and that was only one time.. usually 4-8hrs. and i get the horners eye with it. my new doc makes it so it only lat about 15 mintues . when i used to go to the other doc it was like all day with the stroke face and i couldnt stand it as a kid . but i also get sore throats with the SGB any one else?

Hang in there i have RSD in Both arms I have had 70 plus SGB in the front of neck will all side a fecks and i do not get secdated just make you have a good doctor doing them I have a great know and he is very good doing the injection good luck ( sorry for the spelling) have hard time because drug hurting bad today

So now I have been through 4 stellate ganglion blocks with 2 more this wk. The first two I didn't get any of the side effects just less pain. The third I could not hear right, fuzzy. Really felt out of it and don't even remember therapy after. They made the pain less (from a 6 or 7 to a 3/4)and the constant burning was gone after the 2nd. After the 3rd, although the constant pain was much much less I was getting a stabbing pain. After the 4th I got the whole droopy face thing but the pain is now gone except for what I think are muscle spasms or cramps. They can be bad but are not constant. They range from small cramp like pains to my whole hand cramping up in a painful fist. My hand still has alot of swelling in my palm and got really big w/that mottling last night but not now. Just feels very weak and uncoordinated. I am still getting the tremors though. It seems that I start out pain free in the morning but by night time it goes up...not to what it was though. The dr talks that this is so mild (I'm sure it is when I hear how much pain some of you are in) but I get so frustrated because I thought I should be better by now.
My question though is shouldn't the swelling and tremors be going away too?? I thought the pain would stay away? The pain is down alot and the burning gone but I was really hoping this would put me in remission. BTW-I am on no meds, they wanted to see how the blocks worked out first.

I'm glad the blocks are helping. That's a good sign. Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones to go into remission.

I still have swelling and tremors at times so I don't know if they do go away with the blocks but it's been quite sometime since I had them

Don't overdo things either. That might help for the blocks to do better.

Ada

Yeah, I had them bilaterally in 2005ish. I just posted about Dr. Atasoy. It was outpatient at the Jewish Hospital in Louisville, KY.

At first it made my scalenes and shoulders and arms worse but it did give a little relief after a few days. Not much but I was in very bad shape then. Next was Botox to the scalenes. It helped quite a bit.

I was advised to have brachial plexus but yet can't find a doc in eastern KY that will do them. We have some pretty good docs here so that threw up a red flag for my anxiety.

They're all risky. Not adverse it them, though. You have to do what you have to do.

I haven't experiences what you are going through, but I hope you find some relief for your pain soon. Take Care!

So now I had the 5th block and again got the droopy eye and face, my whole arm was numb but pain free. That lasted about a day and a half and then I woke up with sharp pain from my shoulder down to my fingers. I am so afraid it is spreading as my shoulder has gotten aggravated during therapy a few times lately (therapist thinks because of favoring that arm for the past 6 months). That pain was about a 7. It is gone again now. My pain goes from almost nothing to maybe a 3 since starting the blocks. I still get the cramping though and that hurts and the tremors seem to be here to stay as well as the swelling. Sometimes I get burning but not as bad as before. My whole arm feels so weak but we are making progress in therapy...slowly. I guess I just expected it to all go away and give me my life back? I was depressed and miserable before because of the pain and now I am getting depressed because I think I am coming to the realization that my life will not be the same. I worry that I won't have my job or even be able to do my job. What do I do? Right now the pain isn't bad but my hand is swelling more and feels like I am holding it over a flame. In the morning it will probably be better. Is that typical?? The Dr talks about this being a mild case and to be positive because that has alot to do with it but I feel like I get relief and I'm feeling confident and then I get knocked back down on my (you know what).


Shouldn't the swelling and tremors be going away too?? I thought the pain would stay away? The pain is down alot and the burning gone except for the occasional burning feeling but I was really hoping this would put me in remission...so the dr said.