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steroid shots and epideurals - 12/20/2007 8:07:34 PM   
hisannabelle


Posts: 1992
Joined: 12/3/2006
From: Tallahassee, FL, USA
Status: offline 		greetings all,

as some of you may gather from my previous posts, i've lived with debilitating back pain from a very young age, due to a fractured vertebrae, disk damage, osteoarthritis, and now a disk tear and a pinched nerve. up until a few years ago, most doctors told me i was nuts and could not possibly be in the amount of pain i was in; now i am finally being able to get adequate treatment and understanding, which is really exciting for me after battling this for almost 15 years.

i was wondering if anyone here has experience with epideurals and steroid shots and the like for pain management? i went for my first shot procedure yesterday and i have another scheduled in a couple of weeks. this one was a shot in the facet joints (on either side of the vertebrae) - and i am not sure but i don't think it was specifically a steroid shot. the next one will be a wide-range epideural - in the top disk and bottom disk of the damaged ones. we are considering a more targeted epideural in order to help with the nerve as well. i know that steroid shots are also often used for other areas of the body, and i'd be interested in knowing if any here have had experience with that and what it was like for you. what did you have it for? did it help? how long did it last? how do you feel about it? that sort of thing.... i am really eager for these to take effect...if they work, it'll be the first time i've had pain relief in a very long time. right now i'm just still sore from the shots of anesthetic, though, hehehe.

thanks in advance!

annabelle.


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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 12/21/2007 6:43:49 AM   
sub4hire


Posts: 6775
Joined: 1/1/2004
Status: offline 		Steroid shots (cortisone) are meant to last about two week's from what my doctor tells me.
I've never had much relief with them.  Currently my doctor is giving them to me for itching...works 3 days then I'm back to itching.
I've had them in the past for athletic injuries.  Can't say they ever worked too much for me.

However, my dom had back fusion surgery in Feb of this year.  Prior to that they did the shots.  Depended on where they shot him up at.  If in the correct area he had relief about a week with each shot.
Shots are not a solution.  People don't want surgery especially if it is your back.  Yet, if it is at all possible to give you any sort of relief I highly recommend it.
You need a good doctor though...a very good one.  The one that did his actually owns the patenet on the hardware they put in his back.  Within a day he was back up walking.
With the osteoarthritis nobody is going to help that..sadly.

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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 12/21/2007 8:20:44 AM   
nailgirl


Posts: 27
Joined: 4/27/2007
Status: offline 		hello. well im awating a cortozone injection in my knees. my doctor is not happy to give it me but ............ im in agony. fed up with living with 24/7 pain. i have o/a too and fibromyalgia.i will keep u informed. happy xmas xx

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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 12/21/2007 11:16:09 AM   
Greylynn


Posts: 575
Joined: 11/4/2007
Status: offline 		I had steriod shots and steriod packs from my GP .  The first shot worked for a few days.   The 2nd one didn't do crap.

I went and got pain meds and mucle relaxers and sent to physical therapy.  It worked for 4-5 months and then I had a flair up.

I went from darvicet to vicoden to percocets...popped them like candy - the highest dosage they gave me only lasted 2 hours before I was miserable again. 

I finally got sent for an MRI that showed I had herniated my L5-S1.  I went to an Ortho and  was
told I could do PT, injections or surgery - those were my options.

I did  an epidural injection that was suppose to last 90 days.  It lasted 27 days. 

I was in tears every few hours when the pain meds wore off and wearing a hole in the carpet pacing until they kicked in again.  I had full blown screaming, crying hysterical fits.  I could not get out of bed without a walker.  I could not put on my socks or shoes. My teenage son had to help me dress for work because my husband is at work for two hours by the time I needed to get up.  

I was scared that surgery could make me worse but the more I thought about it, how much worse could it be?  I was already in more pain then I ever imagined I could be in..my teenager was dressing me for God's sake.   Pretty soon he'd probably have to wipe my ass.

I had the surgery 11 weeks ago.  It was the best thing I have ever done.  The last pain med I had was the morning of the surgery.  I just got released by the surgeon this week. 

For all of you who experience this pain, research your condition  Get copies of all your reports and use the results to help you research. FInd support groups or chat rooms that deal with your condition.   Go to the libary and find books written about it.

Medical advances are being made every day.  If your current doctor isn't helping you, find another one and keep looking until you do find one who will listen.  My first surgeon wasn't up front about needing to have the surgery..he put me through drugs, pt and injections...it was is PA who told me it needed to come out in the first place. It was a 12mm herniation - double the size that is usually seen in most car accident victims - so I was a dollar sign, not a human being in need of care.   

I went through 2 GPs and  found one that I trust and who listens. The first one thought it was mucles even 6 months later.   I dumped the first Ortho...yes, he would have done surgery in the end and I could have had it done quicker if I had him do it once the PA and I talked, however, my anger got me through 2 more months...I was soo pissed I absolutely refused to pay that prick to do my surgery.

Hang in there and good luck.

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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 12/21/2007 12:25:22 PM   
ownedgirlie


Posts: 9184
Joined: 2/5/2006
Status: offline 		Years and years ago I had plantars faciitis and a heel spur in my right foot.  Extremely painful, making walking difficult.  I had a cortisone shot up through the bottom of my heel (it took two nurses to hold me down for that one), and it helped the pain immensely, for a couple of months.

My Dad had cortisone shots in his hip for arthritis and cancer pain.  He would have about 3-4 shots a year.

However, most doctors will tell you (if not, they should), that 2-3 cortisone shots in the same area is the limit one should be aware of, before the muscle tissue begins to damage and break down. 

I have had steroid shots for severe allergic reactions.  I had one earlier this year and I just received another one on Monday.  The first shot did wonders; this week's shot did nothing, unfortunately, and I am still quite sick.

My doctor told me he would not give me more than 2 shots a year, for the same reason - it is too risky.  I can't remember what he shot me with, but he said too much of it can lead to osteoporosis, kidney issues, and cateracs.

You are wise to look into this.  What has your doctor said about it?  I do hope you get some relief!

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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 12/21/2007 1:32:14 PM   
Maya2001


Posts: 1656
Joined: 8/22/2007
From: Woodstock ONT,CANADA
Status: offline 		I had 4 injections of cortisone placed along the spine at one time, it did absolutely nothing for me

Later was put on amitriptylene  which is an antidepressent,   the view was that over a long period of time in pain the pain receptors  in the brain don't want to turn off on their own,  some how sometimes lower doses of amitriptylene 25mg to a 150mg   will help to turn off the pain receptors  but takes several weeks to kick in  for me it helped for my mom it did not, I took for about 5 years before another doctor took me off because there is risk to the liver with longterm use and I did okay without, later when I fell and damaged my hip the same problem occured with months later still being in pain when I really should be having as much as I was  so I asked my family doctor if he could prescribe a few months worth to see if would help and it did the trick for me again, I  was taking 50 mg a day  weaning on and off   I had to split the 25 mg in half to start  as they made me dizzy at first going the full 25mg  and build up to the 50 mg . 


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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 12/21/2007 2:48:21 PM   
hisannabelle


Posts: 1992
Joined: 12/3/2006
From: Tallahassee, FL, USA
Status: offline 		greetings all,

thank you for your responses. i'm seriously considering surgery - they've been telling me i should consider it since i was about 11 or 12 years old - but the new pain management doctor has been saying that it's probably not a good idea to do it because of my age, and i have always been wary of it because even fusion surgery and at least one disk replacement may not help the majority of the pain. theoretically speaking, only a small part of the pain should be coming from the vertebrae fracture, but that's the main thing they can do surgery on (fusion surgery, l5s1). it seems like so much to go through for something that may or may not help, and more likely not - and then going through recovery with fibromyalgia, etc. it's also not feasible for me right now because i have no one to care for me while i'm in recovery and no one to stay with, and i can't afford to take the time off work or school. i am considering it in the next few years, but i'd like to hold off in case the shots help or there's something else we can do.

i've tried physical therapy, alternative medicine, etc. etc. - things are either too expensive and required too often and not covered by insurance, or just don't help. physical therapy was completely unhelpful for me - i already have good posture and strength, and no matter how much i try to improve that, it can't make up for the fact that my back is just a total mess.

i'm still crossing my fingers for the shots. i am used to living in 24/7 pain - my normal is about a 7-8 every day now. but it is getting really hard to do it with no pain management help whatsoever.

greylynn...i'm very big on researching and being my own advocate. having dealt with this for 15 years, and now a couple of years without my mom or family to help, i'm used to yelling at the doctors and going around to different ones until i find someone who gets it right. my situation is just really complicated and i know there's no miracle answer. if the surgery was a perfectly logical answer, i would have done it a long time ago, but for my condition, it's a hit or miss kind of thing - there's no way to tell exactly what's causing the pain or what would help or what might make things worse overall or not help at all. i definitely understand what you mean by how much worse could it be...that's not what keeps me from having the surgery. but i am there with you. i am SO happy your surgery has helped you!

sub4hire, thanks for sharing your dom's experiences...i really appreciate it. i'm glad the shots and the surgery were able to help him!

respectfully,
annabelle.


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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 12/22/2007 4:47:09 PM   
SayaNereida


Posts: 152
Joined: 7/10/2007
Status: offline 		hisannabelle,

The fusion can and does work, just wanted you to hear at least one success story.

Had C3-7 fused 6 years ago, best decision I ever made.

I do have DDD and fibro and I do treat it holistically...other than bc poweder...at this time.  I have been off pain meds for 4 years.  Docs are confused, THEY keep asking if I want them and I refuse.  As long as I keep my limits in mind and take care of myself, I keep MOST of my pain under control.

Be happy to talk on the other side if you like.

Good luck,
Saya

< Message edited by SayaNereida -- 12/22/2007 4:52:24 PM >

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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 12/22/2007 5:31:10 PM   
camille65


Posts: 5746
Joined: 7/11/2007
From: Austin Texas
Status: offline 		I get cortisone shots in my hips, they work but it wears off after about two weeks. When it gets really bad though a couple of weeks with lowered pain are worth it.

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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 12/22/2007 7:45:44 PM   
Kalista07


Posts: 4240
Joined: 7/1/2007
Status: offline 		Annabellehell,
About 8 years ago or so, i was in a car accident...i didn't think things were that bad...A couple days later went into my medical doctor and they said, 'hmmm...You have broken ribs...Don't know how the ER missed them"....Then it went from there to my back literrally killing me... i kept going to a chiropractor and i continued telling him my right thigh was numb, He said it would come back...
Eventually workmans' comp said, uhmm..nope...go to a real doctor...Did all that... Turned out i have: a protruding disc, three sprained ligaments, 3 deteriorate discs and the whole degenerative disc disease.....Which a great deal of time makes me feel like a big ol loser because there's so much i can't do...i did a year of physical therapy and it didn't do jack shit for me..Then i did a year of water physical therapy and that helped someone...Oh yeah..damn it...i forgot the part of the story where they attempted to stab my in the spine and inject some steroids into it...They did it in my leg first and it didn't really help... Although, i must tell You that part of the reason the injections may never have worked is because i'm highly allergic to steroids....soooo...
Then i decided i was going to try accupuncture...i mean what the hell, right/?!! Yeah, well my sister convinced me to try massage...I started getting them two times a week and then eventually went down to once a month....Now, i'm about every 9 months (which means technically it should ever 3 months tops)....If You don't have insurance, check out any massage therapys schools they may have in Your area....They ususally do massages at a discounted rate...
Good luck to You,
Kali


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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 1/11/2008 4:01:08 PM   
MissKatya


Posts: 341
Joined: 12/21/2007
From: NYC
Status: offline 		Hi there,


I'm in a similiar situation as you are. I had a car accident in 97 and ended up with a herniated disc in my mid back, bulging discs in my lower back and muscle spasms in my neck. I have gone to many, many doctors and they either dismiss it because the herniations are barely visible on MRI's (their logic-its soo mild that you cant be in that much pain) or they want to drug me up on pain killer cocktails...I had one doctor give me 30 vicodin with 2 refills and all I wanted was 10 of them so I can go on my trip to New Orleans and walk around!

Sometimes I smack myself in the head :-)

Anywho, I had 6 epidural shots done to my mid-back and lower back in 2001. It did bring some relief to my lower back (I was able to walk without having dull pain) but it brought some consequences...I don't want to scare you on this but its better to be safe then sorry.

The steroids really messed up my body and I had to go on disability for 2 months.
I didn't get a period for 3 months, I had insomnia, I became a moody bitch (more so then normal :-) I started to loose hair, my muscles hurt like mad and my knees felt like they were on fire, I gained weight, my vision was blurred once in a while, and I had these unbelievable cravings for weird foods....some days all I wanted to eat was miso soup or sweet potatoes and the craving was sooooooo insane. I also became very emotional.

The positive effects-after the last set of shots, everything eventually went back to normal. I eventually lost the weight (it took about 2 months to gradually disappear) my hair became thicker, my back felt better and I was able to walk again without any problems.My bitchiness wasn't as bad.

I learned that the epidurals work really well for muscle problems but the herniated disc in my mid back, it didn't really help..I still had the tingling and numbness I have now.

I wouldn't rule them out for anyone else but for me, I don't think they would work and my body is very sensitive.

If you have any questions-please message me. I am glad to help.

Sorry for any typos--I'm being lazy :-)

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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 1/11/2008 4:16:11 PM   
MissKatya


Posts: 341
Joined: 12/21/2007
From: NYC
Status: offline 		Greylynn,

If you don't mind me asking-when you are diagnosed-was it something that the doctor said it was mild and easily treatable? I ask because according to MRI's and tests, my condition was "mild" and most doctors dismissed it even though it would hurt like mad. I was told that surgery is not a option for me. The herniation is very small (barely noticable according to some doctors) but it is pushing on something because I have tingling and pain in my mid-back. I tell them that and the look at me like its impossible.

I have muscle spasms in my neck and shoulder from a "herniated disc" in my neck....apparently this disc "popped back into place" and nothing is wrong though my shoulder is so tight, I can hardly move without a sharp pain or crunching in the muscles (my shoulder even slumps a bit downward) but because I can move it-the doctors say its fine...go figure.

I'm going to a new doctor this Monday and I am expecting the typical answers. Any suggestions on what to ask in order to get treatment and not the run around?


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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 1/12/2008 8:05:29 AM   
Phoenix2raven


Posts: 347
Joined: 10/14/2006
Status: offline 		Not yet but I'm going for one next Thursday. I'll let you know how it went and if I get any pain relief. Good luck and health & happiness to you. 

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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 1/12/2008 7:06:07 PM   
adoracat


Posts: 1779
Joined: 2/16/2007
Status: offline 		my late friend sug had RSD.  basically the pain receptors get turned to the "on" position, and never turn off.  even a breath across the skin could bring her to tears.

they did nerve blocks to her neck/shoulder that would last nearly a month at a time that gave  her a great deal of relief, but she was still taking the oxcontin and oxycodone for pain, with a bong hit now and then also.  it worked for her.

i have fibro and dont have any medical care at the moment.  it can be hellish at times, definitely.  

kitten, who sometimes holds onto the pillows and cries

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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 1/13/2008 1:20:56 PM   
YourhandMyAss


Posts: 5516
Joined: 6/25/2006
From: Sacramento
Status: offline 		I've heard that cortizone injections can actually cause muscle weakness or something like that, my mom used to be on them like every week for her bad back due to a car accident. they helped for a tiny bit then she was just as messed up and in pain as ever

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RE: steroid shots and epideurals - 1/19/2008 9:49:22 AM   
pamela700


Posts: 23
Joined: 8/23/2004
Status: offline 		hi there.

i have 7 severely herniated cervical discs, degenerative disc disease (accelerated/earlier-d by having been a passenger in a car accident), osteoarthritis blah blah blah.

i went from being a successful IT consultant to being a professional patient. fully disabled.

i had 12 courses of epidurals and facet/trigger point injections, some occipital nerve injections, tons of accupuncture, lots of physical therapy.

only ONE round of the epidural/facet injections actually worked for me at all. and it was just for an hour after the procedure. i read through all of my surgical notes and found that a slightly higher dosage of fentanyl was used in a few of the facet injections, also they did a few more facets that time. i was so thrilled, and then so dejected after it failed.

opiod therapy helped for a long time, as does heat and accupuncture/at-home accupressure. i then had a very cool new surgery-through-needles on the 2 worst discs, a radio transmitter is inserted through a needle into the bad discs, removes a bit of disc material by obliterating it at a very low temp (104degrees), and then basically is used like a soldering iron to repair any tears in the discs. unfortunately, in the cervical spine, you have to be awake for the operation so they're sure they haven't damaged your voice box and such (it's fun to chat and joke while nicely relaxed on serious Rx with a surgeon who is jabbing a needle into your neck! really!)  i actually started feeling the difference in pain level while still on the operating table, my hands and arms felt much less numb/tingly.

i do know people who have had very good success/almost complete recovery with epidurals. i wasn't one of them.

if you want more info on the cool new surgery, message me. it's not yet covered by medicare, but my doc (one of the originators of the procedure in the US) waived all of his fees, medicare picked up some of the hospital costs, the people who designed the cool radio transmitter thingy waived their fees...i was even able to go back to work for a while, for the first time in 6 years! and completely come off of opiods and muscle relaxants.

---pam, happily takes the occasional advil, uses lots of heat and accupressure, along with having retrained herself on what NOT to do!

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