anyone ever have an epidural for back pain?

[intimidator329]

I had mine on monday and the spot where they injected me still hurts like he!!. The nurse called Tuesday to see if I was ok and I told her it's killing me. She said tomorrow will be better keep ice packs on 20 min at a time for another 24 hours.. Well today is Saturday and I hurt just as bad as I did on Monday and I'm still using ice packs. It's not my normal back pain. It's really bad across my shoulders and the injection site. They also gave me two trigger point ijections but thsoe don't hurt.
I can't put my jacket on without whincing in pain.
I have to wear sports bras cuz of the nerve damage and putting that on is a killer.
I was just wondering how long it took for the pain to go away.
I was told a couple of days later I would have no pain at all and it hasn't happened. I have to go again next month and I'm dreading it.

just curious. guess I'm being a big baby. I've been in pain for four years now. You think I could handle this.
:rolleyes:

[Willow]

One of my mothers friends has awful trouble with her back and she had an epidural a few months ago. From what my mother said it helped for a few days and then the pain came back. The doctor wanted to do surgery but she heard that even that doesn't help so she doesn't want to go through all of that for nothing. She never said anything about the injection site hurting. I thought the whole purpose of an epidural is to numb the pain.

[intimidator329]

I had 4 trigger point injections back in Nov and the worst part about them was the dr squeezing the muscles in my shoulders and asking me if it hurt. The shot it self stung but there really wasn't any pain.
I was hoping the epidural would be the same.

[ladybreaker]

my husband used to go through these nasty azz injections for his back pain--they cause more pain than anything else!i think the docs do them to "bump" the bill on ins. patients--they do cost alot!!in the 7 years since he started having them, at a rate of 4 per year,only 1 helped him and it lasted 2 weeks! he finally convinced the doc. to leave him alone--he's in enough pain without having to go through that!!

good luck to you and i hope the pain eases-up for you soon!!

ladybreaker

[DBackFan]

I had 2 epidural injections into my low back a couple years ago. I t hurt soooo bad to have it done I thought nothing could be worse....until later that night. I literally could not move the pain was so bad. I think it took 4 days for it to turn completely around and I have never felt better, even 2 years later.

[queenangie]

I had 2 injections in my low back about 10 years ago, after a failed back surgery L5S1 level. It's doing fine now - Thank You, Jesus!

The first one, I recall had a LOT of discomfort for the first
couple of days, but got better after that.
The second injection, I knew to take oral pain meds around the clock the first couple of days to get past that injection discomfort problem, and this one "got me through Christmas" so I could be functional as a mom and wife.

I can feel your pain, I have been there myself.
You will move past this point.

Can the doctor adjust your oral meds?

Relaxing music, slow deep breathing, praying,
remember Lamaze techniques, meditation,
thinking happy thoughts, a hot or cold shower,
ice or warm pack, I also did crocheting, but
crafting too can all be helpful to get you
through the rough times too.

Have you gone through Physical and Occupational
Therapy? What about a TENS unit? Massage?

I also had this electronic thing hooked up
to my back during Physical Therapy similar to a TENS
unit that really helped quite a bit - just can't
recall the name of it this late at night.
Several sessions with that were very helpful.

Tennis Balls. This is accupressure for those
particular painful spots. Have someone closeby
when you do this exercise. Lie on the floor and
put the tennis ball on the exact spot under your
back that hurts the most. Lie on it for 60 seconds.
It will hurt like He-- for those 60 seconds.
The counter pressure of the tennis ball makes
the pain go away. Don't be a 'beached whale'
if it hurts really bad, have someone roll you
off the tennis ball. My sons got really good at
this 'rolling Mom over' when I got stuck. We can
laugh about it now. Back problems are no fun though.

Another thing to remember - good body alignment
and mechanics as you are doing your daily life.
When my back had major problems, I didn't vaccum
at all. Put a support pillow behind that problem
spot for driving.

Call your doctor back if it doesn't get any better.
Hugs,
Angie

[mikang]

I have 5 herniated disc in my back and I've had a few of the epidurals and none of them helped. The last one I had took the pain away for about 2 days and that's it. The pain where they put it at is really bad and I won't get another one. The doctors here won't do surgery on me and I won't let them anyway. My back hurts daily but some days is worse then others so when I'm hurting worse I usually lay on a heating pad, but the best thing that helps me is when my hubby rubs my back. He buys me a massage every month and those help alot! I have fibro also and the massages help that out too. If the epidurals are causing you more pain I wouldn't get another one. I would tell the doctor and if he insists on doing it again I would find another doctor. I think they keep doing them because the insurance pays good on them. After you stop hurting so much see about getting a massage and be sure and tell the one doing it about your back pain because they have different ways of doing it for different pain.

[KarlaJorge]

Are these the same epidurals as for labor pains?:confused:

BTW, How does one get hernial disks?

[captorquewrench]

let's hope you didn't get any nerve damage from the epidural. those things are riskier than the medical profession usually tells you, not only because of the type of drug administered, but because of the method in which it's given to you.

of course, I understand in your situation, you are in severe pain and need the relief. but it is not unheard of for anyone to have one to have problems for the rest of their lives.

it sounds like they went too far in and the needle penetrated the mebrane around your spinal cord because of the level of pain you're having. but you'r enot describing any overdose smptoms so they probably just having discomfort from a rough or little too deep injection or funny angle or something.

do you recall if they mentioned any problems such as if the anasthesiologist made any changes to the syringe after the needle was inserted, or did he/she tell you? If he or she realized they had gone too far, they should have changed what they gave you and the amount (it would have become a spinal and not an epidural anasthetic) the spinal goes deeper and uses much less medication than an epidural. there could be problems from them going too far or using too much medication for administering that far into the spinal column.

Please take it easy on that back, and doing exactly what the nurse/dr says with the compresses! keep pestering them about fixing it! and ask them about adverse effects to watch for.

keep us posted, take care, and I hope you feel better soon. it sucks when the meds that should help us make it worse or give you more problems.

[captorquewrench]

karla, yes, it's the same type of anasthestic given during childbirth. spinal and epidural refer to the method and location of how they give the drug (usually a "caine" drug, all of which are chemical cousins of cocaine)

[ocvachick]

My Grandma has had 2 cortisone shots into her back for Spinal Stenosis. She said it did hurt for a few days and then it did finally go away. She couldnt take a bath or anything for 2 days (I think).. She does walk 100% better now though and Im glad she got them. She can have 1 more when she needs it, but I think they limit the number to 3.