Has anyone here ever had an Epidural

[JanusAscending]

cortisone treatment for nerve compression in their lower lumbar area? If you have, what were the out comes and how long did you have relief from pain? I'm having one tomorrow morning, the first of two. I've got a compressed nerve in both my 4th an 5th disc (some herniated, and some fractured) My Dr. and I decided to go this conservative route first, and if it doesn't help, he will do the surgery the least invasive way possible. I'm 71 and have COPD and VERY nervous about this procedure, but praying for positive comments so I can remain hopeful.

[elleng]

1. Haven't, but happy you're doing 'something' for relief.

'Break a leg!' (NOT!)

[JanusAscending]

6. Thanks Elleng !!

Now you know I'm not going to give up on myself and do nothing, right! As long as I have breath in my body...I will fight...even if the fear give me panic attacks on occasion!

[givemebackmycountry]

2. I have not had one but I know several people who have...

Everyone of them was quick to say they got "two years of relief" and when it wore off they simply got another one.

[JanusAscending]

3. Thanks that's good to hear!

Very good to hear when the alternative...doing nothing ...will put you in a wheelchair eventually. I'll be happy with two more good years!

[applegrove]

4. My dad is having a steroid epidural in his spine in a few weeks. I talked to the doctor and he said

1) It really works well for many people

2) It lasts for up to 6 months

Good luck with the proceedure and let me know how it went.

[samplegirl]

5. My girlfriend had this procedure....

she also had COPD and her pain made the COPD even worse. This really seemed to help her. She could tell when it was time to get another one. I can't remember how long it lasts but if it helps you get relief certainly worth it. Good Luck! Hope everything goes well.

[JanusAscending]

7. Bless you , you've made me feel soo much better.

It's difficult to go through the "unknown" alone. I live by myself and the hardest thing is getting used to not having that special person there with you to have your back and take up the slack. I wish my husband had let "me go first"!

[HuckleB]

8. No, but it was next on the agenda.

I went with time and some physical therapy, to start, but I'm quite a bit younger. At least for those of us in middle age, the science is not real clear when it comes to treatment for back pain, even when the source is known.

Good luck!

:hi:

[Bobbieo]

9. Hope it turns out well. for you. I went to a pain management specialst and he gave me a cortisone

shot in my spine - in fact 2 shots at two different times. I have spinal stenosis and arthritis. When I saw him the last time I did not feel well and he wouldn't give me the shot. I am certain this must be a different procedure than an epidural.

The first time I saw him I was expecting to be there quite a while. I sat on the exam table, he said raise your shirt in back and "pop" he gave me a shot. That was it.

[JanusAscending]

14. Mine is a bit more complicated.

They are going to sedate me...give a local pain shot and inject die so they can trace the damage to the nerve using a fluoroscopy (x ray) to guide the placement of the needle into the area of the involved nerve root.

[Bobbieo]

18. That is what I am afraid of - I went to the same MD a year or so and had to get into a gown and lie

on a curtained cot with a whole bumch of other women in the room. He kept taking my blood pressure and would not do the procedure because my BP was something like 200 over 116. I am 87 and also have an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

I changed MDs and got the BP down and she sent me back to him. I was so surprised when I was the only one in the waiting room and all he did was give me a shot in the back.

After having read the procedure in a post below, my guess is I won't be able to undego the epidural treatment because of my age and the aneurysm. The pain has been under control during the summer but it gets real bad in the cold weather even in Yuma.

[BanzaiBonnie]

10. I'll keep you in my thoughts

and prayers, JA.

[JanusAscending]

11. Thanks sweetie!

[Warpy]

12. While it's not going to make your day, it's not that bad

You'll be asked to lie on your side and arch your back outward, to separate the spaces between the vertebrae toward the doctor. If this makes it difficult for you to breathe well, they'll provide some supplemental oxygen. You'll be draped and the area scrubbed with an antiseptic. They'll then numb the area with a few shots just under the skin, that's the worst part until the anesthetic takes hold. You'll be told to arch your back outward as much as possible and they'll put in a needle to access the epidural space (note: do not look at the needle, trust me). You might hear a disconcerting crunch when they access the space, I have. They might withdraw a little spinal fluid to examine and then push in the drug. Once that's done, they withdraw the needle, slap on a bandaid and tell you that you can roll over onto your back.

Not moving during the procedure is essential. An alternate position can be sitting up and hunched over, but it's not ideal.

You'll want to stay as flat as possible, although you can raise your head slightly to eat after the procedure. Sitting up can give you a ferocious headache. It's not lethal, you just wish it was. You'll stay flat for about 30 minutes* after the procedure, then they'll check you out and let you go.

Your doc will give you specific instructions about doing things like showering and activity.

*A few studies have suggested that the post puncture headache is independent of activity, but most people err on the side of caution. I've only seen them in people who insisted on getting up immediately. As soon as they sat up, yow!

[cpamomfromtexas]

13. I've had radiofrequency ablation, skip the steroids go semipermanent

I do itabout every 24 months, going in on monday it's amazing. It burns the nervesand they growback slowly. Sounds barbaric, but gave me my life back.

[abbeyco]

15. My Mom had the epidurals and then the surgery

She went through the shots for about 2.5 years and they became increasingly ineffective. Finally, her neurosurgeon said no more shots and they went with the surgery. She's got COPD, high blood pressure and about 20 lbs overweight. When she came out of the anesthesia, her first comments were that 'she didn't hurt anymore'. Having the surgery has added 10 or more years back to her life and I couldn't be happier! Once the shots started becoming less effective, it just hurt to see her in such pain. Now at 76, she's back to gardening, walking her dog, traveling on her own and doing her volunteer work.

I'm having injections in my C6 & C7 for herniated disks and will likely do that surgery in the next year; my last pain shot lasted 14 months and it was awesome!

So, I'll wish you luck with your injections - they're great for a while and hopefully the pain relief will help with your COPD. If/when you go the surgery route, I'll be cheering for you - I'm a firm believer in it.

Best wishes to you and I hope you start feeling pain relief soon! Take good care!

[Narkos]

16. I'm a pain specialist who performs epidural steroids injections

I know you're nervous about the procedure, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind. The risks of any major complications arising is extremely low. Probably the biggest risk is a post-dural puncture headache, which happens if your physician accidentally pokes a hole the lining of your spinal cord. Usually for someone your age, this resolves without any problems. As for the procedure itself, usually the most uncomfortable part is when the physician numbs the skin with local anesthetic. It burns! This only lasts for a few seconds though. Once that is done, most patients don't experience much discomfort, although that can vary. In experienced hands, this procedure should take no more than 10 minutes or so. So hang in there, it probably won't be as bad as you think!

[Nite Owl]

17. I had an epidural about a year ago

I was very nervous after reading about it and how painful it was going to be. It was really nothing. Didn't hurt during or afterwards. It didn't last too long, just a few months. I was told I could get four of these a year. I didn't go back for more because my rheumie put me on prednisone and then after blood work I had an abnormal protein in my blood and went for further tests and have a demyelinating neuropathy for which I am taking neurontin. I think that is helping my back a lot too.

[pacalo]

19. When my mother was 73 yrs. old she had a nerve-blocking treatment which took away pain

from her tailbone area. She suffered horribly for three years & went through several routes before we found the right pain doctor, who, unfortunately, moved to California after Hurricane Katrina. She no longer has back pain!

Everyone is different; what may work for one may not work for another. Her first treatment was an epidural & it took away the pain only for about half a day before the pain began again. She had several more treatments with the same results, then she stopped going.

Now my husband has a severe back problem, too! He's tried everything, including three back surgeries, plus another surgery where a spinal chord stimulator was implanted on the right side of his back. He uses a remote control to adjust the level of electronic relief (it blocks the pain "messages" from traveling to the brain). Even that doesn't really help his back, but it does help the upper leg pain that comes from his back problem.

More surgery is out of the question because my husband has been told by several doctors that there is now scar tissue from the previous surgeries! My husband doesn't recommend back surgery, period, to anyone who asks.

Good luck to you, JanusAscending. I hope the epidural works for you. Back pain is horrible, horrible, horrible. Please let us know how it turns out tomorrow.

:hug:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

20. I have...it made it possible for me to resume riding and walking without pain

I got a series of 3 shots. 1st one lasted about 6 week, the 2nd about 3 months, the third was permanent

Doc described it to me as an opportunity to give the irritated nerves a time out. Worked for me