Anyone got (first hand) advice about epidural steroid injections?

[UncleScotty]

As I mentioned elsewhere, my GP is reluctant (possibly with good reason) to send me to the operating room.
I've asked her to refer me to a surgeon to make that decision. (which she is 'trying' to do; they won't even see you if they thing you're a waste of their time!)
In the meantime, I've told my doctor I'll try anything else that might be helpful, including the injections.
Thoughts? Comments? How did it work for YOU?

[ah2323]

In 1998 my family and I were convinced by a Kaiser Physical Medicine doctor to have a lumbar steroid epidural injection in the doctor's office with no fluoroscopy.  I was only 16 years old. I have short hamstrings which made any kind of flexibility impossible, and caused mild back pain from trying to compensate. All I wanted was to be able to do the things I never could.. gymnastics, dance... and they told me that this could be my magical cure. Instead of being sent to physical therapy first, I was sent straight to physical medicine, where the first treatment option offered was the steroid epidural. On injection day I laid down in the doctor’s office facing the wall with the doctor sitting behind and my mother to the left. Shortly after the area was numb, she started the injection. Immediately I felt intense pressure and then horrible sharp pain at the injection site. The doctor commented many times that she could not find the epidural space and kept re-inserting the needle again and again.She left more than 15 different needle marks to show for it.  All the while, I was screaming for her to stop, screaming at the top of my lings.. the pain was like nothing I had felt before. She told me that I should only be feeling pressure and continued to poke me with the needle. When my mother pleaded with her to tell us if she found the epidural space, she refused to answer. She never did end up answering that question. When she finally stopped and withdrew the needle, the excruciating pain remained. The pain was new, intense and overwhelming. My pain level went from a 2 out of 10 to a 9 out of 10 in just those few minutes.. minutes when she refused to stop re-inserting a needle without x-ray guidance into my spinal column, and there was nothing we could do to stop her without causing myself even more injury. I was a Junior in high school and bedridden until I discovered narcotic drugs. Then I could at least function more than before.. but they pumped me so full of drugs that I went from taking vicodin, to methadone, to oxycontin all the way to the 75mcg Duragesic Fentanyl patch... the second highest dose of narcotic medication available for chronic pain sufferers at the time. I also regularly had to visit the ER and Urgent Care during flare-ups for shots of morphine and demerol.. in doses that were beter suited for someone twice my size. After realizing the gravity of what this injury was going to do to my life, we decided to take Kaiser to court... but we ended up losing the arbitration because at the time there were no cases of this documented, and no way to prove that the injection caused the new immobilizing pain.  They called it a coincidence, and said that the worst side effect you could get was a bad headache. I am now 29 and have seen every kind of doctor, tried every treatment available, but have still not found anything to keep it at bay for long. I am finally off most of the medication, but still frequently lose entire nights of sleep, and have not had one single moment in the past 13 years where I was not in pain. The sad thing is that I never even really needed the injection, they just made it seem like a miracle cure with little to no risks. I have to live like this forever... because I had a doctor that refused to believe that anything could had gone wrong, and refused to abort the treatment. Please stay away from this treatment, it is not worth it, and it CAN happen to you. These doctors are paralyzing, injuring and even killing people for a treatment that is only temporary. It blows my mind.

[UncleScotty]

Hi there, 75 (prefer not to include the 'disabledspine' part of your name...trying to be "up"!)

Please do tell me all the details about your injections; I'd like to know everything there is before committing to these.

Michael

[Burgh_guy]

I have went through 6 ESI along with 2 microdiscs ... a word of caution on the ESI  it is know to cause more damage after the above treatments i have been diagnosed with Arachnoiditis that is believed to be caused from the chemicals in the ESI  and or a surgical "error" although it is controversial on the exact cause. Like one of the above posters suggested try 1 injection if there is no relief,there is a very slim chance that any other ESI injections will be beneficial if anything you will only increase your risks of complications. It is standard practice for physicians to try alternative treatments before the surgical ones. and nay of the treatments tend to do more long term harm then good. Good luck on you decision and with your condition!

[disabledspine75]

Hi,
I have had about 30 steroid injections in my spine.  That is a lot.  To have one just to see if it helps is harmless.  I have also had 5 surgeries.  Do what ever you can if you have a choice with the surgery.  Mine were due to massive trauma.  From experience I will tell you, if you have a choice, do not have the surgery unless you can't walk.  The steroids they use aren't even as harmful as an asthma inhaler.  From start to finish, the procedure takes about 15-20 mins. It's the safest bet.  It takes about 4 or 5 days to take effect.  So if in about a week, if you don't feel any releif, then you know it didn't work.  It's a precise, extremely low risk procedure.  Wouldn't you give that a shot before you let someone cut your spine open?  Just $0.02 from someone who has experience with massive spinal injuries.  If you want a step by step on exactly how the injections go, and the exact type of medicines they use, post another question, I will be glad to share everything I know with you.

[UncleScotty]

Thanks, buddy. I'm curious that my GP would suggest what sounds (based on your comments, at least) like a "questionable" procedure, at best.
Maybe I'll give this thing more thought and do more Googling before I decide one way or the other.

[caregiver222]

Epidural steroids are controversial. Over a period of time they cause further degeneration of the disc. They are but a short-term solution. If the problem is Sciatica, try a TENS device, or obtain physical rehab therapy. As an alternative suggest a prescription for transdermal lidocaine, but use the patches no more then 12 hours a day.