Discogram??

[SarahMacRaee]

I have been reccomended to have a discogram on the 15th July (tomorrow) and i am very worried and scared as i have read up on how painful the procedure may be and the fact that i am awake! I have had 2 MRI scans and several Xrays which dont show what my problem is. All i know is "i had a disease which affected the jelly bit between my disc" as my dad puts it. Im sick of not knowing and living in constant pain. Please tell me what my problem may be.. and what exactly good does a discogram do?

[Tuckamore]

Hi,

Thank you for the update. I did respond to your PM. This is not the usual results of this procedure. I am very sorry they were not able to give you IV sedation and that you experienced so much pain.

If your post-procedure symptoms continue please notify your physician. Again I am so sorry that you had/have so much pain. Rest for the day.

I hope you'll soon be feeling much better,
Tuck  

[SarahMacRaee]

Unfortunatley  had 3 unsuccessful attempts at inserting the IV, so i ended up going through the procedure without any sedation. Honestly it was the worst pain ever, so bad i was actually laying there crying. My pain rate got to 9 and afterwards i couldnt walk, and my back was bleeding. At the moment i still cant walk and my back is bruised and swollen. My surgeon told me they got the results they wanted, and wil plan another appointment to discuss fusion in teh future..

[sunshine2008]

I have had two discograms and I can tell you from experience it really is not that bad, but I of course I had IV sedation like Tuck has mentioned.

Basically a discogram is used to identify pain causing disc/discs. A needle is inserted into the suspected pain causing disc and contrast dye in slowly injected, the surgeon will then ask if you are experiencing pain, if so, he/she will ask you if is the same pain you always experience, if not you will fel nothing as the contrast dye is injected. After that a MRI will be done.

Good Luck,
Sunshine

[Tuckamore]

Hello Sarah,

Welcome to the Pain Management Forum. I am glad that you have found us but sorry to hear about your back pain.

I have not had a discogram. I do know that it must be performed by a skilled discographer because it is a very subjective test. My father had one several years ago and the one of the orthopedic surgeons actually preformed the test. Yes it induced pain but it was an excellent tool in for his surgical repair. It was a very valuable and provided the surgeon with information he would not have had prior to the surgery. In my fathers case they gave him IV pain medication immediately following the procedure, actually while he was still in the procedure room.

It is a fact that a really abnormal appearing disc may not be the source of your pain whereas a less abnormal appearing disc may be actually causing the pain. So though it is painful you certainly want to make sure they are treating the correct disc.

Please let us know how the procedure goes for you. We all learn from one another. I'll be hoping the very best for you and will look forward to your updates.  

Take Care,
Tuck