? about Epidural steroid injections

[sortamental]

Hi. I am scheduled to get an epidural steroid injection and I am worried about the weight gain. Is this a common side effect and if you get a series of 2 or 3, the does the weight gain continue even after the last shot? Also, in the past, when I've taken oral steriods, I've gotten very depressed/suicidal. Does anyone know if I will experience this same side effect with the shots?

Any advice or personal experiences would be very helpful to me. I am already struggling with my weight and I'm worried about the added gain if I agree to the shots. Thanks!

[sortamental]

Thanks everyone!

[sandi m]

If you get suicidal/depressed while taking steroids, then by all means, DO NOT get the injections. Tell the doctor about your reactions to them previously and do not get them now.
Steroids effect each person differently, some gain weight, some have emotional reactions, and in a diabetic, they can raise blood sugar levels, which they did with me.
Studies have shown that esi's are most effective when they are given within three months of the onset of back pain.
Best of luck to you, and please make sure to discuss the reactions you have had previously before going through with these injections.
Sandi M

[smittygirl]

I get very weepy on oral steroids and gained weight ( puffy face)  My ex has had a few episodes of ESI's over the years for back problems.  He never gained weight and it took the 3rd shot to finally give him relief.  I must agree with Ghilly, if you have had adverse reactions in the past I would be leary of doing it.    The only difference I can think of and you should ask your doc is because you cannot take the ESI's on a daily basis like you can the oral you may not have the same reaction.  Best of luck to you.

[Ghilly]

If you have had adverse reactions to steroids in the past, I would forego the epidural steroid and opt for a different course of treatment.  I had neck surgery, and after my surgery I was on a course of oral corticosteroids to help prevent swelling.  After taking them for four days I developed steroid psychoses.  My surgeon ordered me to stop taking them immediately.  The emotional symptoms stopped within a day, but it took me weeks to get back my senses of smell and taste.  

Before I started going to my current neurologist in Houston I was going to one who was closer to home (I live two 90 minutes from Houston).  The doctor nearer to my home wanted me to have epidural steroid injections for my back pain.  I refused them, but I did it for the reason that epidural steroid injections have been found to be one of the things that causes the disease that has me going to pain management in the first place, which is adhesive arachnoiditis.  I'm already using a wheelchair part of the time because of the arachnoiditis, I didn't want to take a chance on the epidural steroids making things worse.  When I started going to my current neurologist, I told him about how I had refused the epidural injections from the other doctor, and he told me that that was probably a good idea, not only for the reason I did it, but also because since I had already had an adverse reaction to steroids, chances are good I would have had a reaction to the epidural steroids as well.  So I was doubly glad that I had decided not to have the shots.  

Ghilly