I'm broken
 

So I have had back problems for ever about 3 years, ever since I took a horse ride, the next morning I woke up and couldnt move... so dealing with pain ever since then.

I went to physical medicine today, the Dr poked and looked at me, asked me a whole bunch of questions. Her diagnoses is 2 things:

Dics bulge and Degeneration Sacroiliac Strain in both sides. So I have to get Epidural Injections. She wants to do 3 of them... So hope that works I don't know what the plan B is..All I know is I am pain 24/7 and if I wake up and it doesnt hurt it only takes me standing for 15 mins for it to start to hurt. :(

Has anyone hah the epi shot in your back? Does it work? Has anyone had these problems or have them now?

BUMP! I hope you find what the cause is so you can get some relief.

:D: They found the cause, next step is Epidural shots :(

I'm so sorry. That's terrible for you to live with, especially, when you're so young. I hope the shots make everything better for you.

I've never had them but see a lot of them in the injured folks that I work with. For some they help; some they do not.

Have you done physical therapy - the whole bit? Usually epidural injections are done after all conservative measures tried.

I hope you feel better.

I get spinal injections every six months - six in my lower and six in my upper. They really help the pain. If it gets bad in between the injections I use Lidoderm patches. I am about due for the injections again.

Thanks guys, Ya I have been a little depressed about this. I have done it all phy therapy, chriopracte...etc etc.

I am on Hydrocodene and Flexerial (sp) right now without those I would not be able to do much of anything, sometimes my back wont hurt till I stand for about 15 mins, then it will start to hurt :( Im kinda nervous about the Epi shots, but like Ringo1 says it works for some and not for the others. So we will see. I have to make an apt for my First shot.

Since you girls have had the shot I have a ? The Dr said I will have to take a day off work and get a ride home..?? Does it knock you out or something?

I have had epi series 3 different times.... Ususlly after 2nd injection feel much better!!! I have Sciatic nerve problems too painful for sure good luck!!

Wow! Im sorry you have all those issues as well!! Thats horrible. I will def try with the ice, i have an ice pad thingy already! It sucks, i started to get depressed about it, i think someone that deals with that much pain stars to get in depression!

Boy is that the truth. I was very depressed for a long long time. I was a 30 mile a week runner. Then suddenly....nothing. It took me about 2years to come to terms with it.

I cannot imagine falling off a horse! That must have been horrific. I hope that these shots help you, and that you can eliminate some of the pain; as there is nothing quite like it. :rolleyes: The ice packs numb everything especially the disc area. So give it a shot!
And.....Please feel free to pm me anytime if you need to vent or just to chat.

I've suffered with back pain for about 10 years -- nothing like what you and some of the others are going through, though. I'm usually ok as long as I'm sitting or moving around -- but if I stand or lay down flat for any length of time - boom! Muscle spasms or sciatica, or both. Last year we got an adjustable bed - actually two separate frames and mattresses that can be adjusted independently, so I can raise my head and knees to relieve the pressure on my spine. I haven't slept this comfortably in years and I don't start my day with a backache anymore.

I also have a TENS unit - I would use one of the long, narrow electrode patches across my lower back where the pain was the worst -- and it helped mask the pain enough that I didn't need painkillers. But I really haven't needed it since we got the bed except when we are traveling and I have to sleep on a flat bed.

I can relate to the depression -- before we got the bed I wondered if I would ever have even a single day without pain. I've never had pain bad enough to need the shots. I've had several friends have them, though. Some have had wonderful results, some not so much. I hope you get some good relief from them.

I see that you are in southern California, you are near one of the Top Spine & Nerve Dr's in the US. Dr Filler is in Santa Monica . I am looking into seeing him for same reasons. Have you researched about the Epi ? One thing I know is this should always be done with Fluoroscope or guided needle picture so the needle goes into the sac & not the nerve. The space they are aiming for is Very tiny & is Easily missed when done without pic and can hit the nerve directly causing irritation & more pain. Also, have you tried Accupuncture ? as it is very good for calming spastic nerves. As boopster said that Tens unit is a really neat thing.

Sorry to hear that, hope you get some relief. I can understand just how you feel, been dealing with some bad back pain myself now for about 3 weeks, all I did was bend over to pick something up! Good luck!!

I had surgery in June 2009 for a ruptured disc on the left lower area. I just rolled out of bed one morning and felt it pop, the pain was horrible from then on, i went from a little over 100# to 82# in about 2 weeks when i had my surgery, after surgery was instant relief.

Around Sept. i noticed pain from my lower back down my right leg, in Dec i had an MRI done, i have a herniated disc on the same disc as before but on the right side. I had 2 of the epi shots in Jan and they have helped tremendouly, i just hope it continues for a long time. I know the shots don't always help everyone but am greatful they did me.

To answer OP question, YES you will need to rest the day of the shot, no it doesn't knock you out but you don't want to over do yourself, as for driving yourself home, i would have someone drive you the 1st time and see how you do, if you do ok then i think you should be able to drive yourself for the others, depending how far it is. I stressed myself out so much the 1st time by just not knowing what was going to happen and had heard it hurt like heck to get the shot, and it did hurt some, mainly alot of pressure, but the 2nd shot i was jokeing with the Dr and tech's that they all needed to experience it with me just 1 time since none of them had ever had the procedure done before. It is all done so fast that it's over before you realize it and so far i do not regret having it done.
Hope it helps you as much as it did me and you get some relief from the pain.
Back pain is almost as bad as a toothache. Good luck!!

Doesn't knock me out - but my former pain management specialist used to use some kind of local anaesthetic and wouldn't let me drive afterwards so Bruce always had to drive me. He drives me now, but only because I haven't been able to drive for the last 5 years.

And I just realized it was In October I last had the injections so I have to wait a couple of months before I get them again. So will be using the Lidoderm patches and Lortab!

I'm sorry that you are going thru this. When you have alot of pain it's awful. My friend had the epidural injections and it helped her and after she told me, my husband went to a pain management dr and he got them. He had been out of work for 3 years with a bulging disc problem. I hope you find relief.

Thanks, Im glad I have Pnut, my little furbutt has been great company when I am on the couch in pain! :D

The Dr said something about the Tens Unit, I was thinking in my head, Wow what am I a rat or something!! haha but I might have to get one of those!

Ok, its offical you scared the crap out of me now!! I believe they are going to put me under when they do the shot bc on my paper it says "anasethia" (sp) so thats probably why they said no work and a ride home! eeeek I am scared now!

The Dr told me about Accupuncture as well... I am going to look into that!

Im glad they worked for you! I am trying not to stress about it.. I just want to feel better and not have to be druged up my whole life! I am too young for this, but I also have a Sacroiliac strain on both sides, not really sure what that is when she explained it, its something to do with my pelvis.. I have to research that a little more.

I just realized the nurse wrote "anasethia" on my apt card, and when I was talking to him he was telling me dont worry he is an anastheiaolist (sp) he is very good... so I know thats why the Dr said take the day off work and get a ride home! They have to put me under! eeekkk! I am getting nervous! But I am sick of dealing with this pain. My SIL in law had the same thing she was in a car accident, well she got a bone infection from the Epi shots! But I cant live like this I have to try what the Dr is telling me to do! So I hope it works on me!!

I swear by the TENS unit and have gotten several colleagues with back problems to ask their doctors about them. All of them have gotten relief -- from only a small measure to complete relief. It's only temporary because once the unit is turned off, the pain eventually returns, but when you have chronic pain, even getting a few minutes of relief is a big thing.

What I like about it is that I can control it -- I can move the patches to different locations based on where I'm having issues, and I can change the intensity and wavelength of the pulse. Some days I just need a little zap, other days I need to ratchet it up. But as I said, the only time I need to use it these days is when we travel and I can't sleep in my comfy adjustable bed.

Thank you all for your comments and your support, all of you made me feel so special!! I don't feel as depressed hearing some of your stories knowing I am not alone. :D You guys are awesome.

I hope you start feeling better soon.:)

Many pain management doctors are anesthesiologist and use what is called conscious sedation. You do not, shall we say, go to sleep you just don't feel anything and don't remember the procedure. Many practices have 2 physicians involved. One does the procedure the other monitors the sedition. Most do an excellent job of keeping you comfortable while the injections are done. If they work for you it is like a miracle. The pain is gone. Good luck.

A friend has a unit surgically implanted in her back...works well...another got a morphine implant and she said she functions very well.

My husband tried many things and simple PT has worked the best..better then drugs....go figure!!!

Acupuncture is good. I used to get it on my feet. Took several treatments to make a difference. I also used to get acupuncture for my migraines.

No need to be scared!!! My last pain management specialist used to use a sedative - they do it through an IV. You won't feel anything and they won't let you leave for about 30 minutes (maybe longer) after.
I don't have the sedatives with my current pain management guy, and all I feel is a prick and it is a little uncomfortable for a second or two.
He is always apologising for the discomfort while he is giving me the injections, but it isn't that bad.

I've done the injections in my back and in my wrist. My experience was that you feel better for the first few hours (due to the lidocaine), then you hurt like heck the second day. By day 3, you start feeling some good relief.

Sorry, didn't mean to scare you but too many Dr's don't tell you these things and too many try to do things that they have no business doing. I spent 3 yrs having Dr's tell me that the pain in my left buttock was coming from my back, even though I told them all that I felt a horrific burning tearing sensation one day when I squatted down to pick something up. Well nov 17th I had surgery & NoT on my back, I actually tore my piriformis muscle & when you tear that muscle the sciatic often jumps inside the muscle & becomes trapped being squeezed EVERY time you move your leg . Piriformis entrapment is Very often misdiagnosed as a back condition because it often makes you have lower back pain from the sciatic being squeezed & pulled on by the muscle it is trapped in. One Dr sent me to the pain clinic for injections in my spine & at that time me piriformis was swollen 4 times it's normal size so I showed it to the pain clinic Dr and he's the one that finally made the correct diagnosis & gave me a shot in the muscle instead of my spine. Then he said come back in a month & if it wasn't better I would need surgery to repair it. I went back in a month & he decided it wasn't my piriformis & said it's my spine & he wanted to go in & shave one of my discs:eek::eek::eek: I DON"T THINK SO !!! So I spent the next year going to more Dr's for diff treatments on my piriformis & ended up in Seattle where the pain managment Dr told me I should have NEVER let that Dr give me the injection without guided needle injection & that spinal injections should Always be done that way because there is too big a risk of hitting a nerve. I believe he's rite because a couple of years ago my Mom was having spine injections, the 1st one worked the 2nd didn't and the 3rd left her in severe pain for almost a year & I believe they hit the nerve on that one. So you should ask if they will be doing your injection be Fluoroscope or some other form of picture guidance. Also you can check out Dr. Fillers website at www.Nervemed.com as I said I have been researching Dr's for 3 yrs & he's one of the top spine & nerve Dr's in the US. He's written several books & I believe the name of one is ( Do You Really Need That Back Surgery ) He's not into doing spine surgery unless he can't fix you with something less invasive. He's actually the Dr who developed the Piriformis surgery that I just had, with a 3 day recovery time instead of 8 to 12 month recovery.
I will never let anyone give me another injection like that without it being guided by some form of picture as I saw my Mom go through Hell from that last shot & have heard similar stories from others who didn't have guided injections. It's just too risky.