I have had two in the past but it was years ago. I am seeing a new guy for my back pain. My fibro seams to be in check but my back has gotten worse. I had an MRI which showed an arthritic disc at t11-12 space with herniation and spinal impingement. I am seeing a surgeon on thurs but in the meantime I am seeing this new guy for pain managment and he said they probably won’t do surgery cause I am too young, but thought I was a good canidate for the shots in my back.
Anyway I had one last Monday and I wanted to ask him about where he was going to do it cause the paper said lumbar spine but I was out before I could ask. I asked the nurse after and she said it was rather higher than normal but she would check for me and she came back with L2-3 space. Is this normal? He was nowhere near my bad disc and from want I remember before it was what seamed like a lot higher on my back. My next apt with him is not till next Monday and my next shot is not till the 26 th so I am asking my fibro family is this seams right. When you get the shots are they in the bad disc area or not. Thanks so much for your input.
Becca
I think it's hard to pinpoint the exact spot to put the shots in. I had shots in several different spots and thy never worked. It's an inexact science finding the "right" spot. So the spot your doctor might, indeed, be the spot even though it might not feel like it. Give it a chance and see. if it's not right, you can try again next time and tell the doc that spot didn't help.
That sounds fishy to me, perhaps you have some issues with the L 2-3 ? And that was his focus, you do have to consider that the radiologist that read your MRI, may have dictated it wrong … Sounds crazy, but I have seen that happen. When you signed your consent it said L2-3 ? I wouldn’t have signed until I talked to dr. About exactly were he was putting injection. Talk to him about your concern, I don’t think that a L2-3 injection would treat your T 11-12, but it’s possible. I would clarify this before having another. More importantly how do you feel ? Has it helped at all?
Usually when I get injections they go right for the spot, I have 4 discs in my neck, and sometimes I tell him exactly were it hurts the most and what side hurts more, sometimes he goes up one level, from where the pain is the most, but in your case he went down a level, so that concerns me, I have to look it up, but I keep thinking its rare to give injections in the thoracic spine… Not sure, let us know what dr. Says after your next apt… Hope it helped !!!
Hugs
I felt every single one of my shots, as they could just never get me numb, all of mine were in my lower back, my bad disc is just above my waist, but found I have Spondylitis, which is arthritis of the spine so, I guess you could just shoot me anywhere and I would get some kind of relief.
These guys know were the nerve root is, I don't! Sorry I am not more help, Becca!
I do hope you can get some relief, discuss this with him before he shoots you up again! the epideral shots did help me, more than any, but it numbed me to the point that I did more damage to my back. The pain lets you know you have done too much, but everyone is different. Just don't expect to be superwoman again!
The consent just said epidural steroid and like I said the apt paper said LSE so I was going to ask him. I will ask him at my apt. And I looked it up after and it’s not just 1 level down its 3. I am defanatly not feeling very well. Just trying to shower in the morning is hard and I keep getting nauseous for the pain. I hope is subsides soon. Thanks for the response.
That's odd. I never felt nauseous from the pain of the epidural shots. i know they sometimes were fairly sore afterwards but not to that extent. i really hope that you're okay and the epidural helps rather than hurts.
Why Ariestlt? What do the shots have to do with weight gain? I'm curious to find out.
Ooooooooooh. Well guess that explains some of my weigh gain back then. Thanks for explaining this to me.
And the incident where they scraped against your bone sounds excruciating. It's odd the things they can do that you never even dream of...
How in the world did he come close to the bone then if he was using a fleuroscope? Arrogant and clumsy, methinks!
oh shoot, so if i get some cortisol or whatever the stuff is called injected into my arm, i could still gain weight?
Becca,
As mentioned by others, steroids can cause weight gain and even mood problems in some people. (I once cried for about a month post shot, and it was a rare but awful experience)
Any time you suppress your immune system you’re opening yourself up to a reactivation of viruses, parasites, infections which may lie dormant. This past summer I had an epidural injection into both SI Joints and was in excruciating pain for over a week despite icing it and the doctor was dismissive.
Not to terrify you, but those shots made my immune system go crazy, and I had a reactivation of EBV (Epstein Barr), HHV-6, and Lyme plus Babesia. It took weeks of testing to figure out what was wrong, but I’m in treatment.
I hope I have helped you make an informed decision. xx
Yep, agree with you ariestlt
And the response to the injections is dependent upon the skill of the doctor. I had same procedures done by 3 different anesthesiologists / pain management docs and my response was different each time. Had I known my immune system would be impacted, I would have sought a different treatment.
Good luck and hope things work better for others