JudyBrownEyes
05-05-2004, 03:56 AM
Going tomorrow for first of a series of 3 injections for my neck, anyone know anything about them, and side effects I should know about, Im not a very needle freindly person and Im scared, any info would be appreciated. Does it have any affect on surgery sight......... thanks
Sponsor
ARANGER
05-05-2004, 02:40 PM
Prior to my surgery about three months prior, they tried steriod injection. Basically its cortisone that is injected into the epidural space where the problem is happening. Mine was c4-5. Its done in the OR with an anesthesiologist. The procedure took about two minutes however I was at the hospital for three hours waiting. Prior to having the injection, they gave me versed. This barely worked and I remember the whole thing, but you could probably ask for more. The injection wasn't that painful until after. When they were finished they gave me a demerol injection and I was released with a driver. The first three days it hurt the worse, I felt alot of pressure in my spine. Overall, its not too bad, it just didn't work for me. However I hear that some people respond very well to the injections. Hope it works well for you.
pattymelt
05-05-2004, 08:08 PM
Prior to my surgery in March I had three epidural steroid injections in my cervical spine, none of which offered much relief - hence the need for surgery. I had absolutely no pain or trouble at all with the injections. They were administered by an anesthesiologist and I had no meds before or after - just took it easy for the rest of the day. The injection did make me feel jittery and I had a hard time getting into a deep sleep that night but I had also taken oral steroids and had the same side effects of jitteriness but no pain or other discomfort. Good luck!
nero
05-10-2004, 10:36 PM
Hey JudyBrownEyes:
I had cervical injections and after the first set I got a nasty bout of folliculitis which neither the administering Dr. nor another gp would make correlation. However, all you have to do is type side affects of steroid and sure enough on the net it comes up. .. no coincidence..not to say it will be your side affect but it was for me. It was nasty like acne all over my chest, neck and sides of my hair line and being in the summer it took six weeks of penicillin to clear up. Now when I go in the sun or tan I am very susceptible... I hate it for all the good that it did.
Then with my lower back I did the epidural injections and the first one went well with much relief, the second I got the noted side affect of dry heaves and perspired and had to wait to leave the hospital.. the third injection I passed right out on the table as it was being administered and woke up startled. The Dr. and nurse were laughing and she was glad she was standing in front of me on the bed... frankly so was I with a c5-6 herniation, spinal chord compression etc.
So my point is, its not a lot of fun but it did appease my pain somewhat; however, in the end I have had an ACDF with bone and plate (mine) and a microdiskectomy within six months of each other after waiting four years for help up here in Canada... so you stay strong and get the help you need and deserve.
Any side affects are noted if you toggle the question on the net..so give it a whirl.
Good luck my sweet.
Nero
I had cervical injections and after the first set I got a nasty bout of folliculitis which neither the administering Dr. nor another gp would make correlation. However, all you have to do is type side affects of steroid and sure enough on the net it comes up. .. no coincidence..not to say it will be your side affect but it was for me. It was nasty like acne all over my chest, neck and sides of my hair line and being in the summer it took six weeks of penicillin to clear up. Now when I go in the sun or tan I am very susceptible... I hate it for all the good that it did.
Then with my lower back I did the epidural injections and the first one went well with much relief, the second I got the noted side affect of dry heaves and perspired and had to wait to leave the hospital.. the third injection I passed right out on the table as it was being administered and woke up startled. The Dr. and nurse were laughing and she was glad she was standing in front of me on the bed... frankly so was I with a c5-6 herniation, spinal chord compression etc.
So my point is, its not a lot of fun but it did appease my pain somewhat; however, in the end I have had an ACDF with bone and plate (mine) and a microdiskectomy within six months of each other after waiting four years for help up here in Canada... so you stay strong and get the help you need and deserve.
Any side affects are noted if you toggle the question on the net..so give it a whirl.
Good luck my sweet.
Nero
papergoods
05-11-2004, 02:52 AM
Is this the same thing as a nerve block?
tameerily
05-26-2004, 12:36 AM
Where should I start......Well, it was supposed to be a simple procedure, 3 time adminstration of steroid. Because of my vacation the injections were
scheduled for a month interval between the first and second injection and then one week between the second and third.
The first one went fine as far as I can tell, from then on it was downhill all
the WAY!!!!!!
Let me tell that my surgeon was supposed to be "World-Classed" and one of
the most popular here in Los Angeles.
I went in. The facility was trying out a new operating room. Okay, I know
they lost power to the x-ray(?) machine during the procedure but if that
wasn't bad enough, I heard the nurse, or assistant of some sort, say that
there was no anesthesia that day. When the procedure was over, I was
as sick as a dog!!! When I told the nurse, she told me that they hadn't
used any anesthesia that day but that I'd be okay.
Four days later...still sick!! I called the surgeon's office and was told that
they didn't do follow-ups and that I should consult my own doctor. Well
my own orthopedic doctor doesn't see patients between scheduled visits
and leaves it to his nurse to do the triage. She said that my complaints
were "normal" for someone who had just had the procedure and that I
shouldn't worry.
Three days later, I showed up for the third procedure, still sick. I asked the
nurse if it was okay to proceed and she said that as long as I didn't have
a temperature they could go forward. I also should mention that they had
lost my chart and were using a temporary one.
Well, the surgeon was using a trainee that day. During the procedure everyone got very quiet then the surgeon took over for the trainee for
some unknown reason. I knew I was in trouble!!!!! After he completed
the injection he asked how I felt. I told him okay but that I felt everything
on the left side and my injury was on the right side!! He exclaimed, "Your right side?!!!!" Then he reinjected me.
I was sicker then than I'd been the second time but while I was in the
recovery room the paramedics were working on somebody who'd stopped
breathing during his procedure so I considered myself lucky.
Days went by and I expected to get better but instead I got worse and
worse. When I finally saw my own doctor I couldn't hold my head up
, I had a fungal infection in my head, and my leg was dragging. He gave me
a cervical collar and arranged for me to get physical therapy right away.
I asked that we postpone it for a week because I was far too weak to endure
it. To wrap this story up, I ended up on the critical list with pulmonary embolisms to my right lungs, and a week later in my left lungs, 4+ bacterial
urinary infection, fungal infection to my head, elevated blood sugar, and
evidence of heart involvement. I almost died!!!
Because of the multiple pulmonary embolism episodes, I had to have an IVC
filter installed and am now on coumadin for the rest of my life. But what's
worse is that I've had intractable hiccups every since the filter's been in.
Imagine having a sore throat for almost two years!
Then I was hospitalized for pneumonia.
My primary doctor looked at the side effects of triaminalone(sp?). Any of my
symptoms could have been caused by the steroid, especially because the
surgeon had given me 120mg doses, way over the dosage recommended by
the manufacturers!! But I also have a tell-tale bump at the injection site.
Other doctors are trying to keep the pulmonary embolisms separate from all
the rest of my symptoms. The "PE"s were supposed to be coincidental. Yea,sure.
It's been over two years now and I still haven't fully recovered. I can hold
my head up by myself but I'm still hiccupping like crazy. Of course, I'm stuck on coumadin.
Be careful. Ask about the dosage. Ask about the credentials of anyone assisting your surgeon.
scheduled for a month interval between the first and second injection and then one week between the second and third.
The first one went fine as far as I can tell, from then on it was downhill all
the WAY!!!!!!
Let me tell that my surgeon was supposed to be "World-Classed" and one of
the most popular here in Los Angeles.
I went in. The facility was trying out a new operating room. Okay, I know
they lost power to the x-ray(?) machine during the procedure but if that
wasn't bad enough, I heard the nurse, or assistant of some sort, say that
there was no anesthesia that day. When the procedure was over, I was
as sick as a dog!!! When I told the nurse, she told me that they hadn't
used any anesthesia that day but that I'd be okay.
Four days later...still sick!! I called the surgeon's office and was told that
they didn't do follow-ups and that I should consult my own doctor. Well
my own orthopedic doctor doesn't see patients between scheduled visits
and leaves it to his nurse to do the triage. She said that my complaints
were "normal" for someone who had just had the procedure and that I
shouldn't worry.
Three days later, I showed up for the third procedure, still sick. I asked the
nurse if it was okay to proceed and she said that as long as I didn't have
a temperature they could go forward. I also should mention that they had
lost my chart and were using a temporary one.
Well, the surgeon was using a trainee that day. During the procedure everyone got very quiet then the surgeon took over for the trainee for
some unknown reason. I knew I was in trouble!!!!! After he completed
the injection he asked how I felt. I told him okay but that I felt everything
on the left side and my injury was on the right side!! He exclaimed, "Your right side?!!!!" Then he reinjected me.
I was sicker then than I'd been the second time but while I was in the
recovery room the paramedics were working on somebody who'd stopped
breathing during his procedure so I considered myself lucky.
Days went by and I expected to get better but instead I got worse and
worse. When I finally saw my own doctor I couldn't hold my head up
, I had a fungal infection in my head, and my leg was dragging. He gave me
a cervical collar and arranged for me to get physical therapy right away.
I asked that we postpone it for a week because I was far too weak to endure
it. To wrap this story up, I ended up on the critical list with pulmonary embolisms to my right lungs, and a week later in my left lungs, 4+ bacterial
urinary infection, fungal infection to my head, elevated blood sugar, and
evidence of heart involvement. I almost died!!!
Because of the multiple pulmonary embolism episodes, I had to have an IVC
filter installed and am now on coumadin for the rest of my life. But what's
worse is that I've had intractable hiccups every since the filter's been in.
Imagine having a sore throat for almost two years!
Then I was hospitalized for pneumonia.
My primary doctor looked at the side effects of triaminalone(sp?). Any of my
symptoms could have been caused by the steroid, especially because the
surgeon had given me 120mg doses, way over the dosage recommended by
the manufacturers!! But I also have a tell-tale bump at the injection site.
Other doctors are trying to keep the pulmonary embolisms separate from all
the rest of my symptoms. The "PE"s were supposed to be coincidental. Yea,sure.
It's been over two years now and I still haven't fully recovered. I can hold
my head up by myself but I'm still hiccupping like crazy. Of course, I'm stuck on coumadin.
Be careful. Ask about the dosage. Ask about the credentials of anyone assisting your surgeon.
WICHRIS
05-26-2004, 07:11 PM
Hey Tam and others thanks so much for taking the time to post...I was thinking about asking the Physiatrist about possible steroid injections as
some quick relief for my current problem- a disk at C5,6 that appears to have
some spinal cord,nerve involovement so I could get back to work sooner.
Because of your experiences I am now going to do some research on the
risk/benefit ratio of these injections.I really appreciate everyone on this board
posting,etc.as it has really helped me..so thanks all ! By the way my PCP
referred me to a Physiatrist for follow-up on my MRI to take over pain
management and do an EMG as I have lost dexterity in my left hand-fingers,
hand gets numb,tingly and I just drop things with this hand now sometimes..
its wierd but my left arm feels a lot weaker too..before I had my MRI my
PCP said my left grip,strength was noticeably weaker than the right. The pain
lately is getting worse and I was thinking about asking the Physiatrist for
some prednisone to help with the pain..By the way has anyone ever been to
a Physiatrist ? -What exactly do they do ? I guess I was thinking I might be
more comfortable at this point with a Neurologist taking over the treatment.
Thanks Again....Chris
some quick relief for my current problem- a disk at C5,6 that appears to have
some spinal cord,nerve involovement so I could get back to work sooner.
Because of your experiences I am now going to do some research on the
risk/benefit ratio of these injections.I really appreciate everyone on this board
posting,etc.as it has really helped me..so thanks all ! By the way my PCP
referred me to a Physiatrist for follow-up on my MRI to take over pain
management and do an EMG as I have lost dexterity in my left hand-fingers,
hand gets numb,tingly and I just drop things with this hand now sometimes..
its wierd but my left arm feels a lot weaker too..before I had my MRI my
PCP said my left grip,strength was noticeably weaker than the right. The pain
lately is getting worse and I was thinking about asking the Physiatrist for
some prednisone to help with the pain..By the way has anyone ever been to
a Physiatrist ? -What exactly do they do ? I guess I was thinking I might be
more comfortable at this point with a Neurologist taking over the treatment.
Thanks Again....Chris
bingling
05-26-2004, 07:21 PM
Uh sorry to say but I would stay away from steroids!!
I had injections for Alopecia..on my head.I have suffered panic/anxiety ever since.My doctor waited till after the fact to tell me the cause anxiety.
I wish I never got those injections...if you can avoid it don't do it!!
Wenchling :nono:
I had injections for Alopecia..on my head.I have suffered panic/anxiety ever since.My doctor waited till after the fact to tell me the cause anxiety.
I wish I never got those injections...if you can avoid it don't do it!!
Wenchling :nono:
Alagal
05-27-2004, 10:06 PM
Please do a search for The Burton Report and Depo-Medrol did it hurt you?
I have done research on this and have 16 pages of side effects Ask what will be injected and also to see the insert in the medication, There are none of these approved by the FDA for this procedure. Also the steroids are not to be mixed with anything, but usually they use a numbing agent (marcaine or buvificane) Sure wish I had done the research before the fact instead of after.
Good Luck
I have done research on this and have 16 pages of side effects Ask what will be injected and also to see the insert in the medication, There are none of these approved by the FDA for this procedure. Also the steroids are not to be mixed with anything, but usually they use a numbing agent (marcaine or buvificane) Sure wish I had done the research before the fact instead of after.
Good Luck