Epidural Steroid Shot appt next week...

[mary.mary]

Hey!!

Ok, so I have my appt for the Epidural shot next Thursday, WOW!! I can't believe how quickly things are moving..

Is the shot going to hurt?? They told me that I will be there for 4 hours, FOR A SHOT!! UGH!!

Anyways, will continue to keep you updated!!

Mary

[Gil Denis]

Hi Mary

The EPI are not very painful stings like a bee with some pressure.

Should be done in a couple of minutes.

be patient it will be over soon.

I hope you get some relief from the injections, keep a log on pain relief when it starts and how long it last for future reference.

keep us posted

Gil

[Katie]

Mary, Is this a steroid shot that is supposed to relieve pain? I've had a number of them, and if it the same thing, it is hard to describe.

First the doctor put in a numbing agent, a freezing medication so that the 'big' injection doesn't hurt. It is a weird feeling....your legs go sort of tingly and numb at the same time. It was done on me while I was sitting up, but I had to lay down afterwards or else I would have fallen when I got off the table.

It felt like I was walking on rubber legs when I finally was allowed to go.

Yes, it did hurt a bit, but not anything like having children It is more like an intake of breath sort of pain, at least for me. Remember, every one is different.

I truly hope that this works for you. It didn't for me, after the second one, but I have a relative who has only had one a year, and it helped immensely.

Good luck with it, and let us know how it went.

[Kathy]

Are you getting sedation? I love getting the sedation, it is a couple of pain free hours and you are out of it for the shot. The numbing agent (lidocaine, I believe) burns like crazy. It feels like a bunch of ants biting you all at the same time. If you had stitches after child birth, and were able to feel at that time (ie. no epidural relief), they most likely gave you a shot of lidocaine, prior to the stitches. The numbing is the worst part, in my opinion. It's not horrible, nothing compared to childbirth; I just like the sedation drugs
I am so afraid of needles (I'm getting better, after 2 kids, numerous injections, surgery, etc). I go to a place where they give you a shot of lidocaine in your hand (small needle, a little burn), before starting the IV. Now, that's the way to go, especially if you aren't crazy about needles. I also get lots of warmed up blankets when I go. I love the warm blankets!

[Maria]

If you're getting sedation you probably won't know what's going on and the actual ESI will be over before you know it. It will be the process of your first visit there and the recovery that will take longer.

There are different approaches for the ESI. Someone mentioned rubber legs which is a more common feeling with a caudal approach.

For myself I prefer a transforaminal approach as it more directly gets the specific segment re relief. Caudal is more generalized and sort of bathes the nerves from the bottom upward. Good for an L5S1 area. I get the transforaminal approach for my L4 area.

In another post I stated that the first ESI usually will create what might seem like a flare up or more pain than you had going in but usually this is just for a few days. Then this clears up and you should feel much better if this works for you.

The following ESIs will likely not give you as much of an aggravated feeling down there (low spine).

Oh~ urinate before the procedure just in case it's done caudally because afterwards if you have rubber legs you will probably have rubber perineal area as well and you may not be quite able to feel yourself urinating or where it's going! At least for about the first hour to two post procedure.

You will want to plan on resting the remainder of the day with an ice pack intermittantly for 20 to 30 mins for the rest of the day.

I hope they work as well for you as they do for me

[Kathy]

Re. Maria's post on urinating first. If you are of child bearing age (which I assume you are with a adorable daughter), even if you use contraceptives or haven't done the deed in months, you will have to pee for a pregnancy test. You only get outof it if you have been surgically 'fixed' or have been through menopause. I always try to hold it, until I get to the hospital. I then ask to go right away, so a nurse comes and gets me and lets me relieve myself (if I go at home, then I can't when I get there, since I'm not drinking anything). Anyway, just another tidbit of information.