Epidural Shot..YUCK!!

[Kathy]

Mary,
I pray your headache is gone in the morning.

When I had my second daughter, I had epidural issues. After getting my first epidural, I was 'rolled' from side to side to help my labor progress. Apparently, this caused the epidural to come out of the epidural space; as the dr gave me the dose a woman having a cesarean would get and it did nothing! I was then told my options were to do nothing and go through the rest of labor with no drugs (been there and done that with my first daughter when my epidural quit working, 36 hours of labor, 1 hour of epidural equals 1 pissed off mommy), get iv drug staydol or get another epidural. I was warned that by getting another epidural, I would need to sit up, to have it done and that there was a risk of getting a migrane that could last up to 21 days. I decided to take my chances and opted for another epidural and IV drugs. I didn't get the headache; but have heard of people who have and they say it is awful. I hope yours does not last and am sorry you had such a bad experience.

[runner]

Mary,

Sorry for the headache.
I had three ESIs this year and they were all done under fluroscope (like a type of x-ray) and was given sedation.
I didn't get any problems but was wondering if the doctor did it under fluoroscope, which I would insist on next time.
That way they call tell where they are going not just by touch.
ESIs underneath fluoroscope also have been proven more accurate in medical literature. Just google Epidural Spinal Injections or Dr. J's site.

runner

[dshobbies]

Mary,

if you need caffeine, look at it this way. Eat all the chocolate you want, dark or course, and wash it down with a cappuccino blast from Baskin Robbins (non fat but loaded with caffeine). The headache may suck but the remedy .

Truthfully, I'm sorry. I understand this headache is overwhelming. I can't believe they let a student 'practice' on you. Warning, next time, ask how many of the specific procedure the doctor has done before allowing him to touch you. It's your body and your pain and suffering. I'd also write a letter of complaint about the 'oops'.

Dale

[Katie]

I studied Dental Hygiene hundreds of years ago, and the most enforced rule the instructors had was "Never say OOOPS!".

Somehow they thought it may erode confidence in their health care provider....

[mary.mary]

Well,

After waking up this morning and still having the headache, I called the Pain Clinic and spoke with the nurse, who then spoke with the 'real' dr who told me to come right in and he was going to assess me.

I got there about 930am and I guess due to the fact that I looked so CRAPPY, he opted to give me a blood patch, I hope that is what it's called, .

WELL!! Let me tell you!!! That is DEFINATELY something I DO NOT want to experience again...

They laid me down on my side with my knees bent to my chest, had me all set up, it took 2 drs to do it, one was at my head with my arm, and the other was at my back with the epidural thingy...they took blood from my arm and injected it into my back, IT HURT LIKE H*#%!! I was then rolled back onto my back and coulld not leave until the headache had subsided to a level that I could tolerate.

I was finally sent home and told to rest, no heavy lifitin etc etc etc...I was also notified that I could still have a minor headache for a couple days afterwards and that I am to follow up with my family dr in 2 days...

I don't think I will be going for another ESI anytime SOON!!

Thanks for the support!!
Mary

[treefrog]

From the description, I would bet they didn't do it under Flouroscope. All of mine were done with it, and each time I had to lay on my stomach. In fact I've never heard of someone laying on their side to have it done.

Unless the doctor is extremely skilled at doing ESI's, they shouldn't be doing them without the fluoroscope to show them exactly where to put it.

I'm very sorry that you ended up with the spinal headache. If it doesn't go away, or gets too bad, go to the ER and tell them you need a blood patch for a spinal leak.

But, I really hope that it goes away very soon. I feel so bad for you.

[Maria]

One of main questions to ask when PM suggests ESI is will it be performed with fluroscopy? If not I would not have it done.. I've never laid on my side either and never had a student perform it only the PM. Now that doesn't mean he or she cannot make mistakes either but I don't think under fluroscopy that's going to happen but without is much more likely to.

The very first time I had an ESI done it was in the office back in '93 and that stopped me from getting any until 2001 because it was so terribly painful and who knows if it was even in the right place. I surely didn't get any relief unlike all the others I've had since.

Now I've had one where upon I didn't have sedation and my PM pushed a bit too much fluid against the nerve and boy did I feel that pain.. back spasmed and had hot searing pain down my leg.. but it stopped after a while and there was overall relief from pain as usual. BTW, I had a PM back around 2001-2003 and I didn't have sedation with his ESIs and they were always dead on target and I got great relief from them... but moved to Florida for a year and a half and the PM there ONLY did them with sedation (more to bill insurance co. for) so then when I moved back to CA. I started seeing a PM in San Diego and I tried having the ESI once w/o the sedation and had just a little prob which is described above and then the rest have been with the same person and with sedation.. for myself I prefer the transforaminal approach as I've mentioned before.

I've had one spinal tap and two myelograms for which I've had spinal leaks afterwards and with the myelgrams I had to be hospitalized for one week afterwards lying absolutely flat in bed because raising my head at all brought about the most excrutiating head pain I think I could ever not even imagine and each time neither of my Neuro docs would order a blood patch. Not sure why..

oh well. that's all over now but I surely do hope your h/a is fading fast. Re the ESIs.. again, make sure it's done under fluroscopy and if it's not don't ever agree to have one done~ find someone else that does them with this. One bad experience doesn't mean they are all like that though and that's the point of my post here.

[treefrog]

I guess I was posting at the same time as you Mary. Well, I hope that this did the trick, and that the headache is going away, or at least tolerable.

And Maria is correct, ESI's do not have to be what you experienced. Sorry, that we did not think to have you ask before hand, if it was to be done under fluoroscopy, as I think this would have prevented the problems you have had.

Bottom line, I hope that the ESI gives you some relief from you pain.

[Jakea222]

Fluroscopy - anyways - I have had 3 - none hurt and the first helped the last 2 nothing = surgery is my next route - but iquire ask questions - newer ways out there

[Kathy]

Mary- Everytime I see your Avatar picture of your little girl, it makes me smile. She is absolutely adorable! It looks like she is waving 'hello' in the picture. I'm sure she is an absolute delight to be around. She is a doll!