Please post your myelogram experiences

[Gil Denis]

I had a meyelogram in Boise Idaho

1. YES my headache did not hit me until 2 a.m.in a motel room with my family. I drank plenty of water and gateraid.I got out of bed and thought a nice hot shower would help? One hour later I was still in 911 pain.I was hoping my wife would walk in and ask me are you O.K. The reply would of been dial 911 NOW.The pain level was a 100. then I began to drinking a gallon of water while still in the shower. No help, the next step was cold shower until I started to shiver then back to hot then to cold to hot to cold etc. Over two hours later it finaly went away.

2,.Complications- are you kidding

2a, for X Rays and CAT SCAN

3, I was told I may get a slight head ache take it easy and drink plenty of water.

Thanks for a grreat time

Gil

[Justin]

Wow, Gil. Good times, good times. How are you feeling these days--are you still pursuing ADR?

Originally Posted by Gil Denis

I had a meyelogram in Boise Idaho

1. YES my headache did not hit me until 2 a.m.in a motel room with my family. I drank plenty of water and gateraid.I got out of bed and thought a nice hot shower would help? One hour later I was still in 911 pain.I was hoping my wife would walk in and ask me are you O.K. The reply would of been dial 911 NOW.The pain level was a 100. then I began to drinking a gallon of water while still in the shower. No help, the next step was cold shower until I started to shiver then back to hot then to cold to hot to cold etc. Over two hours later it finaly went away.

2,.Complications- are you kidding

2a, for X Rays and CAT SCAN

3, I was told I may get a slight head ache take it easy and drink plenty of water.

Thanks for a grreat time

Gil

[trkdoc714]

1. did you experience spinal headache?

No headache

2. if you were worked up for complications following myelogram

No complications

3. When you were consented for myelogram, what were you told about complications, rates, etc...

No. "We don't tell patients about the pain. If we did, most of them wouldn't agree to the test."

The injection of the dye was uneventful and not really uncomfortable. However, when I was turned over onto my back, the hand grenade they secretly inserted in my abdomen exploded. Burning pain began there and ran down both legs. They finally gave me 10mg Percocet after the CT scan.

I think, and my Pain Management Dr agrees the myleogram intensified the pain by irritating the damaged nerve roots.

I remember what the two guys look like and I know where they work..........

[Justin]

Hey Bob,

They did the 'ole hand grenade in the gut trick, eh? This is what I was worried about...good thing you have the slinky spine, as most people don't survive such trauma.

I know a couple of guys from south Philly that could pay those two guys a visit...

Originally Posted by trkdoc714

1. did you experience spinal headache?

No headache

2. if you were worked up for complications following myelogram

No complications

3. When you were consented for myelogram, what were you told about complications, rates, etc...

No. "We don't tell patients about the pain. If we did, most of them wouldn't agree to the test."

The injection of the dye was uneventful and not really uncomfortable. However, when I was turned over onto my back, the hand grenade they secretly inserted in my abdomen exploded. Burning pain began there and ran down both legs. They finally gave me 10mg Percocet after the CT scan.

I think, and my Pain Management Dr agrees the myleogram intensified the pain by irritating the damaged nerve roots.

I remember what the two guys look like and I know where they work..........

[Gil Denis]

Great times.

Yes i am still looking into ADR Or fusing my L5- S1 and see how the other levels hold out.
I hope med technology improves before they blow up.

Good Luck

Gil

[trkdoc714]

Dr. J,

The two guys from S Philly sound good, but I'm going with local guys, Bubba and Cooter. It only cost a bag of BBQ pork rinds and a 6 pack of PBR. After all, we are in a recession.

How is your sciatica? I'm hoping your surgeon gave you some insight on the cause and, more importantly, a cure.

Bob

[phylly]

Hello,
I just had a myelogram 4 days ago in 3 areas, lumbar, thoracic and cervical. I had absolutely no headache and so far the only problems I have had is the feeling of very tingly irritated nerves becoming slightly worse today. It sounds like amped nerves to me. I did not have any infection (yet), but have also had seasick vertigo type feelings. I've tried zofran, zantac, and tums. What has worked is benedryl (thank goodness).

Last time I had a lumbar myelogram (april 08) there was no headache or infection but I had to take prednisone to calm down the pain in my nerves.
Phylly

[Justin]

Originally Posted by trkdoc714

Dr. J,

The two guys from S Philly sound good, but I'm going with local guys, Bubba and Cooter. It only cost a bag of BBQ pork rinds and a 6 pack of PBR. After all, we are in a recession.

How is your sciatica? I'm hoping your surgeon gave you some insight on the cause and, more importantly, a cure.

Bob

Hey Bob, my legs are still giving me trouble and by trouble, I mean hell.

Originally Posted by phylly

Hello,
I just had a myelogram 4 days ago in 3 areas, lumbar, thoracic and cervical. I had absolutely no headache and so far the only problems I have had is the feeling of very tingly irritated nerves becoming slightly worse today. It sounds like amped nerves to me. I did not have any infection (yet), but have also had seasick vertigo type feelings. I've tried zofran, zantac, and tums. What has worked is benedryl (thank goodness).

Last time I had a lumbar myelogram (april 08) there was no headache or infection but I had to take prednisone to calm down the pain in my nerves.
Phylly

Phylly, thanks for posting your myelogram experience. It sounds like you are doing well. I'm curious as to what expect in regard to nerve pain after the myelogram... it doesn't sound too bad. I have a certification exam in April and I really need to study without being distracted by leg pain.

Thanks again! BTW, how are you feeling?

[nomorepain]

my first reaction is EEK !
my first experience with it was in 1979, i was told a routine test to see if my issue was with a disc or not. After a newbie tech told me i was his first for this procedure, i was not alarmed until i woke up 3days after the test with a headache where it felt i had an elephant sitting on my head, the damage was done, my L4-L5 disc was completely blown out, told i was to have surgery for the disc, but hey, it was on the house as long as i agreed not to sue their pants off..............................
my second in 2002, i was tense as heck, and nervous for a week before, tried everything i knew to get out of it, but did it with my fingers and toes crossed, and it was easy with a capable Doc behind the needle, all the worry was for nothing, but then again it usually is.........

[Justin]

Well, I go in Friday for my lumbar CT/myelo... hopefully, the dictated report isn't 4 pages long... I'll let everyone know if I hear anything new that is noteworthy to the community.

[Gil Denis]

Hi Dr J
God luck and hope it goes well.
Drink Gatoraide and water

Gil

[trkdoc714]

Justin,

Keep your eye on the guy with the hand grenade. Take your own pain meds in case they forget about you for an hour or so.

Good luck, I hope it shows you what the problem is and that it's something easily treated.

Bob

[Cheryl]

Had CT myleo on Monday,

When I asked doctor about complications, side effects etc. He said menigitis but rare, and shrugged his shoulder and said the word headache as if to say it would be no big deal. I have to admit that I had read enough to know otherwise but decided to have the procedure anyway.

Headache developed by Tuesday morning.

Its so severe in the am that I have to crawl to the bathroom. Can't take my puppy for a walk, need my husband to stay home to watch the kids.
Had to cancel my 40th bday party on Saturday which a friend put a lot of time and money into. Not that any of this matters - just explaining the severity

Headache subsides a bit my mid afternoon.

Nurse said its my choice to come in for blood patch or endure.

Not sure what to do, I can't take anything worse.

I am so over being a spine patient. Its neverending.

[Roblin]

Justin,
Good luck on your myelogram on Friday. I sincerely hope you have no side effects. I've had 3 and 2 went well and the other I had to get a blood patch and that took care of the issues.
Best wishes,
Linda

[Justin]

Thanks Bob and Linda. Myelogram went well yesterday (no grenades!). I have a very minor headache today. I've been drinking plenty of fluids... I should have the dictated report on Monday.

I hope you feel better Cheryl.

Originally Posted by Cheryl

Had CT myleo on Monday,

When I asked doctor about complications, side effects etc. He said menigitis but rare, and shrugged his shoulder and said the word headache as if to say it would be no big deal. I have to admit that I had read enough to know otherwise but decided to have the procedure anyway.

Headache developed by Tuesday morning.

Its so severe in the am that I have to crawl to the bathroom. Can't take my puppy for a walk, need my husband to stay home to watch the kids.
Had to cancel my 40th bday party on Saturday which a friend put a lot of time and money into. Not that any of this matters - just explaining the severity

Headache subsides a bit my mid afternoon.

Nurse said its my choice to come in for blood patch or endure.

Not sure what to do, I can't take anything worse.

I am so over being a spine patient. Its neverending.

[dshobbies]

I'm curious. My doctor wanted me to have a myelogram when I got back from Germany. One of the reasons I didn't was because the place doing the procedure was a diagnostic center. As soon as it was over, I would have had to get up to go home. I wouldn't have been able to keep my head down until I got home. Would that have been too late? Does it really matter?

Thanks, Dale

[trkdoc714]

Dale,

When I had mine, they cautioned me to keep upright to avoid headaches. It was done in a hospital but as an outpatient. They released me about 2 hours after it was over. For some reason they recommended coffee and had me drink 3 cups of hospital coffee. I guess they didn't think the nerve irritation was enough discomfort so they thought they would offend my taste buds and top off my bladder.......

Bob