Yes, it is quite commonly prescribed after surgery -- usually the first thing that is tried when a patient complains of pain. The assumption is that there is swelling that is irritating other tissue. It can irritate the nerve and then once the nerve is irritated, it is hard to get beyond that pain.

Sometimes a surgeon will go straight to an epidural steroid injection, or a medrol pack will be prescribed.

Hope this helps, and that you can sleep tonight.
Gwennie

Gwennie, I can always count on you for advice and kindness-it is like God put you out there so all of us can feel well cared for! You are awesome. I am going to fill this and start it today (luckily, I have a pharmacy that is open till 5pm on Sunday). I am taking an Ambien tonight so I should sleep. Thanks again and I sincerely hope you have someone like YOU taking care of you!!!
Rachel

Glad to help. You might want to call your surgeon's office tomorrow just to keep them in the loop.

I hope this will help. I had a couple injections after my last surgery. I was doing well and then my aging mom who has Alzheimer's, ended up in the ER three times within a week. I wasn't even supposed to be driving yet but ended up having to make the hour round-trip back and forth to the hospital and the facility where she "lives." You know how it is, standing around an ER all day, sitting on those awful chairs, etc. It caused a flare, so I had a transforaminal injection first, and then when that didn't help, I had a caudal.

Being a steroid, you just don't want to have the medrol pack too often...so I hope it works for you. Take it easy for the time you're on it. Work really hard to try to get the inflammation under control.

Please let us know how you are feeling!!
Sleep well tonight.

Gwennie

rounds of steroids since surgery. Occasionally, I just get so torqued up that my pain will not go away, and a course of steroids and some Lyrica will help the pain subside. I absolutely hate taking them, so you know the pain has to be bad when I give in. I hope it helps you.

Linda

I too had several rounds of medrol dose packs after my first fusion. I was concerned about this because of the instructions not to take ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatories because they inhibit bone growth.

In my mind I thought these steroid medications would work the same way, so of course I worried about taking it. What I found out was that it is Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories that the doctors worry about, not steroids. Of course steroids have side effects of their own and should only be given when necessary, but when it comes to inhibiting bone growth, this should not be a factor with a medrol dose pack.

I agree with Gwennie that you should phone your surgeon tomorrow though, just to keep him informed of what is going on. I hope things settle down for you.

cindy

I agree, I've generally been disappointed with urgent care and while insurance prefers you to go there vs. ER, I have found that I will just wait until my doctor is in . . .only b/c each time I go I feel same way about waste of time and co-pay.

They are great for if you are sick or suspect you broke a bone or need a tetanus shot.

As for steroids . . .I went on prednisone 6 weeks post op of microdiscectomy to help the inflammation come down.

I hope things get better for you.
Definitely call dr. in am and keep him in loop.

Medrol Paks should not interfere with your fusion. I can not say Never, because I am not a doctor.
I've had these packs several times, in fact I am in the middle of one right now. I recently had some cortisone deep injections into my arthritic shoulders. One did fine, the other didnt, so those packs do work.
The only concern that my doctor stated was IF I was a diabetic.