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February 8, 2012 - 6:41pm
After 2 ESI shots....new symptom? Contradiction from doctor
I just had my second ESI this past Monday. I have a terrible feeling in my left leg, which is a major problem for me always. It is not pain so much as a very electical, irritating, want to get my leg off my body, feeling. I cant pull my toes up on this foot either. Kind of freaking me out a little. New pain in my rear end region, kind of at the very top of my thigh...where the two meet. I have always had pain in the buttock radiating down my leg but this is in a definate spot ust under my rear. I do not know if the shots are working as I am still on my meds. I am very uncomfortable with lower back pain today as well.I did put a call into PM doc...he is not the best at patient care...his receptionsist just called me back and said the doctor said my symptoms had nothing to do with the injection but symptoms should go away on their own...if its not from the shot..how does he know they will go away??? Has anyone had any of these experiences?
Any input is appreciated
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How can you not know if shot is helping or not just because you are still on your meds?
If you were on the meds just the same before injecrion then you should still feel if its helping or not,
L4 L5 disc replacement in 2004=causing nerve damage'Flexicore disc. 2006 fusion same level leaving adr in. Fusion did nothing to releive the nerve pain.Pain clinic=every injection procedure avalable inc,razadamy, ablation, nerve stimulater trial,morphine pump trial all failed. Pain can be described as burning pain in lower spine penetrating in to left buttock,down left leg. Refuse to take lyrica or nuorontin do to its side effect,Leaving me with norco,valume,and flexiril at night.Which these medications only help with the muscle aches and stiffnes does nothing for the nerve pain from the nerve damage sustained from the adr surgery.Coming up nov.19th 2009 Lami, and hardware removal from fusion,for hardware just causing more pain in other areas.Hardware block comfirmed hardware is also causing pain in diferent area aside from the severe nerve pain on left side.Emg showed some posible problem above surgery are at L3 L4.
Thanks for taking the time to respond. Maybe I do not know what to expect more than I don't know if the shots are working. I still have pain, I think its less today...after the injections I have had some pretty rough days...after the first one I didnt take my meds, I thought "hey I got this wonder shot, I should be home free" Well not the case by the next night I was in the fetal position sobbing...anyway, I asked the PM doctor what that was all about and he said I was in no way ready to come off my meds...so I thought that was why I was still in so much pain...hope this is making more sense now. I take MS Contin with Percocet for BT...so with this shot this past Monday I have continued on the meds....like I said in the initial post, Im not sure they are working, but I will rephrase that to read, I'm not sure what I am going for here...I will take reduced, which I believe I have, but I have new pain and the very uncomfortable leg feeling along with now I can't pull my toes up on my left foot and feel like Im dragging it a little. Hope that clarified it for you.
Thanks again for the response....hope you are doing better as I have read a lot of your posts and I knowyou have been suffering tremendously, my heart goes out to you. Take care. Ellen
I too had these injections. One on Feb 2 and my second one on Feb 9. My pain management dr. told me it would take a couple of days for the meds to kick in. I was ok for about 2 days and then the pain was back. I went for my second one and let me tell you the pain is worse than ever. I called my dr and she said give it time and keep taking your pain meds which i am, but it doesn't seem like anything is helping. She is so set on it being muscle spasms or arthritis, which doesn't make much sense to me and I keep telling her how I feel, but she is pretty much set on these shots and that I will be just fine. I went to a back specialist and he told me I needed surgery, and my pain dr. says I don't. I take Tylenol 4 and Somas, she has given me Mobic but the side effects are horrible. Any ideas on how to get her to listen to me, short of getting rude with her, will be appreciated.
I don't think I have answers for you but I can tell you I todally understand your frustration. I have figured out that my pattern with the shots is I feel good immeadiately following, and as the lidocaine or whatever they use wears off the pain creeps back in....I have used the dentist as a metaphor to understand how it creeps back in. I am in sever pain for around 48 hours and let me tell you I get so upset thinking theyare failing and I will have to go the surgery route, which I am very afraid of and willing, praying for anything but surgery to be the answer here. 2 little kids at home...don't see how surgery is even an option...no way the no lifting, bending or twisting will be MY life. I can share that almost a full 2 weeks in I have some relief, the pain is there, I am still on my meds, though I am finding myself not thinking about them and the pain as much. While the pain is there, I am up and fixing dinner for my kids, cleaning the kitchen (might be the next day)
but I am slowly getting back to my life...I am even going to try and work in my office for a week....so while I dont have anything but now things have gone for me...it has gotten a little better and that is GREAT news from where I was 3 weeks ago. I wish you luck, I hope your PM doctor talk to you..mine doesnt do much of that..Im still waiting for the Spine Institue to call me with a follow-up appt to my EMG...which was 1 month ago...so the waiting is a killer but the shots have taken the edge off. I wish you luck, and know you are not alone
Ellen
I don't think I have answers for you but I can tell you I todally understand your frustration. I have figured out that my pattern with the shots is I feel good immeadiately following, and as the lidocaine or whatever they use wears off the pain creeps back in....I have used the dentist as a metaphor to understand how it creeps back in. I am in sever pain for around 48 hours and let me tell you I get so upset thinking theyare failing and I will have to go the surgery route, which I am very afraid of and willing, praying for anything but surgery to be the answer here. 2 little kids at home...don't see how surgery is even an option...no way the no lifting, bending or twisting will be MY life. I can share that almost a full 2 weeks in I have some relief, the pain is there, I am still on my meds, though I am finding myself not thinking about them and the pain as much. While the pain is there, I am up and fixing dinner for my kids, cleaning the kitchen (might be the next day)
but I am slowly getting back to my life...I am even going to try and work in my office for a week....so while I dont have anything but now things have gone for me...it has gotten a little better and that is GREAT news from where I was 3 weeks ago. I wish you luck, I hope your PM doctor talk to you..mine doesnt do much of that..Im still waiting for the Spine Institue to call me with a follow-up appt to my EMG...which was 1 month ago...so the waiting is a killer but the shots have taken the edge off. I wish you luck, and know you are not alone
Ellen