TRANSFORMINAL EPIDURAL(NERVE BLOCK)

[Truckster]

HI EVERYONE!!! HOPE YOU ARE ALL DOING WELL OR AT LEAST AS WELL AS YOU POSSIBLY COULD BE, HAS ANYONE HAD ANY EXPERIENCE OR HAD A TRANSFORMINAL EPIDURAL (NERVE BLOCK) INJECTION BEFORE AND DID IT HELP...I HAVE ONE SCHEDULED FOR THURS. AND WAS JUST WONDERING IF THEY HELP AT ALL BECAUSE THE OTHER EPIDURALS DIDN'T DO MUCH FOR ME...ALSO HAVE BEEN GIVEN HYDROCODONE AND FLEXIRIL.DOES ANYONE HAVE A VERY BAD TIME WHEN THEY GIVE THESE INJECTIONS AS I THINK I'M GOING TO JUMP OF THE TABLE WHEN THEY INSERT THE NEEDLES,EVEN UNDER SEDATION, OR DO I JUST HAVE A BAD PM DOCTOR...ALSO WILL THEY DO THESE INJECTIONS WITH ME HAVING THE FLU(COUGHING ) THANKS AND EVERYONE HAVE A VERY GOOD DAY "IF POSSIBLE":(

[Bad Boy Bad Boy]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=Abstract

I had 1 epidural, never to have another. But that is only me.

My opinion, is, why try to mask pain? But then again, there are a few out there, that have found relief.

[Dallas307]

Mine worked at C5-C6 too. So far at least......has been 3 months.

[Truckster]

I AGREE WITH YOU BAD BOY BUT I'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING AS MY LOWER BACK (L-4 L-5) (L-5 S-1)SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE AND IC DOC IS TRYING TO TREAT CONSERVATIVLY ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN A YEAR SINCE INJURY...A MICRODISCECTOMY WAS MENTIONED BY IME DOC BUT HAS BEEN IGNORED BY IC DOC ... BESIDES FROM WHAT I'VE REAAD ON THIS FORUM THERE HASN'T BEEN A SUCESSFULL BACK SURGERY YET...CAN'T WORK AND IC DOC WON'T PUT ME AT DISABLED!!!!!WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO DO ??????

[Still in Limbo]

Hi Truckster!
I was a Class A Driver also that had a microdiscectomy, (You can see the results below in my signature) and I've also had three ESI shots under floroscpy. My major issue with the surgery was scar tissue, which some people produce more than others, and I had to be one of the lucky ones that produces too much. The ESI shots have not worked for me, I think because my S1 nerve root was actually crushed by the herniation, and now is getting impinged by the scar tissue. They use a local to numb your first couple layers of skin, they may sedate you, but the biggest issue I had with the shots is you will feel a lot of pressure when they are administered, not so much pain. The only way to see if they are actually going to work for you is to have them done at least twice, but as Bad Boy has said, they don't cure your problem, they just basically put a band-aid on your pain for a while. The success/failure rate on this procedure is sketchy, it basically depends on the person. If your pain is severe and Meds. aren't helping it's worth a try in my opinion, but my condition has worsened to where I can no longer have them. I hope they work for you, and Best of Luck!

[Truckster]

HI LIMBO....I HAVE ALREADY HAD A SERIES OF 3 EPIDURALS WITH STERIODS AND NOW THEY WANT TO DO A NERVE BLOCK INJECTION AT L5-S1 TPI WHATEVER THAT MEANS...I ALSO HAVE HERNIATION AT L5-S1 WITH INPINGMENT AND A BULGE AT L4-L5 ...I SEE YOUR RESULTS FROM YOU SURGERY AND THAT IS WHAT BOTHERS ME!!!!! MY MOTHER HAS HAD 2 FAILED BACK SURGERIES ALREADY AND IS TOTALLY DISABLED SO I'M GUN SHY WHEN IT COMES TO CUTTING ON MY BACK...SHE ALSO HAD SCAR TISSUE PROBLEMS,PLUS THE FACT THAT SHE HAD POLIO AS A CHILD DIDN'T HELP...I DO REALIZE THAT THE INJECTIONS ARE ONLY A PATCH AND WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM BUT WHATS A PERSON SUPPOSE TO DO !!!!!!!! YOU KNOW!!!!!THANKS FOR YOUR REPLIES AND I WILL GIVE IT SOME MORE THOUGHT AND RESEARCH

[Still in Limbo]

To be totally honest with you Truckster, the only way I can handle it is to take one day at a time, take my Meds. as needed, and try to re-adjust my Life to suit my injury. If everything goes well For me, I probably won't need the wheelchair for about three more years, but I do need the electric scooters to go in a store for any length of time. It's a total life-altering experience, and I wish you the Best and hope this procedure, if you choose to have it, eliminates your pain for a while!!

[Truckster]

THIS BLOWS!!!!!!NOT ONLY DO WE GET HURT AT WORK TRYING TO MAKE THEM AND US A LIVING,BUT THEN TO GET TREATED LIKE A PIECE OF $&%@

[red1030]

Hi truckster, I don't have a lot to say except do what you feel is best for you. My husband had a motorcycle wreck about 20 years ago and the medical doctors wanted him to have a laminectomy in his lumbared region. He said no, and to this day he has pain. He said that he feels the surgeries will do more harm than good. Now he has herniated disc in his cervical region and he continues to say no surgery. I don't understand him sometimes because I would think that a surgery would be better if he could possibly live without the pain. Then I hear Limbo's story and I think maybe he was right on track. This is something a person can only decide for themselves. What ever you decide I wish you the best, and keep us updated on your decision.

[monster]

Hi Truckster,

I had two epidurals for cervical ouchies. Although they did not really help the burning sensation in neck, nor the crunching everytime I move it, they did help with the cervical headaches.

I had a nerve block in lower back which didn't help at all, so therefore it was said that must not be my problem. Now they are saying sacro ileac (sp). I'm at the point that I think docs are exactly what they say they are "practicing" on us the guinea pigs, LOL...

Good luck with yours and if you feel anything at all it should hopefully just be a little pressure, although on my last cervical I really don't think the doc new what he was doing.