NWR: epidural shots

Hi ladies. For some background info I've been nursing a bad back since hurting myself on a slip and fall accident. As some of you know I'm a mail carrier so that sort of thing happens a lot. Well today I went back to the pain management doctor who doesn't think my injury has been getting better so now I need another MRI and then the next step is epidural shots. I am the biggest baby when it comes to needles so right away I wasn't liking this. Then of course he had to warn me of the side effects so now I'm even more worried. He's tried everything else and the pain won't go away so this is the last step. At least I get to wait until after the holidays to get this done. Just wanted to vent as now my nerves are completely shaking.

good luck!!! hope you feel better!!!

I too am the biggest baby when it comes to needles and Thanksgiving weekend I needed to have 12 needles put into my neck!!! I did not know how I was going to do it!!!

Just breath in your nose and out your mouth. I know it sounds simple and that is won't work and it totally made me feel more at ease.

If all else falls, think about how amazing your wedding is going to be!! That always puts me in a good mood! :)

Hey, I know someone who got them 3 times it helped her for a while and then back to pain again. I'm sure everyone is different but as your feed of needles would make it worse because the more your afraid the more you don't relax.

It's so true to weigh the pros and cons and to breath in and out and relax. I'm sorry you have to go through this. And I hope you get better

oh no!!! feel better soon!
Matt is going through the same thing. He had his first shot already and is waiting 5 weeks for the next one. After 3, if no improvement, the dr.s are pushing surgery

Thank you ladies, unfortunately it's this or surgery. With surgery the dr. says it's about a 50/50 chance it will make it better or worse. He just really scared me when he was going over everything. One things that freaked me out is there's a 1 in million chance you can become paralyze which is something they have to tell you when they are doing anything close to the spine. I know it's so rare and the dr. said the only told he heard of it happening was in his medical books but it still freaked m out.

---

Posted by DB2013

I too am the biggest baby when it comes to needles and Thanksgiving weekend I needed to have 12 needles put into my neck!!! I did not know how I was going to do it!!!

Just breath in your nose and out your mouth. I know it sounds simple and that is won't work and it totally made me feel more at ease.

If all else falls, think about how amazing your wedding is going to be!! That always puts me in a good mood! :)

---

12 needles!!!!!! in your neck!!!!!!!! I would have passed out

---

Posted by nyrvixen

---

Posted by DB2013

I too am the biggest baby when it comes to needles and Thanksgiving weekend I needed to have 12 needles put into my neck!!! I did not know how I was going to do it!!!

Just breath in your nose and out your mouth. I know it sounds simple and that is won't work and it totally made me feel more at ease.

If all else falls, think about how amazing your wedding is going to be!! That always puts me in a good mood! :)

---

12 needles!!!!!! in your neck!!!!!!!! I would have passed out

---

YEAH! It was probably one of the most unpleasant experiences in my life! My neck was swollen from my jaw line to my shoulder and to boot FH and I have completely different schedules so he couldn't help me at all.

Wow.. I can imagine how scary that must be for u. Everything will be fine though. Hope u feel better

Weigh your pros and cons. I am a nurse and I see tons of epidurals a day. Just try to focus on relaxing, anticipate the pain but try to control your relax. Just be hopeful that it will help your chronic backache......... It must be so annoying to live with this day in and day out???
They give you a local anesthetic that numbs the area before insertion.

---

Posted by sportif7

if you don't mind me asking because i am a neurosurgery PA and i see spine patients everyday, what is your actual diagnosis? do you have a herniated disc? is it spinal stenosis/arthritis? ....some conservative treatments we try with our patients before we recommend surgery are a short trial of valium 5mg (works as a great muscle relaxer) or a slightly longer trial of robaxin 500mg (one of the best muscle relaxers out there, better then flexeril) and definitely physical therapy...what have you tried so far? have you seen a surgeon yet? if it comes to it, i can make some excellent recommendations to spine guys....

---

This is a lot of great information!

Definitely listen to what everyone said and just weigh it out. Make the decision that's best for you, not what anyone else wants for you.

Good luck Yvonne and we are here for you no matter what!

Thanks ladies. This chronic pain is driving me insane and so far we have tried everything that doesn't involve big needles. I've done acupuncture, physical therapy, TPI shots, stym machines. The problem was workers comp took so long to finally approve treatment that the back stiffened up and made things worse . I love that my fellow 2013 brides are so helpful and supportive. Thank you all so much

---

Posted by nyrvixen

Thanks ladies. This chronic pain is driving me insane and so far we have tried everything that doesn't involve big needles. I've done acupuncture, physical therapy, TPI shots, stym machines. The problem was workers comp took so long to finally approve treatment that the back stiffened up and made things worse . I love that my fellow 2013 brides are so helpful and supportive. Thank you all so much

---

Feel better! I'll keep you in my thoughts!