Degenerative Disc Disease Support Group

I took xanax prior to my ESI, I also had a bad reaction and ended up with spinal headaches and severe pain. Does your Dr know that you have had a reaction to cortisone before?

When I told the pain dr's pa he said that the injection only had a small amount of cortisone in it, but when I talked to the nurse on the phone he said that he had the same reaction I had w/the cortisone when he had the epidural.
I have been in so much pain and unable to work for two weeks so I have to do something. PT and massages havent helped so the next thing is the shot. I do not want surgery! I just want to minimize the cortisone side effects, if possible. I think I may take a xanex before I go - thanks for the suggestion.

Good luck with it, I would never do it again, the facet joint injections worked better for me but not good enough...doc upped me from percs to morphine today....

Spinal shots never helped me.

I have had 4 total, and they only last 2 wks-2mos. I have come to the point where it has aggrivated me so bad, I can't take the back pain, the pain in my legs, hips and thighs. I don't know what to do...I'm not ready for back surgery just yet, and the dr's say nothing else can help me at this point....I hate those epidural shots....I would tell anyone to avoid them if possible!

The epidurals work for me, but I think the reason you feel so bad afterwards, is the fact that the shots flush out your system, and make your meds runout of your system much faster, or at least thats what my Doc said. At first it will hurt, but after a few days, hopefully you should get some relief. The most important thing about those injections is that you need to show your Dr. that you are willing to seek other treatments along withyour meds. If all you want is meds and you arent willing to try other treatments, than he/ she will frown on that. The good patient gets the relief. Nothing to be nervous about, it will e over and done before you know it. I never get put to sleep hen I take mine, and it hurts really bad for a few minutes, just feels like lots of pressure, but I have a torn disc, and my pain comes from fluid leaking into my nerve root. or something liek that.

I had the same problem after my shots with getting no sleep.. Try tylenol pm's. They work for me. Maybe they will work for you.

~hugs

I've had 2 series of lumbar injections so far and will have the 3rd soon. They have helped me a lot.

Well, I did have the epidural over 2 weeks ago and I haven't had any relief from it yet (and I did have insomnia for a few nights). I'm scheduled to have 4 trigger point injections down the left side of my neck, in two weeks. Just hoping they will help - not going to give up and give in - hope is about all I have at this point.
Thanks for all your responses.

I have had the ESI and I would not recommend it to anyone! My Herniated discs are in my neck and the procedure was very uncomfortable and made matters worse in the days that followed