I know a lot of people are against it but my neuro put me in two rounds is prednisone before my surgery. I still felt a ton of pressure but I did feel better for a little while to get me through. Large or prolonged usage I would not recommend but for short-term use could be helpful....maybe enough to get you through till your surgery. Hope you get some relief soon. I know how difficult it can be and how slowly time seems to go waiting on relief. Best of luck to you. I will keep you in my prayers as well.

Hope

April, even tho I have been a long term user of steroids and hate them, I m with Hope about this.
I think its more important to go in to surgery strong and rested rather than worn form the pain.
A couple of weeks cant do that much harm, but be advised,that's one of the reasons I was let home so early after my shunt surgery.It also lowers your immune system. My NS was very nervous of me picking up something like MNSR and felt I was safer at home.

I do hope you find something to help your pain. Cath

well i ended up putting a call into my NS office and had them call me in something..and what do they call in....vicodin...ugghh i am so tired of doctors calling me in vicodins...its a surprise im not hooked on the damn things. and from what i have been told vicodins give you rebound headaches and that for ih headaches they are not recommended for that reason and of course after my first one wore off here i am with a damn headache...i am just so ready to get this shunt put in and hope it works i am so tired of all of this it feels like everything is getting worse each day..now starting to get blurry spots like floters in my vision..IH SUCKS!!!

Very interesting your neuro said that...
My NS had me have a spinal in late aug. and placed in a shunt in late sept., but it could just be my NS.
Maybe u could ask your NS to have a spinal scheduled since your neuro won't.
Hope you find something that will help in the mean time, lord knows I needed something!
Mallory :)

Do you have a pain management DR? If not get one ASAP!! They can do more than just give drugs, although they have plenty of those!

I have horrible pressure headaches where I can't even move or lay down. I have had luck with fentynal patch, but I did not sleep for days. I was told this is not typical. I now have diludid and if it is really bad OPANA ER. All narcotics make me ill and I take phenergan with them.

I cannot take vicodin as it causes nonstop vomiting and migraines.

I talked to my pain management DR about my concerns of becoming dependent or addicted to the pain meds and that is why he choose OPANA ER. It is VERY strong (I have fallen asleep eating on it) but it is supposedly a newer narcotic that is not as habit forming.

I hope you can get some relief before your surgery.

I don't mean to freak you out, but my NS said he would not do an LP shunt because sooner or later they all fail or become infected and you have to end up getting a VP shunt.

I am sure this is just his opinion. I know there are people on here that have had great success with an LP shunt.

Did your doc say why LP and not VP?

I wonder because I have a VP shunt and I don't think it ever worked longer than 3 weeks...I have weird and painful symptoms going on now and wonder if an LP shunt could help?

EEmerson- my NS wants to do an LP shunt i believe because of the symptoms i am having...if i understood right that day (as i was very nervous) i only really have the headaches, my vision is not to bad and not really any blurred vision so thats why...so i guess if i was having alot of vision problems he would have done it the other way. My NS actually said oposite what yours did and feels there are less complications with a LP shunt then a VP shunt..and no i dont have a pain managment doc...never really was in as much pain as i am now i mean these are some of the worse headaches i had had yet and it sucks i have to wait until december. But believe if it gets to bad im going stright to the hospital that my NS is affiliated with. his office is basicly connected to the hospital.