Foramen Epidural, has anybody had this done?

CeeCee

CeeCee

Well-known Member
Location
Monterey Peninsula California
Last Wednesday I had an appt with my pain dr to discuss the results of my MRI. My Dr wanted to give me the shot and was kind of upset that I refused.


I had an appt with my PCP the day before and I mentioned my MRI results and she said that physical therapy would be an option and she gave me a referral to a place across the street from them. She said they were very good and recommended them highly.


Of course I have to wait and see if my insurance approves it. I'm looking forward to that and hope it's not too painful or difficult...Ive never had physical therapy but read horror stories but those are usually after an operation.


When I told my pain Dr about my decision he said they might worsen my herniated disc (it's mild), plus this is their busy time and and my insurance only approved the epidural shot until the new year. Seemed he was pressuring me to get the shot, I think it's a big money maker for them but I'm worried that something will go wrong and I'll end up paralyzed. :(


With my luck, the earthquake California is waiting for will happen then, just kidding but it has crossed my mind.


I guess if the PT doesn't help, I can still get the shot but I'd like to hear some opinions on this if anyone has had it or something similar.
 

IMO the epidurals are a waste of time. You feel great because of no pain, but when the novocaine wears off

you're back with the pain. I finally had a laminectomy and have been pain free ever since.
 
CeeCee said:
Last Wednesday I had an appt with my pain dr to discuss the results of my MRI. My Dr wanted to give me the shot and was kind of upset that I refused.


I had an appt with my PCP the day before and I mentioned my MRI results and she said that physical therapy would be an option and she gave me a referral to a place across the street from them. She said they were very good and recommended them highly.


Of course I have to wait and see if my insurance approves it. I'm looking forward to that and hope it's not too painful or difficult...Ive never had physical therapy but read horror stories but those are usually after an operation.


When I told my pain Dr about my decision he said they might worsen my herniated disc (it's mild), plus this is their busy time and and my insurance only approved the epidural shot until the new year. Seemed he was pressuring me to get the shot, I think it's a big money maker for them but I'm worried that something will go wrong and I'll end up paralyzed. :(


With my luck, the earthquake California is waiting for will happen then, just kidding but it has crossed my mind.


I guess if the PT doesn't help, I can still get the shot but I'd like to hear some opinions on this if anyone has had it or something similar.
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I can't offer any information on that but, I had a lower laminectomy in the 80's for a herniated disc. The pain had been unbearable prior to that. The surgeon warned scar tissue would eventually cause problems and he was right. I just live with the pain now. I hope you get relief CeeCee.
 

Falcon said:
IMO the epidurals are a waste of time. You feel great because of no pain, but when the novocaine wears off

you're back with the pain. I finally had a laminectomy and have been pain free ever since.
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How long does it last? I'd be afraid to have surgery on my back. Yours turned out okay but Ive heard where most ended up in worse shape than before.
 
AZ Jim said:
I can't offer any information on that but, I had a lower laminectomy in the 80's for a herniated disc. The pain had been unbearable prior to that. The surgeon warned scar tissue would eventually cause problems and he was right. I just live with the pain now. I hope you get relief CeeCee.
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My dr didn't even mention surgery, just the shot. Is a laminectomy a major operation?
 
In the first place, IF you have the surgery, make darn sure that the doctor is a NEURAL surgeon

and not some quack trying to make some extra money.

YES, It's MAJOR surgery but not THAT major.

I was even able to play the violin afterwards ! (LOL)
 
CeeCee said:
My dr didn't even mention surgery, just the shot. Is a laminectomy a major operation?
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Yes, it's major surgery. They open the spine, cut out the interference with main nerves and sew you up. Two or three days inpatient. Now there are some laser treatments that are much easier. The laser is not covered by Medicare.
 
AZ Jim said:
Yes, it's major surgery. They open the spine, cut out the interference with main nerves and sew you up. Two or three days inpatient. Now there are so laser treatments that are much easier.
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Yikes, no thanks. Plus I live alone and nobody to take care of me after surgery.

Think I'll go with the PT if I get it. I also have tendinitis in my left shoulder so it's just not one area that needs help.
 
Falcon said:
In the first place, IF you have the surgery, make darn sure that the doctor is a NEURAL surgeon

and not some quack trying to make some extra money.

YES, It's MAJOR surgery but not THAT major.

I was even able to play the violin afterwards ! (LOL)
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Lol...well, I wouldn't do it with my pain dr. I think he's a quack anyway. When I was there last week and in the waiting room, I had a view of the back room and I saw and heard him tell someone he was being sued.

That's when I really made up my mind about the epidural he was about to give me.

Also, on my first visit to this dr. He said "Jesus Christ" to me 3 times, don't know if I mentioned that here or on another forum.

Not very professional in my opinion.
 
CeeCee said:
Yikes, no thanks. Plus I live alone and nobody to take care of me after surgery.

Think I'll go with the PT if I get it. I also have tendinitis in my left shoulder so it's just not one area that needs help.
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You probably wouldn't need after care. I came home and was completely pain free and able to do anything.
 
I was in heaven for about 5 or 6 weeks after my epidural injection. I went in for a second injection and got pretty much the same result. The problem is that the steroid in the injection can be harmful to the bones if repeated to often. So we moved on to an RFA; Radiofrequency Ablation. I was in heaven after that for about 5 or 6 months. In that time the pain relief gradually went from about 80% down to about 40%. But a second RFA had little effect at all.

Now I'm scheduled for lumbar surgery on Nov 21st; Lumbar Fusion, where they remove the degraded disks and replace them with a bone-graft, and then screw in supporting hardware. I heal very fast, so I'm not worried about the graft taking hold and all that, and the surgeon has an excellent background, but based only on what I've been reading from people who have had this surgery, there's a 50/50 chance it won't have a good result, a good result being at least a 75% pain reduction.

That said, I've had this problem since I was 48, and it just keeps getting worse. I'm 66 now, sick of it, and decided to take my chances...I will either be in less pain, way more active, and able to reduce the pain medication or even stop needing it, or I'll still be taking the medication. I'd rather get off the meds, or at least reduce them to PRN/as needed, so I'm looking forward to the surgery.
 
Cap'nSacto said:
I was in heaven for about 5 or 6 weeks after my epidural injection. I went in for a second injection and got pretty much the same result. The problem is that the steroid in the injection can be harmful to the bones if repeated to often. So we moved on to an RFA; Radiofrequency Ablation. I was in heaven after that for about 5 or 6 months. In that time the pain relief gradually went from about 80% down to about 40%. But a second RFA had little effect at all.

Now I'm scheduled for lumbar surgery on Nov 21st; Lumbar Fusion, where they remove the degraded disks and replace them with a bone-graft, and then screw in supporting hardware. I heal very fast, so I'm not worried about the graft taking hold and all that, and the surgeon has an excellent background, but based only on what I've been reading from people who have had this surgery, there's a 50/50 chance it won't have a good result, a good result being at least a 75% pain reduction.

That said, I've had this problem since I was 48, and it just keeps getting worse. I'm 66 now, sick of it, and decided to take my chances...I will either be in less pain, way more active, and able to reduce the pain medication or even stop needing it, or I'll still be taking the medication. I'd rather get off the meds, or at least reduce them to PRN/as needed, so I'm looking forward to the surgery.
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Good luck to you! Sounds like you've been through enough, especially since you've had the problem since you were 48. I'm 66 also but it's only been that last few years with back pain, shoulder pain also.

Looks like the shots don't last too long and who knows how long my insurance will cover them, they're not cheap I don't think.

my main concern with the shots was something going wrong but I see they're pretty common, just not effective for long term pain control.

Still not comfortable having a Dr who is being sued for some reason or other doing it, I just don't have a good feeling about him....but my choices are limited with my PPO. :(

Thanks for the reply.
 
CeeCee said:
Good luck to you! Sounds like you've been through enough, especially since you've had the problem since you were 48. I'm 66 also but it's only been that last few years with back pain, shoulder pain also.

Looks like the shots don't last too long and who knows how long my insurance will cover them, they're not cheap I don't think.

my main concern with the shots was something going wrong but I see they're pretty common, just not effective for long term pain control.

Still not comfortable having a Dr who is being sued for some reason or other doing it, I just don't have a good feeling about him....but my choices are limited with my PPO. :(

Thanks for the reply.
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I think you're making the right choice even if it is based only on having a bad feeling about it. I believe in trusting ones feelings.

Though I was a teenager in the 60s and almost grown in the 70s, I decided that using drugs for recreation was not for me. Had a bad feeling about putting chemicals in my system, even natural ones. I put off using pain meds until about 7 yrs ago, and have kept the dose to a minimum until a couple of months ago. I could still take more; I'd get an increase if I asked for it. In any case, at my age I don't worry one bit about addiction as I will need the pain killers for the rest of my life. I expect a good result after the up-coming surgery, but will likely start noticing more the pain in the thoracic and cervical regions. So I'm not optimistic about completely stopping the meds, but do expect I won't need to increase the dosage (except right after surgery).

What were we talking about? ...oh yeah; go with your gut. :playful:
Oh, and; the doctor would have to be a numbskull for something to go wrong with the EI. But sounds like he could be, so if you are referred to a doc you feel good about, you might reconsider the EI for temporary relief. If your problem isn't too extensive, an EI could give you several months of relief. But that does depend on the extent of the problem.
 

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