Epidural injection

[Manchestermum]

had an mri 7 weeks ago got results back slipped disc in L4 L5 got to have the epidural injection as the disc in pressing on nurv so worried about geting the epidural due to the side effects ect I have had epidural when I had my 2 children via c section am guessing it’s the same apart from your not numb from Waiste down and can not walk after

[helixhelix]

I think for childbirth it is a different drug. They give you an anaesthetic, whereas for slipped discs it is a steroid.

But make sure you tell the medical team treating you

[Manchestermum in reply to helixhelix]

Yes that makes sence I guess I should of worked out the difference haha

[Mmrr]

It is difficult not to be worried, but what you are being offered now for pain control is different from an aneasthetic epidural for childbirth. I'm guessing you are being offered a steroid injection now ?

I've just had surgery on L3/4 for a slippped, recovering and making good progress now.

Sciatic pain is unbelievably sore, you have my sympathy.

[Manchestermum in reply to Mmrr]

Horrid ain’t it my calf muscle twitches like no tomorrow on the effected side am guessing that’s from disc touching the nurve yes it’s the steroid one the side effects are scarey ie head aches paralysis flare up infection sooo put off

[Mmrr in reply to Manchestermum]

I've no sciatic pain after surgery, but I've still got the twitching and itching sensation, both diminishing.

I hope your symptoms settle.

[Whitegate in reply to Mmrr]

Did the NHS do it please? I too, have a disc prolapse at L3/L4The neurosurgeon sags the op is difficult and takes 2 hours.

[Manchestermum in reply to Whitegate]

Have thay offerd you the steroid injections

[Mmrr in reply to Whitegate]

Yes, it was done on the NHS.I developed intense Rt hip pain on 26th April, my GP sent me to A and E....it was pandemonium with little in the way of Covid mitigations ...A and E Dr didn't know what was causing the pain and suggested I stay in. I didn't, I went home.

29th April the pain was unbearable, I was sent to A and E again, who confirmed a slipped disc and ordered a MRI, they offered to keep me in, but again I went home with analgesics and lidocaine skin patches (very good). Both A and E and my GP told me 95 % of slipped discs settle without requiring surgery within 12 weeks, so there seemed no point in staying.

I struggled on with pain, got the MRI on 15th June which showed several issues, both RA and OA related, including the sciatic nerve being trapped by bone overgrowths from previous surgery.

I had an appointment with the neurosurgeon on 30 th June for cervical issues anyway. He told me that the slipped disc would not settle, the right sided sciatic nerve was being encroached on by boney overgrowths, he operated on 13 th July. A planned 2 hour surgery ended up 4 hours, being more difficult than initially thought, due to bony overgrowths.

Three days later on 16th July I was back in theatre to have the left side operated on as I developed sciatica. A repeat MRI showed the left side of the sciatic nerve was being compressed. I'm now pain free from sciatica, still got tingling on the right leg which I'm told should settle.

My situation is complex and in part caused by previous disc surgery 31 years ago.

The surgical pain only lasts 24 hrs and is nothing....absolutely nothing in comparison to sciatica. I had a personally controlled fentanyl drip for pain control....excellent.

I walked back from the loo 13 hrs after my first surgery and managed to use the commode in and out of bed 10 hours after the second.

I would recommend surgery if it is suitable and offered to you.

[Whitegate in reply to Mmrr]

Well done. Unlucky to get like that but good you found a good surgeon. I too, had L5/S1 removed in 1990. Coincidence!

[Manchestermum]

Me to hope it gets sorted been a long 4 years of this rubbish hope ur on the mend

[Manchestermum]

What type of surgery did u have

[Mmrr in reply to Manchestermum]

I had 2 surgeries within 3 days...L3/4 interspinal microdisectomies. The Rt side was operated on, then post op the left side became unbearable so back to theatre I went.

I was initially told by a junior Dr that I had a laminectomy, but I didn't, extensive bony growths were removed from fused vertebrae from previous surgery.

[Manchestermum in reply to Mmrr]

Oh wow you poor thing it’s true what thay say we only get one back be kind but some times it just happens

[Kels1974]

Good luck I havent had steroid injection but had discectomy L5 S1

[Manchestermum in reply to Kels1974]

How long was your op

[Kels1974 in reply to Manchestermum]

Do you mean how long ago I had it? I had it in 2019

[greynot]

I've had surgery (laminectomy and L4/5 nerve root decompression, about 2.5 yrs ago.) I was brill after that, within a month walking 5 miles a day to aid my recovery.However, as the surgeon said at the time, he couldn't give me a new spine.

By last summer the sciatica was back, and more to the point, so was the compromised walking. I had the nerve root steroid injections, first on the worst side and a month later on the other side. The effect was phenomenal. I was back to going for proper walks again.

It lasted about 5 months. Then it was all downhill again.

I'm now waiting to see neurosurgery again (Nov!) as rheumatologist and gp want their input as to whether further injections or surgery is appropriate.

But the injections were great in the short term.

[Manchestermum]

Thanks for you message wow u been throw a lot haven’t you I just worry about side effects of the injection but am sick of the pain four years and only just had mri in June the pain in tail bone is the worse so stiff and achy like a been sat all day mine started when I was doing care work lost of manual handerling and hoisting the elderly and then on a shift with one of other girls we was driving back from a call and we got side hit in the car on around about from a car my boss at time said oh it’s nothing go to your next client every time I went emergency room same old story it’s sciatica here’s meds ahhhh not again I said I want secand oppinion so was sent to pain management he said to I don’t think out is going on but will send you for mri and low and behold it come back 7 weeks later as L4L5 protruding and touching the L4 nurve you no when you know your own body and some thing just ain’t right but people tell u it’s just this just that this time last year I was walking like I was 100 near old hunched over couldn’t straighten my back for months then all of a sudden I could stand straight how I never know but I still geting the twitching in the effected side left side in calf

[Manchestermum]

Sorry please ignore the typing error iphones love to show me up lol