So I am 4 days out from a bilateral steroid epidural in my L5-S1 area and I have a strong feeling it has not worked. I am trying to wait for the steroids to kick in (which I was told was 2-3 days) but sadly there has been little to no relief. My pain in my low back is still so bad I have to take pain killers to function in my daily life.
I have a question for all of you pain sufferers out there......I am running out of my pain meds and I am super nervous to ask for more. I am scared I will be flagged as an addict which I am 100% clearly not. Anyone have any advice on how to navigate this situation without sounding like I am seeking a drug for a high?
I live in pain at a level of anywhere from 5-8 and it hasn't gone down yet. I am crossing my fingers this epidural will kick in very very soon.
Also how many epidurals can you have?
After this first one I do not want to go through that ever again but if it takes 2 times for it to work why not at this point.
I hate this pain it has interfered in my life.
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AshMorgan77
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Sadly these injections don't always work but give it time.
More important though you said you are running out of pain meds? Whatever you do do NOT stop taking them unless clear instructions from your GP or pain consultant. You don't say what you are taking but guess they must be strong. Do you not get them on repeat script?
Even if the injections work it is only going to be 'managable' pain not gone entirely. That's why it is called pain management. Combination of meds, procedures and therapies.
Finally one piece of advice to anyone who suffers any sort of disability or long term sickness - don't look back to what you once had. That life is past so leave it there. Look to what you can do now and focus on that. Really does make coping long term so much better.
I am taking norco but not that often. I just feel weird asking for more and do not want to be labeled an addict. I am very scared of not having them and being that the pain is so horrible I am at a loss of how to ask. I have never dealt with this before and truly want to get the pain under control so the pain meds are not needed.
I do not know how people live day to day with back pain such as this. It's been almost 4 months of dealing with this and I am ready to do anything needed to get the pain to subside.
The last month has been the worst. I no longer sleep due to spasms at night that wake me up so I think my body just doesn't go to sleep anymore in fear of the pain.
It is called chronic pain cos that's what it is and rarely goes away. However no GP is going to lesve you without some pain relief meds. Neither is he going to scribe you them before you need them. Sort of roundabout to get the right level.
You are not an addict so please don't think you are. If your GP ever dares to say otherwise - change your GP at once. Most are sympathetic although they don't have the answers.
Speak with him and say you are in pain and can't sleep due to the spasms. Amitriptyline at a low dose is excellent for muscle relaxants.
Don't let it get the better of you. Yes it ould be wonderful not having to take any meds but they do work to keep it managable.
Did you have the steroid injections done under xray guidance? If not, then they are less likely to get the steroid into exactly the right place. If it doesn't work, then maybe you need to ask to be referred to a spinal surgeon to see exactly what is going on, and if there is any kind of surgery or neural ablation (burning off the nerve ends) that could be done for pain relief. Are you doing appropriate physio exercises? Thats one of the best self help things you can do for low back pain. If you haven't seen a physio, then definitely ask to be referred.
The consult who did my first root block injection told me 'it's not an exact science' he said it may last a few days or a few months it's impossible to tell as each patient is different. It also can take a few days for the drug to start to work. My first injection I walked out of the hospital and It was great to have no pain in my right leg, a week later it had stopped working. The second injection lasted almost six months before the nerve pain in my leg returned. I understand you can have these injections as long as the Drs think it's a good idea.
As for asking for more pain killers if you need them ask. DON'T wait until you have no pain relief before you do anything about it go back and talk to your Dr. Mine are all on repeat and I do everything electronically except for the Morphine script which has to be picked up from the Drs personally. I'm lucky as my Gp is brilliant and we decide together what is the best treatment for me. I've been on Morphine tablets for 4 years now and am addicted to them. I did ask the doc about this and he said 'we'll sort that out after we sort your spine out' I'm on a cocktail of morphine, pregabalin, Duloxetine, oramorph Amitryptlyne and good old paracetamol for the pain in my lumbar spine. I'm lucky that I I have no obvious side effects from all the medication I can drive and go to work as usual.
I am so sorry to read about your pain. I too am sat /lying in pain. It brings tears to my eyes. My lower back has acute pain. I take pain meds all the time to function at all. See pain specialist next week. Take care
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