Stuck and don't know where to go now

[Leelee16661]

Hi everyone

I recently (july) had nerve root block injections around S1.

I had these first around 3years ago and they worked amazing and I felt great with no pain aftetwards.

However, in around March this year I started to feel the pain coming back again. It was managed with Tramadol and Pregablin, which kept me.comfortable enough to drive my car, work etc.

I then had these injections again...that's when everything started to go downhill. I couldn't walk, the pain is excruitiating, I can't sleep, my back is very tender to touch,enough that sitting back in a chair is very uncomfortable.

The pain management team that I am under are under the impression that there is irritation at the nerve root where the injection went in. So they gave me a 2 week course of naproxen to take alongside tramadol and prevailing ,which made no difference.

I was told them it was just a wait and see and it should settle down. I have now been given meloxicam and nefopam to also take with my other medication now,to try to get pain under control.

And now I have been told to see how I am doing in 8 weeks time. I feel like I have just been palmed off with tablets.

The side effects I get with the tablets doesn't help either tiredness, headaches, sickness etc.

Sleep doesn't happen because I can't lay on back or on the painful side.

They have given me crutches to help me walk aswell.

I am just feeling very fed up and frustrated with the whole thing.

Has anyone experienced anything similar? Any tips on how to try and be more comfortable? And how to stay postive?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read!

[Barbola]

Wat does the MRI show? Were the injections done under xray guidance? Please be careful with

Meloxicam, 9 weeks at 5mg daily put me in Hospital with nephritis and kidneys shut down. Now i have Chronic Kidney Disease 3 from Meloxicam. I dont want to scare but make aware of this dangerous cox2 inhibitor. Apparently i was allergic to it ..... and other NSAIS definitely should not be taken with Meloxicam, it even says so on the instructions. Physical Therapy helps me and swimming, no pills, once in a while a 5 mg Tramadol if its a bad day. Feel better! Check your meds with doctors again...they dont like to prescribe narcotics but sometime nothing else helps nerve pain.

[Leelee16661 in reply to Barbola]

Thank you for your reply!

MRI came back "inconclusive" and I did have the injections under x-ray guidance.

I think I will talk to my doctor about medication and try and find out about more about what they are giving me!

It sounds awful what you went through and when they just give you tablets, you trust them so you take them....and then they cause all kind of other trouble, it's ridiculous!

Them you again,you have really helped me look at things in a different way and I think I might be questioning more going forward.

[Emma2017]

That sounds dreadful. I have had a lot of hassle but nothing like problems after injections. I wonder if the guy who performed it was inexperienced and touched the nerve in a bad way? They take a lot of still images beside using the live X-ray so you might be able to see it on there. I suffer from back problems and have had 3 ops and a lot of those spinal injections. I am atm seeing different people to try and cope and beside physio I find that myofascial therapy helps which may help in your case. The other therapies I have might not be beneficial to you.

[Leelee16661 in reply to Emma2017]

Thanks for the reply!

The guy that performed the injections is a consultant, so I would like to think that he knows what he's doing...but maybe not this time.

I will definitely look to see what other things are available other than just medication.

I hope you are ok and that you are finding ways to cope!

[Pinky2233]

This is how everything started for me. First off naproxen keeps you wide awake. Not sure but I believe there is caffeine in it

I had to take klonopin in big then littlest form to get some sleep in the beginning

It was the only thing that gave my body rest to fight each day. It comes with headaches, withdrawal mood swings but well worth it just keep it as low as humanly possible and it minimizes side effects

I now use sleep herbs instead once the condition got managed but in the beginning while you’re getting to the bottom of things 1-2 tiny spoons that come w it in a tea. Comes in pill form also

Maxnature.com

Jia Wei Hui Pi Tang stg 351

31.99

PT, swimming, hot tub all good to start

It is important you get a proper diagnosis

Get doctors out of the hospital that caused this if they caused this.

Get stretching if possible and doesn’t cause pain.

Keep a journal. Record doctors discussions with you phone if it helps and you can

It is important to find out if the nerve is injured or the tissue and muscles are injured

Spasms squeezing tightness are symptoms of muscles and tissue problems

These can be treated w pT and trigger point dry needling and some Acupuncturists

Ask your pharmacist if each drug could keep you awake

One day at a time

Things will improve when you find the right people

[Leelee16661]

Thanks for taking the time to reply to me.

Your post is really useful with lots of things I wouldn't had even thought to try.

I will definitely look into sleep nerve because I am really struggling with the lack of sleep and will do anything for a decent night sleep.

I am seeing my go tomorrow so going to talk through things with her and ask for a second opinion because I can't go on with not really knowing what the problem is.

I also love you idea about keeping a record of appointments and will be trying that because I never remember half the stuff they tell you in appointments.

It good to hear that you got through it and things are better for you, it gives me hope that if I carry on pushing hopefully things will start moving in the right direction for me!

[Konagirl60]

I think you need a sleeping pill like Imovane for sleep. Start with half of a 7.5 mg tablet. Lack of sleep will make you start to lose cognitive function. You’ll become moody and very irritated to. You certainly don’t need any more stress in your life.

Compounded vaginal suppositories made with 10mg Valium and 1% Lidocaine will help with sleep and calming your system and any spasming muscles which in turn upset nerves. Do you have shock or electrical burning sensations at all?

Passion flower tablets calm the Sympathetic Nervous system naturally. Magnesium tablets help muscle spasm. Lemon balm helps with sleep as does chamomile tea, valerian tea.

I’m SO sorry you feel stuck. It’s an awful feeling and very scary to.

[Leelee16661 in reply to Konagirl60]

Thank you about your advice on sleep, definitely given me things to try that I haven't thought of.

Yeah I get pins and needles on and off, numbness in just one patch on my thigh and the pain in my leg and buttock is like an uncomfortable burning sensation.

Thanks again for your reply!

[Konagirl60 in reply to Leelee16661]

I hope you resolve the issues before it becomes disabling.

Lack of proper care disabled me at 51! Disgusting. Women are NOT being taken seriously enough. Don’t let any doctor dismiss you or force you to take meds that cause bad side effects.

Report any side effects to the the head of your country’s health service.

[Emma2017 in reply to Konagirl60]

With regards to sleep, I need tramadol and pregabalin before going to bed but often several drops of lavender on top of that does help me sleep.

[Konagirl60 in reply to Emma2017]

Tramadol put me to sleep 24/7. I stopped taking it.

Pregabalin made me lose my entire sense of smell and taste. I gained ten pounds in two months. I stopped taking it as well.

Neither of the above medicines controlled my severe nerve crush injury. I needed surgery.

I only got surgery because I hired and paid a registered nurse consultant. No doctor would help me to get it.

Be your own advocate. Long term use is not healthy.

[Emma2017 in reply to Konagirl60]

I know it’s not a long term solution and because of that I was reducing it and got down to just 50 mg tramadol and 300 mg pregabalin but then all of a sudden the pain increased again so I had to increase the pregabalin again. Am going for another MRI next week. Just hope no more surgery. Just found however that lavender helped somewhat with sleep.

[Leelee16661 in reply to Emma2017]

Thank you for your suggestion. I will try lavender to see if it helps me with my sleep!

I hope your MRI is ok next week and fingers crossed you don't need any more surgery.

Let us know how you get on.

[Emma2017 in reply to Leelee16661]

Thanks

[Leelee16661 in reply to Konagirl60]

Yeah they are trying to substitute the tramadol I take, with nafopam but it's going to take time reducing that and dealing with all the withdrawal symptoms on top of everything else.

[Pinky2233]

Are you in the states?

Be careful with lavender and other hormone blockers. I believe it is Well worth using however,

I used lavender in a daily nightly mist and used the oil on my chest as it helped me to sleep. It should be used with caution. It is a known hormone blocker. It can end periods, lower fertility and could increase the risk of cancer with regular and ongoing use.

Get a Good herbalist they can def help with sleep, depression and coping

Try all herbs and medicines in the lowest dosage to make sure you dont have too bad a reaction.

If prescribed Lyrica or Gabapentin I suggest use a low dose and increase very slowly, I had to get in 100 MG capsules so I could split the capsules and economically go up by 50 without insurance a second prescription.

document, record and save everything.

Avoid social media postings

Ask every doctor what are the side effects

Was there an event? Was this caused by An epidural?

The causation is important to getting to the bottom of things

[Pinky2233]

healthline.com/health/pain-...

[Pinky2233]

quellrelief.com/

[Jppp]

Yes me I had a nerve root block 2weeks ago I waited 9months for it,yesterday and 2day I cant walk cant put any weigh on my leg cant sit down probably because it hurts,so feed up of being ill all the time iam drinking my morphine like water along side other painkillers, going back to doctors tomorrow because I dont feel right,cant cope im usually and outgoing person but this is getting me down.