Anyone had a nerve block injection/steroids please

[Eggcustard]

Hi, I am booked in to have a nerve block injection in March and am trying to find out a bit more about it. has anyone out there had one? How do they do it? and of course most importantly did it work?

Thanks.

[Nboy]

I had a nerve block injection in London last May. It cost £3,500 and made not the slightest difference to my debilitating right side pelvic pain. I think it is usual practice to have three sessions, but I only had one, partly because I moved to another part of the country almost immediately afterwards, and partly (or mainly) because I cannot afford another two. The procedure is a bit uncomfortable, but not painful. Some of the injections of steroids and local anaesthetic are guided by x-ray. Hope you get some relief. I believe that results are variable for different individuals; and, as I have said, I did not have the full course. Still in daily agony seven months later.

[Eggcustard in reply to Nboy]

Thanks for the reply, I suppose anything is worth a try now. I have been told my tramadol might be affecting my blood pressure so I need to get off that ASAP, tried pregablin and it was awful. I think I will have to try amatriptaline again. Have you tried these medications as well? Thanks for your help and I hope today is one of the better days x

[sweetpea02]

Hi

I had an xray guided one last June into my left buttock. I was booked for a caudal block but saw a different pain consultant on the day who discussed my pain prior to me going into the operating theatre and said "that sounds like your pudendal nerve. Do you mind if I block that one instead?' I was more than happy for him to do it as I had absolutely no idea what was causing the pain and at that point had never even heard of pudendal anything.

I was given gas and air and told to tell him if I felt any pain releif at all as he was injecting the anaesthetic part of the block..

The whole of the left side of my perineum went numb apart from the area of pain which I could identify as the inner 1/3 of my vaginal wall at the left side.

The procedure took about 15 mins and was uncomfortable but the doctor was very reassuring and told me to keep a close eye on the pain as it could take 2 weeks before i would feel any effect and this would be the steroid part of it . ( btw the pelvic pain network do two really informative leaflets about nerve blocks and pudendal neuralgia which have up to date information abut the correct technique and protocol for these blocks, I would advise that you request them before you go for your block so you are better prepared. There is a way of donating to the network for these, they have proved invaluable to me)

Well it got to 2 weeks post procedure and I was very down as the pain continued and so I arranged to go for acupuncture in the vain hope that that may help. I rang pain clinic just to check if this would be advisable and they said it would be best to wait as if I did get relief it would be difficult to ascertain what had provided the relief.

Unbelievably I got up the day after that phone call and my pain did not come as it usually did. I was completely pain free for 2 weeks. I was able to sit normally, wear my normal sized 1 underwear instead of size bigger ones that I have had to wear because of the perineal discomfort and pain , and I could also wear jeans, tight fitting ones at that, without any pain or discomfort whatsoever! It was so amazing as I had had this pain continually and which had become progressively worse, for 2 years, and prior to that, on and off since the birth of my first child 22 years ago.

I actually completely forgot about it and so was very despondent when it came back again as I naively believed I had been cured.

However I now realise I'm actually lucky as that then gave me a diagnosis. Had it not been for that doctor being there on the day I would have believed I had 'idiopathic nerve pain' (this was what my pain consultant told me it was) .

I had another x-ray guided block in dec last year, exactly 6 months on from the first,

By this time the pain had got a lot worse and I developed piriformis syndrome in the left side which I believe to be as a result of the pudendal nerve irritation. The second block was done by my original consultant and was an entirely different experience which I don't want to go into at this present time and I have had no relief from this but I guessed I wouldn't.

I have since taken the advise of pudendal neuralgia sufferers on this forum and am now awaiting a second opinion from Dr Demello just so I can get some questions answered.

I am very lucky to have a fantastic GP who has been willing to refer me and has given me pregabalin when my other GP refused it.

So I would say make sure you arm yourself with as much information as you can and try to stay hopeful as stress can make the pain far worse, I'm sure you already know this.

I really hope it goes well for you,

sweetpea x

[Kphee21 in reply to sweetpea02]

Hi I know you posted on here a while ago but did you get to see dr demello if so hw did it go? I have appointment for injections with him in August

[nolaglen]

Have you had any further pudendal nerve blocks since your post 10 months ago. Any relief with the pregabalin?

[sweetpea02]

Hi there, well a lot has happened since then. I had 2 further blocks, on ultrasound guided and the last ct guided which gave significant relief straight after for about 6 hours but I have awful piriformis syndrome which started in the left side after the first block and is now in both sides.I think the pregabalin does help to an extent plus I think I'm last fearful as I've accepted that I have this condition and know how much anxiety and depression as well as stress make my pain so much worse. I did think the steroid in the blocks may have caused the buttock pain but I didn't have a block to the right side and yet the obturator internus and piriiformis are affected in that side now and sometimes it hurts on the right too when I sit/ I saw Dr Labatt and the team in Sept and they said it was probably due to the nerve being irritated. The physio I now see was hopeful that I could get better with continued treatment but then said she felt the piriformis was like that because the nerve is restricted ( which was what the french doctors thought). Good luck to everyone, the decisions we have to make are so difficult.

[Poppy26 in reply to sweetpea02]

Hi just wondering how you are now? I have also had ct guided nerve blocks and chronic pelvic pain that has turned my life upside down . After a diagnosis of bilateral pudendal nerve entrapment last year I made the tough decision to have surgery on the uk to decompress both sides . Surgery went well but very sore and painful . Still in severe pain but do have some good days where pain is easier to manage. Get in touch if you want to know more or of I can help ? Good luck

[helpinNashville]

How did it go? Ive had several and it didnt help,hope it did for u...

[helpinNashville in reply to helpinNashville]

My backside got warm but it never reached the vagina area,have had about 5 done,including burning the nerves,no relief.this was yrs ago.I hate that u have damage now that has to suck how has ur new meds helped? The pregabalem I think it was...

[Mitzy72]

I realise that this is a 3 yr old post but I wanted to share my experience. I live in the uk and you can get via the NHS pain management services pain blocks, RFA, Botox etc for chronic pain for all sorts of things. The service is quite good, I would personally recommend the Leeds pain team, they have saved me!! I hope you're feeling better by now..

[electricjaws in reply to Mitzy72]

hi mitzy72, I was just wondering how did you get to see the leeds pain team ?? are you actually living in leeds? ( I live in York)

did you have a x-ray guided injection into the pudendal nerve??

who did you see at the pain clinic in leeds???

sorry for all the questions ,but I was interested after reading your post !!