I had the Cervical Epidural and did have pain in the injection area for the length of time I was told I could. (72 hours) So far, it feels better than it did. As for the weight gain, I have to watch to begin with and I told my regular doctor to give me a water pill just in case of the water gain. I was in an accident a little over a year ago and had barely any relief in the area. It is still there but not as bad. I was getting trigger point shots, but only helps the spasms for a short time. It did not address my disc issues. My shot was on 1/29/2009. I don't know about the rest of you but I want to do more.
I had my first cervical epidural injection Thursday. c -6 7 . I have been in more pain than before. I can't sleep. I am miserable. The pain is not any better. They want me to have another shot this Thursday and a 3rd a week later. I honestly don't think I can do it. I am 5'5 113 lbs. I suffered from an eating disorder many years ago. I am so worried that this is going to bring that back. I have already cut out sweets, and am a vegetarian. I had a terrible headache and still have a moderate headache today and as you can tell it is 3am and I am still up. I am a mom and work full time I need to be able to sleep. Oh and this dr. put me on neurontin and ultram ( ultram does nothing for the pain) I have numbness, burring, tingling in my left arm, hand and fingers. There has to be some answer as I am not a surgical candidate. I missed 2 days of work with the fist injection, So I suppose I will miss 2 more this week. So now . Please someone tell me If I should cancel my apt. I don't want to be dumped as a patient and left in pain. I am scared. Oh I too have asthma and have had dose packs of prednisone and it makes me bitchy and flushed. So my goal to cut the weight gain is drink a bottle of water and eat a clementine orange.
I had an epidural shot about 7 months ago for my lower back. During the process I was npt in a twight sleep because I drank some water and chose to have the area numbed instead. Long story short. The Doctor injected be in the hip, whioch caused my right leg to feel like it was an iron rod ( a steel leg) I could not feel my leg at all its as though my leg was removed. # days later I could not hold my urine ans still have complications from this ( holding my urine, The doctor stated that all of this was normal. but I told him that him injecting me 3 times did not seem normal. The 1st injection he said OOPS too much blood! The 2nd one he injected me in my hip and the 3rd he finally got it in the right spot. Does any of this sound normal??
I don't care what the NIH says, I gained 10 pounds after this last series of lumbar epidurals. It is not in my head. I did not overeat. Side effects of steroids include weight gain. Nuff said.
I am a 24 year old female and I herniated a disk in October of last year and just recently got 2 epidural injections done to help with the swelling, pain and sciatica. The doctors don't tell you that woman (especially younger) can have some very serious side effects that are embarrassing!! I have gained 15 pounds in the 5 weeks since I started the series of injections. I am having trouble sleeping, I am sweating all the time, increased apetite, water retention, HORRIBLE facial swelling, irritability, emotional and I have not had a period in 2 months. NO, I am not pregnant. I went to the doctor who administered my injections and he said that I was not crazy and that these are rare side effects but ARE because of the injections. I thought from he would deny what was happening was due to the steroids, but he said it does happen in less than 1% of people who have this done. My back feels much better (not perfect, but better) but the side effects have been a lot to deal with. :-(
Guess I'm the anomaly....or at least among those who post. Week ago I had a C6-7 injection. I'm in a state of euphoria....figured this was why athletes like steroids! I feel great. Pain is almost completely gone after years of neck, shoulder and arm pain. I was already working with a nutritionist and have continued my exercise and food regimen and continue to lose weight this week. I have, if anything, a loss of appetite because I feel so damn good! Can't imagine why so many people having a tough time .....or is it multiple injections that are doing it. In any event, I highly recommend it...and if you don't live in the San Francisco Bay area, that's where to come for treatment...it's the best medical care in the country!
I had an injection in my lower back and it has been great not one side effect. Yesterday I had one in my neck now when I look down it pulls down my back and hurts as if it would if my back was out. It hurts but I just hope I feel the relief I have with my lower back.
I had an epidural injection on the 13th of August. Initially, some of the pain was relieved, however, the pain returned along with some side effects, i.e. frequent urination during the night and throbbing migraines, increase of appetite, slight blurred vision and pain in the right cornea. On the 27th of August, I am to undergo a second injection. Hopefully, with this last injection, the pain decreases and the side effects don't persist. Will the post the results after the following procedure on the Thursday. :'( :'(
Thanks for all the feedback folks.
I have an appointment for a shot in September and it looks like I maybe canceling it and buying a teeter hang up!
I have an appointment for a shot in September and it looks like I maybe canceling it and buying a teeter hang up!
Hi, Thank you to all of you who have spoken about your side effects due to cortisone shots. I thought I was going crazy until I read what you have posted.
I had a shot on Aug 26/09. I had a sheet of paper that listed several side effects I could experience SHORT TERM such as nausea, insomnia, etc. The bottom line is that I have had nothing but problems since the shot. I have frequent urination, waves of nausea, indigestion, dizziness and lethargy, itchy skin irritations, the list goes on. Oh yes, I still have the pain. The combination of dealing with the pain and now the other problems is enough to make me think I'm nuts. I don't know what to do about it. The doctor who did the injection is away, my GP doesn't seem to relate and doesn't know what to do, my physiotherapist has empathy but doesn't know anything about the side effects. Will this ever go away? I can't believe that one little shot has caused all of these problems for me. When I read these other reports, I felt relief and then fear to be honest. I am so mad at myself for not paying closer attention to the potential problems. I would live with the pain if I had known what could happen.
If anyone has any input I'd appreciate it. Thanks
I had a shot on Aug 26/09. I had a sheet of paper that listed several side effects I could experience SHORT TERM such as nausea, insomnia, etc. The bottom line is that I have had nothing but problems since the shot. I have frequent urination, waves of nausea, indigestion, dizziness and lethargy, itchy skin irritations, the list goes on. Oh yes, I still have the pain. The combination of dealing with the pain and now the other problems is enough to make me think I'm nuts. I don't know what to do about it. The doctor who did the injection is away, my GP doesn't seem to relate and doesn't know what to do, my physiotherapist has empathy but doesn't know anything about the side effects. Will this ever go away? I can't believe that one little shot has caused all of these problems for me. When I read these other reports, I felt relief and then fear to be honest. I am so mad at myself for not paying closer attention to the potential problems. I would live with the pain if I had known what could happen.
If anyone has any input I'd appreciate it. Thanks
I read your comments and frankly I appreciate all your testimonies. I only can tell you what is happening to me. First of all, what I've heard is neurotin medication can cause weight gain. How I know is I take it. Futhermore,I advised everyone to get blood work done.Why?To see your thryoid gland is having difficulties.I found out I find hypothryoidism.Which means not enough of my hormones are allowing to flow thru my thryoid.I found out I have nodules in that area. Also I was recommended to have cervical epidural steriod injections. Due to headaches, neck, face ,ear back shoulder sometimes arm and hand aches. Which is caused by a nerve problem due to arthritis supposely.I will have a M R I done in a few days. Anyway I have read individuals with thryoid problems may have headaches and even body aches. I too have gained weight and no I am not lazy .. Futhermore, most individuals that passed away never knew they had nodules in their thryoid area. All I am saying is we all need to get our blood work done as scheduled atleast 3 to four times a year.Not to mention physicals. But most of all listen to our instincts when we arrive at the doctors offices. Like my daughter has said repeatly "we're asking for their services so without us they don't have a business." I have walked out of an office due to rude and down ugly office staff members. We pay their pay roll checks.Frankly any doctor that allows their staff not to be professinal gives me a red flag. First thing comes to my mind is how are they as physicians? One of the most important thing is also
listen to your body.........We as women tend to forget we're special and allow someone to tell you what you should do to your body. Get another doctors advice or do plenty of research.Then make a decision.
I'm on the fence whether to take steroid injections but truthfully after reading your comments I beleive I will not be allow to be rushed in making a decision. I am responsible for any treatment done on myself so I need to do more research then decide. Thank you all for your comments and I will have you all in my prayers. P.s. I was told neurotin medication does not get you to gain weight by a doctor. Well I recommend whatever medication you take go on line an look up at several effects on the meds you take because doctors do not know everything unfortunately.
listen to your body.........We as women tend to forget we're special and allow someone to tell you what you should do to your body. Get another doctors advice or do plenty of research.Then make a decision.
I'm on the fence whether to take steroid injections but truthfully after reading your comments I beleive I will not be allow to be rushed in making a decision. I am responsible for any treatment done on myself so I need to do more research then decide. Thank you all for your comments and I will have you all in my prayers. P.s. I was told neurotin medication does not get you to gain weight by a doctor. Well I recommend whatever medication you take go on line an look up at several effects on the meds you take because doctors do not know everything unfortunately.
I too have gained so much weight. After my third and last injection these are my symptoms; my face is swollen, facial hair has grown significantly, I feel tired, got the blurry vision too, and have an increase in appetite. How long does anyone think this will last? and it's true that Drs tell you it's the first time they hear about it and it's probably something else. WTF
I have life-threatening asthma and am required to go on long term prednisone therapy (steroids) often when my asthma is in full flare up. My pulmonologist is an incredible, honest, wonderful doctor and has never been anything but 100% direct with me about my treatments which is why I trust him completely. When I asked him about the problems I face with steroid treatments he was very up front about it. Yes... it DOES cause the body to retain fluid. It causes your body tissue, throughout your WHOLE body, to retain fluid, causing you to appear to have gained weight when actually you've gained fluid. It WILL go away given time once the steroid leaves your system. I have swollen so bad with fluid that my feet and ankles could not fit into my shoes or socks. At that point my doctor gives me a prescription diuretic to help remove the fluid called furosemide but it's more ideal for your body to remove the fluid on it's own since that's what your kidneys are made for. The increased appetite is also a perfectly NORMAL side effect though it's certainly not desirable. One trick I've learned through all of these treatments is that the best thing you can do is drink plenty of water while on steroids as it helps your kidneys filter through the fluid AND it helps curb that out-of-control appetite. There are flavored, vitamin enriched waters that will also help with the craving for sweet things. Whether or not you give in to the things that WILL cause you to gain actual "weight" is up to you. Mind over matter. Learned that one the hard way too!!! It's also a good idea, if you know you're going to have to have steroids in your system, to have clothes in a couple different sizes. You WILL swell up so make sure you have something comfortable that will fit for that time and don't dare get rid of your normal clothes because the fluid will go and you'll need them again. It's a necessary evil I'm afraid.
I have had the cervical injections as well. When I had the first one I was sore but it dissipated and was ok after a day or two. I felt better. After this second one I find that the sore and stiff feeling is not going away days later and neck movement in general is not very good. Side to side is painful, back is not quite as painful, but forward is horrid. There's no fever associated with it so I presume that there's no worry of spinal meningitis, which I was told could occur if there is any infection in the head/chest area during injection that can go into the site area causing meningitis. During a call from the doctor checking on my condition following the procedure I mentioned this strange pain. If it's not greatly improved by tomorrow we'll have to discuss it and find the cause. It certainly doesn't feel like the previous injection's after-effects and it definitely feels like there's something gone awry. Hopefully I'm wrong and it's just taking a bit longer for the inflammation from the procedure to go down.
I have had the cervical injections as well. When I had the first one I was sore but it dissipated and was ok after a day or two. I felt better. After this second one I find that the sore and stiff feeling is not going away days later and neck movement in general is not very good. Side to side is painful, back is not quite as painful, but forward is horrid. There's no fever associated with it so I presume that there's no worry of spinal meningitis, which I was told could occur if there is any infection in the head/chest area during injection that can go into the site area causing meningitis. During a call from the doctor checking on my condition following the procedure I mentioned this strange pain. If it's not greatly improved by tomorrow we'll have to discuss it and find the cause. It certainly doesn't feel like the previous injection's after-effects and it definitely feels like there's something gone awry. Hopefully I'm wrong and it's just taking a bit longer for the inflammation from the procedure to go down.
Interesting! I had the same results: first shot caused discomfort in my upper back for a day or two. After that, I felt great! The second shot brought the pain in my neck back for three days. Today is the 4th day and I feel somewhat better, however, I've had a shaky feeling in my body since the injection. I also felt like my adrenaline was pumping-my husband asked me if I had caffeine, which I don't drink. My knees are weak, too. Now, after reading all of these posts, I am hesitant to have the third injection, which is scheduled for 2 weeks from now.
Guess I'll have to call my internist to see what he thinks.
Guess I'll have to call my internist to see what he thinks.
I'm glad everyone is sharing these stories! *OK I found promising alternatives! First, I almost took an oral steroid pack but trying to reduce risks of cateracts & I'm so glad I asked the pharmacist & didn;t fill the Rx. Now my Rx for epidural is scaring me, especially for the narrowed cervical area with multiple stenosis , in an area that by the way is much more prone to "side effects" - see - so, like another poster, I may be ordering a teeter hang-up! I also found tips on a site I think it's "losethebackpain" - such as hanging over the side of a table as traction - and also a good price for the teeter...though I think a chin-up bar may be simpler and take up less space! & watch the ankles if weak...
Some more really promising helps: #1, of course exercise and great diet (lots of veg's, lots of "raw" or low-temp foods, protein not all carbs, grass-fed & organic, omega 3 & SAM-e, glucosamine, chondroiten, and MSM), then, #2, balance endocrine (hormone) levels at a place that provides bioidentical natural supplements for this; menopause & imbalances in males is a huge factor in the whole joint decline thing. Search bhrt in your area. Most of this I learned from The Complete Hormone Makeover by Phuli Conan, MD. *Try to trigger more human growth hormone (HGH) naturally, ie by exercising when hungry, decreasing sugar & starchy foods, and taking an amino/essental fatty acid supplement (HGH Surge or Secretagogue Gold were highly recommended by a site, search "HGH Truths") to stimulate regrowth/healing. #3. New therapies finally!! *There is even an MD in Miami, Dr. Dunn, who injects a joint with real actual HGH, apparently it works in animal research but not funded for humans so it's an "off-label" use not covered by insurance. *"Anti-aging firewalls" and other sites show that mesenchymal cell research can repair your own cartilage, and it's in clinical trials in different countries, one in Oslo but none in the US, not YET!!!! Search clinical trials and you may luck out since it will be expensive until covered by insurance. Two great inks, "Filling cartilage Potholes" re Midwestern U in Chicago I think; and this link
So...you see...more humane remedies are coming!!! Anyone want to research it? Anyone want to lobby for studies like this? :-)
Some more really promising helps: #1, of course exercise and great diet (lots of veg's, lots of "raw" or low-temp foods, protein not all carbs, grass-fed & organic, omega 3 & SAM-e, glucosamine, chondroiten, and MSM), then, #2, balance endocrine (hormone) levels at a place that provides bioidentical natural supplements for this; menopause & imbalances in males is a huge factor in the whole joint decline thing. Search bhrt in your area. Most of this I learned from The Complete Hormone Makeover by Phuli Conan, MD. *Try to trigger more human growth hormone (HGH) naturally, ie by exercising when hungry, decreasing sugar & starchy foods, and taking an amino/essental fatty acid supplement (HGH Surge or Secretagogue Gold were highly recommended by a site, search "HGH Truths") to stimulate regrowth/healing. #3. New therapies finally!! *There is even an MD in Miami, Dr. Dunn, who injects a joint with real actual HGH, apparently it works in animal research but not funded for humans so it's an "off-label" use not covered by insurance. *"Anti-aging firewalls" and other sites show that mesenchymal cell research can repair your own cartilage, and it's in clinical trials in different countries, one in Oslo but none in the US, not YET!!!! Search clinical trials and you may luck out since it will be expensive until covered by insurance. Two great inks, "Filling cartilage Potholes" re Midwestern U in Chicago I think; and this link
So...you see...more humane remedies are coming!!! Anyone want to research it? Anyone want to lobby for studies like this? :-)