What has been your experience with epidural steroid injection (ESI) for spinal stenosis?
Not good at all! I had way too many as soon as the lidocaine wore off I was in pain again. Plus it is risky must be done under a X-ray so they make sure it doesn't go in the wrong place. I wish I never had the first surgery, I worked a job that required long hours on a computer often no breaks. I know that is what caused my spine to deteriorate. No job is worth your health!
Hi
I got 3 months relief from epidural in neck but it's only temporary. I'm awaiting a nerve block c6/7 but seeing surgeon next month as nothing is helping my pain at all
Hi,
May I ask you both what medications you have taken that are not helping with the pain.
Mike
Hi Mike
When I say ' nothing ' is helping my pain I chose the wrong word as what I should have said is ' it doesn't take pain away fully'.
I'm on:-
Nortryptoline
Gabapentin
Meptid( an opiate)
Morphine tablets
Oramorph
And a new drug which is doing what it's supposed to be doing ( stopping cluster migraines)
I once tried weaning myself off gabapentin after I had a subarachnoid haemorrhage and without a day I was rocking in horrendous pain. The ribcage pain now comes in waves, agony first thing then eases after I take 9 am morphine then builds up again from 5pm until I take my next dose of morphine at 9 pm then the drowsiness comes in ready for bed. I am taking other meds and oramorph in between the waves of pain
Hi,
The gabapentin does help but I also take amatriptaline at night along with other meds which seem to give a better sleep pattern.
Everyone is different and that's why it's best to keep on at your gp to hopefully get a pain control pathway.
Mike.
Gabapentin did not work for me but I am getting some relief from Horizant (time-release Gabapentin) - go figure.
Only Gabapentin that did not work and Horizant 600 mg, a times-release Gabapentin that works at a 3 on a 1 to 10 scale where 1 is no relief.