UPDATE...Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...

Get an epidural steroid injection? A few days ago I bent to load the dishwasher and ended up in agonizing pain. I can barely walk or do anything the pain is so unbearable. I went for an MRI and it confirmed an L4/L5 herniated disc.

Today I had a cortisone shot. I'm wondering if anyone else had it done and what was your outcome. Did it bring you any relief? Any bad side effects? I'm feeling really depressed bc this injury is debilitating and taking away from my normal life.

UPDATE: So I had the cortisone shot on Thur and by Fri evening I felt a million times better. It did cause some immediate flare up for the first 24 hours, and my pain actually got worse. But I kept icing it and 24 hours later my pain went from a 10 to a 3!!

I'm so happy it helped me bc the pain was unbearable. My dr has me scheduled for another shot in 2 weeks but I'm going to cancel it and start on physical therapy. Hopefully the pain doesn't come back, and if it does not as severe

Message edited 12/4/2011 3:11:47 PM.

Re: Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...

Had it done 3 times!! Really helped me, no side effects for me. Only problem is I had it done by the infamous Dr. Finkelstein. I had it done 3 days after the person who he double dipped on.

Re: Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...

My uncle has it done every once in a while.. it makes his chronic pain better (for a little while at least!)

Re: Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...

I have a L5/S1 herniated disc. It acts up from time to time but last time it was really bad I could only walk if I were bent over completely at the waist at a 45 degree angle. Nothing worked. Not even the strongest pain drugs helped. I had three epidural cortisone injections and they only helped for one day. Some people swear by them. You won't know if they'll help until you get them.

For me time is really the only thing that helps. Its really just giving the disc and surrounding nerves a chance to calm down and hopefully the disc will move off the nerve causing the pain.

PT may help.

Good luck and feel better!

Message edited 12/1/2011 8:04:44 PM.

Re: Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...

I also have the L5/S1 herniated disc. When it is acting up I head straight to the chiropractor. It usually takes 2-3 weeks (going 2 times a week) for me to feel 100% better, but the pain is bearable within 1-2 visits.
I've never had the injections. Actually don't even go to the regular doctor at all when it acts up. I just feel like that would mask the pain and not solve the real problem.

Re: Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...

I have a bulging disc (just short of being herniated) and I had 3 lumbar epidurals...

The first two were okay, but the third really did the trick! I got pregnant right after that and I didn't have any trouble throughout my entire pregnancy or after!!!

Re: Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...

Mine did not go well. I wound up having surgery a few weeks later after alot of pain, therapy and felt great as soon as I woke up in recovery. Mine was one of the biggest bulges my Dr ever saw. It works for many people. Now I'm pain free!

Re: Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...

My herniation is at the L5-S1. As bad as it's gotten, I've always avoided any type of injections and surgery. Bed rest and a does or oral steroids to reduce the inflammation in the area really worked.

Re: Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...

I too have bulging, L4, L5, S1. The pain for me is intermitent with very long breaks between! However, when I have it, it's unbearable. First, I would suggest PT. I went as many times as my insurance would pay. I would do the exercisise (mostly core strengthening) have electric stim and a massage. Even though this was temporary relief, I still
felt it was helpful to learn the exercises that are needed to continue for the future. Then, I would suggest acupuncture. Acu works wonders. Lastly, I would go fro the shots!

Lots of luck.

Re: Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...

My father gets them done. They seem to help but the real therapy seems to be time.

Re: Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...

It depends on how severe the herniation is. I had a ruptured L5/S1 disc during my 1st pregnancy, and since I couldn't have the surgery, I opted for the epidural shots, which did absolutely nothing for me. Surgery was my only solution.

Re: UPDATE...Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...

i have had 2 sets of 2 shots years apart. First time, I could barely walk when i got it. It helped sooooo much. For a few weeks. Then it started acting up again, but not as bad. Then I got the second shot. It made me worse, and then leveled out. Never got better. Was on an assortment of pain meds and anti-inflammatories for several months before having a discectomy. After discectomy, I felt great for a week, then pain started coming back again. I was told there was still swelling and irritation and that had to heal. A few months later, it was mostly better, but I would have flare ups every 6mths to a year that would put me out of commission for a few days and I usually had to take oral steroids.

then i had 2 babies back to back. after the second, i was a mess. some mornings i couldnt stand up straight for several hours. i would walk and get what felt like shocks throoughout my spine if i stepped the wrong way. pain would wake me up at night. i couldnt work late because after sitting too long, i wouldn't be able to stand up and walk. had another shot. it worked great. for 3 days. then i took one wrong step (stepped in a hole in a grassy field when playing with my kids) and it went back to the bad pain. had a second shot. it did nothing. drs agreed that my discs were basically bone on bone at that point and the only thing to give me permanent relief was another fusion. (I had a spinal fusion for scoliosis at 18). So, i had the fusion, and i am a new person. took a few months to feel better, but i finally feel normal. i may need another one down the road in 10 or 20 years because my only 2 discs that arent fused are also herniated, but not worn out completely yet. feel free to ask me any questions. i have been through a lot of back issues!

Message edited 12/7/2011 9:59:17 AM.

Re: UPDATE...Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...

I have had 2 cervical and 1 lumbar epidural steroid injection so far. So far I got no relief from the lumbar but we are trying another one before possibly moving on to different treatment.

To the OP: I would say to stick out whatever course your Dr. suggests and not to skip that final injection if the Dr. believes it is still necessary. If you have relief from 1 injection you might find that the second one is what really helps the relief to last. Everyone has slightly different issues and it is tough to predict how the injections will work. I deal with people who have back problems and I never expected to be in the same situation. I got help on these boards so I know that there are old posts about ESIs.

Message edited 12/10/2011 8:48:43 PM.

Re: UPDATE...Anyone have a herniated disc in spine and...