epidurals

[hamrs_62]

ok, I went to my neurosurgeon a few months ago, and he said directly to me he didn't think epidurals would do anything to help me and that I was a good candidate for fusion,, well I went to a second opinion and the doctor there who didn't do anywhere near what he said he did to check out my neck and thoracic area, well anyway, went back to see my doc after the second opinion, and he said no way comp would do a surgery after the second opinion, and that now he says, maybe epidurals may relieve enough pain for me to heal,
I guess I am dumb, but now from one extreme to the next, so that if I have a epidural I can go back to work doing construction, and forget about my symptoms and detectible problems on my mri, what a joke,,,

here is what I am thinking at the moment, none of them know what the heck they are doing or talking about, that's why they call them medical practitioners, everyone has a different opinion, and a different suggestion of what is wrong, and if there were two of them agreed on any one thing, a cataclysmic event would happen and the sun would burn out and life would cease to exist,
guess I am just ranting because I am an Idiot

[Maria]

To get differing opinions such as this. Personally I would definately want to try ESIs if offered to me vs. jumping right into surgery unless it's imperative to have surgical intervention due to neurodeficits and/or emergency spinal situation.

If you're able to get multiple opinions do so. Also if you get a referral to Pain Management if you've not already seen someone in this specialty something like this will probably be offered to you (ESI, nerve root block, etc).

Good luck and no of course you're not an idiot as you didn't just jump at the first surgical recommendation!

[jsewell]

Hi I've had a lot of epidurals, some did absolutely nothing, some helped tremendously. I have had problems and extensive surgery on all levels just about. Also epidurals before and after surgery. I do have endocrinology issues with making steroids and always need a stress dose to get me through any anesthesia. So i am a little different.
I was fortunate that for my first surgery, when i went for a second opinion , it was the same as the first. Sorry that was not the case with you. Maybe you need another opinion.
I do agree with Maria and i too would try an epidural before jumping into surgery.
judy

[Maria]

I wanted to add that back when I was recommended to have a 3 level global fusion in 2000 at first I thought "ok" then after being on spine forum for a while and I had not even tried pain medication and was reading about other people that had multilevel fusions or multiple fusions and they were still taking pain medication (opioid) and in pretty bad shape I rethought things.

Fortunately my PCP also felt I should go back to PM (pain management) as I hadn't been since '93 and had an ESI in the office not guided by fluroscopy that was just horribly painful. I thought "forget this s**t."

So when I went to the PM appt. in 2001 I was still considering having a 3rd back surgery tho was thinking more along the lines of ADR in Europe.

Well long story short 10 years of ESIs helped me quite a bit and 'round about 2006 the last time I was authorized to have more back surgery and a 2 level ADR at that I had just decided I actually get enough pain relief with low dose opioid pain medication that I didn't want to have more surgery at this time.

ESIs were a big part of what helped me I think tho I did have some really good doctors giving them and always done under fluroscopy in an out patient surgery center. There are differing approaches that can make a difference on how well they may work and one might have to address a different level to find some benefit. Fortunately as I said I had very good doctors performing my ESIs.

I don't know what my life would have been like had the ADR surgery and honestly I may have missed out on really improving my quality of life and I may have made the right decision which is how I feel "for me."

More surgery is always a possibility for me. Not that I want it to be tho I still have flare ups with L4 altho they are few and far between compared to what I used to endure post my failed 2nd back surgery in '92.

I believe that surgeons can provide us with information based on their findings thru physical exam and thru fairly extensive testing to try to figure out what is the true pain generator (or are the true pain generators) however no one can guarantee me what the outcome of surgery will be so I take a surgical recommendation very very seriously.

Spine surgery is not as predictable as many other types of surgery so I do encourage anyone that is not in an emergent position to have surgery to get a few opinions and try the conservative and less invasive treatments out there first.

Spine surgery is a very big deal. If you don't think so do go to several spine forums (I can PM you some that I've been part of over a number of years) and see what people are writing about.

And do research your own findings and condition and write your questions down for your consultations. The more you know the more you can at least ask about. Hopefully you'll meet a very decent spine surgeon who'll take the time to answer your questions and not blow you off with the "I'm the doctor attitude" we know that already.

[hamrs_62]

when I had my ortho doc refer me to my neuro, first thing he said, was, that he (Neuro doc) will probably recommend a fusion, and I went to a pain management doc also, he did thoracic steroid shots, didn't help, he tried acupuncture, didn't help, he wouldn't do anything for my neck, why I don't, he said he wouldn't do my neck when I asked him, because my neck pain was worse then my thoracic area, and, after I was hurt, I went back to work as soon as the doctor would release me, and tried for 1 1/2 +- to work through, thats what I did before, when I got hurt, but ended up getting worse instead of better, extreme head aches when wearing hard hats, neck got where I couldn't look up, found out that I can't hang upside down anymore, get extremely dizzy, I have permanent restrictions that were put on me for a shoulder injury which I had from the same fall, which in construction, there is no permanent light duty,,, with being a electrician, my work works out every part of the body, from climbing 100' towers, digging ditches, pouring and finishing concrete, most of doing the job is working over your head, looking up, reaching up, climbing up and down ladders, if you have ever worked concrete, it works your total upper body,,,, nothing seemed to help me get through the pain, thats when the doc took me off work, when I just couldn't do it and think anymore because of my pain, now I am taking oxy, and Gabapentin, and the ladder the last month seems to help more then just the oxy alone

[Maria]

I can't even work out my upper body mildly without having neck and thoracic pain now so I just don't do it. I stick to walking or lower body exercises the latter of whiic can exaccerbate my lower lumbar probs as well so mostly it's walking for me re some kind of exercise.

At some point we have to make a decision what we're going to do. I had 2 spine surgeries while I was an RN,NP and instead of getting better had a failed 2nd surgery and was much worse so I worked another 8 years tho had to go to part time work and even that was incredibly difficult for me and finally I applied for permanent disability.

I've never had cervical ESIs. I have friends who have but when it came to me at first I was offered it and then when I said I wanted it the offer was withdrawn.

After a while my cervical spine issues seemed to ease off. I must admit that I don't think any of my spine issues would have eased off if I continued working and I doubt I would have been able to turn down another surgery if I didn't pursue permanent disability.

Again we do have to make some choices and sometimes one doesn't seem much better than another or at least certainly not perfect as in what we really want.

I do wish you the best as I can imagine you are suffering greatly with your injury. Good luck and please keep us posted~ Maria

[jsewell]

I did have one set of cervical Epidural injections which did work, then i went and broke my darn neck so now it always gives me problems.
My thoracic epidurals did nothing. My problem there ended with surgery , removal of the disk which is tricky in the thoracic spine and difficult to get the surgeons to believe it is a painful area. I had a discogram to prove i had painful segments in my thoracic spine. It took about 4 or 5 months after surgery for the thoracic pain to go away.
I know some docs just inject on level at a time. My surgeon does about 4 levels at one time bilaterally with me as i always seem to have multiple problems.
take care, don't give up , just find better doctors,
judy