Spinal injections for disc herniation

[user1497873278]

Hi, am on back pain thread but had gone a bit quite due to people recovering thankfully. I have been in severe pain since November have felt some improvement in pain on the odd day then back to agony can’t sit and sleep is a couple of hours on stomach, I felt slightly improved in level of pain and was managing more sleep until I went for my second visit to osteopath on Friday now I’m agony again and no let up. I have exhausted other option and am seeing consultant in a couple of weeks I know he is keen to do injections but I have trouble with the epidural hap in my spine he didn’t listen when I tried to explain that I had a bad fall As a child , I know I have a problem there as they weren’t able to get in to take fluid when I was ill with pneumonia plus’s I tried to have an epidural for birth of baby and they couldn’t do it so my main question is I’m stuck, looking for advice really and any personal experiences I just don’t know where to turn I’m on pain killers but have had to stop the Gabapentin as I had side effects please anyone I’m so fed up this pain is unrelenting any advice would be great can’t google anymore everything is a contradiction

I can only give my opinion - not medical but If you've had problems with spinal injections of any kind before I'd steer clear of them and no he clearly isn't listening. They do work for a while and then they don't from what I gather. You need other options. I'd go private if you can afford it. I had surgery on the NHS and am better but not without pain and struggle to do some things. I wish I had gone private then. Back surgery/injections is a minefield. Keep asking other people and Google the life out of it so that you are as informed as you can be. I am still finding out stuff 12 years after surgery! I have a good physio but most advice says to steer clear of chiropracters and osteopaths. Good luck!

Thank you just what I needed to hear, just feeling a bit desperate the pain is constant

You are not alone. Sadly there are 1000s of us out there in constant pain. Keep posting and you might get more ideas. I like ice packs and codeine when I am really bad.

Thank you Ice packs are my only relief, it numbs the pain for a little while,I can’t sit or lay so sleeping is hell its awful to think so many are suffering. Especially as amongst friends and family I feel totally alone

Yes people don't get it unless they have an incident of back pain or sciatica themselves. I've had so many people over the years finally get it and say "oh my god how do you cope with this all the time" and I'm "you learn to". I've also lost some friends (and family) who no doubt think I am a self-centred wuss but hey ho - their loss! I take anti-depressants too so no doubt that helps lol

What other medication are you on? Can you try pregablin rather than gabapebtin (or amytriptyline/nortriptyline)

My doctor wants me to build back up slower on the Gabapentin so I’m starting again tomorrow I just can’t see any rhythm I had a few good hours Thursday and thought great i have turned a corner, but since then it’s got worse than usual leg cramps and spasms as severe as the beginning, I’m so tired don’t know what to do can’t even sit down for more than a 15 mins I don’t know how much more I can take, I just can’t get my head around the fact that the pain is so bad in back as well everything I read just don’t seem like me I can’t get out of pain unless I’m on tummy and I can only stay like that for 3 hours as I then am in spasm for ages, sorry for rant I’m just so down I can’t look after my 3 year old it’s been 18 weeks of hell and I can’t see where im at is this normal or am I needing to go down the surgery root any advice I’m so grateful for