ESI next week

[Bummer Knees]

I am scheduled to have an ESI of the lumbar spine next week. I am very fortunate as I will be treated at an excellent surgery center and by a doctor who did the round of injections I had in 2010. The doctor is excellent in what he does and is quick in doing the injection.

I am told no blood thinners, would that also rule out taking a Loratab?

Today my neck hurts with every step I take up the stairs, or just walking. Might need take something later on today.

[Bummer Knees]

Well I tried to be creative, ended up using the tens unit on the neck & shoulders and at the same time the massage chair on the Lumbar & mid back.

I tried to tough girl it and the pain get ahead. Just as I thought, 40% chance of storms today.

[bodybuilder1958]

(04-19-2012 08:08 AM)Bummer Knees Wrote:  Well I tried to be creative, ended up using the tens unit on the neck & shoulders and at the same time the massage chair on the Lumbar & mid back.

I tried to tough girl it and the pain get ahead. Just as I thought, 40% chance of storms today.

It's only 30% but the pressure is up, that effects the spinal fluid, increases the pain.

I'd re-consider your attending the concert until you make sure how you feel after the ESI. My uncle has had several done over the years and the one he had last week knocked him on his ass. It helped his pain but left him weak and shaky for several days. He doesn't know what changed this time. But my advice is to take it on a moment to moment basis.

I'm not too happy with your comment that the doctor who does the procedure is quick. I'd rather have slow and steady. I helped with a c-section once where from incision to skin closer was less than 20 minutes. A complete successful procedure, the doctor wanted to break his old record of 24 minutes. Yeah we did it but none of us were happy. The hospital also timed it and recorded the outcomes. Wanted to see the speed and accuracy of staff. I'd rather stand there for an hour and a half than do that again.

[bronco54501]

I have to say I agree with BB,, I have had several my self but in the low back.. Slow and steady is the way I liked them, even though your numb your muscles react to the quickness and to me it was much more painfull... Now if you were getting an RFA it a whole different ball game, the 90 sec for each nerve burning is a killer..

[Bummer Knees]

This doctor has done the last 3 ESI's, I had the best results with the last ESI which was done 3 1/2 weeks after the wc doctor injured the neck.

I had been in severe pain after the neck injury, a migraine for over 3 weeks. I remember sitting in the waitting room before the ESI and feeling like the head was going to explode. Doctor almost did not do the ESI because the BP was so high.

That ESI was for the lumbar but it gave me some relief with the cervical pain.

The quick part was the part about the needle going it, that is the part I do not like.

[bodybuilder1958]

The steroid part of the ESI can raise blood pressure. I imagine part of the reason why your BP was high that time was you were tense. I would recommend that you take a muscle relaxant before your ESI but first call your doctor and make sure that taking anything is okay.

There is a gel that can be applied to help numb the skin. But what you really feel is pressure. Unfortunately since you have stenosis the pressure will increase but as the medical is entered that pressure slowly lessens. Some pressure is perfectly normal, it's to be expected.

You need to change the calcium you take, you mentioned once that you take one pill that's a 1000mg. Stop or cut it in half. Your body can only absorb 600mg of calcium over a 6 hour period. The other 400mg is being peed out or can attach to organs. You do need to increase your calcium right before and for 2 weeks following each ESI. Two 500mg calcium with D taken over 6 to 8 hours. Also increase your vitamin C. The steroid is hard on your bones, recent studies show that increasing the calcium for a brief period of time can help prevent that. Since you're borderline on your bone density that's something to take into consideration. I would also suggest that you repeat your bone scan at the end of the year to see if the ESI meds effected your bones. Just a suggestion though. What you don't want is your bones weakened further because of the shots.

[Bummer Knees]

Bodybuilder before the ESI was done the nurse took the BP it was 159/110 according to medical records. This is very high for me and that was due the neck pain and migraine I was experincing.

Good info on the calcium & vitamins, thanks.

[bodybuilder1958]

(04-19-2012 09:53 AM)Bummer Knees Wrote:  Bodybuilder before the ESI was done the nurse took the BP it was 159/110 according to medical records. This is very high for me and that was due the neck pain and migraine I was experincing.

Good info on the calcium & vitamins, thanks.

Bummer I believe you tense up really bad before the procedure. I tried to research any known problems with taking a loratab or muscle relaxant before the procedure and couldn't find anything. But I'd call and make sure first that the doctor is okay with you taking anything. I'd think that the muscle relaxant would be better. I'd also stay home that night afterwards but that's my opinion.

[Bummer Knees]

I do tense up but I think that is normal before the procedure. I will call the neurosurgeon's nurse and ask what I can take for pain this close to the ESI.

[bronco54501]

Bummer, I can remember getting esi injections at a norther pain clinic. Some were great some were not but one time we went to the casino which was 1/2 hour away.. It was about an hour later my leg became very weak and unstable, they wheeel chaired me out and I never ever did that again..

BB, that was some good advice and information on the calcium... Sounds like your very knowledgable on these topics, I wish the pain clinics were..