Has anyone had pain relief from PHN using epidural steroid injections?

No, but read about treatment on line.  I have a pain dr. in my town that comes highly recommended.  I will go in for an injection on Tuesday and hope it works.   Thanks for your response.   Best Regards,  BarbBarb

Thanks Susan.  I will give the injection a try on Tuesday.  Sure hope it works for me.    Take care!  Barb

I have the capsaicin patches on my head. They work better than Lidocaine patches for me, but I'd warn you that you feel worse before you feel better. It burns for the first day after you have it done, so I use ice packs to cool the skin, and increase my dose of Lyrica to help till that passes. I saw gradual improvements over the following few days, and it stayed like that for about 2 months, gradually wearing off. The pain clinic nurse told me that some people become completely pain-free after 4 treatments. I've had 3 treatments now, and it has reduced the overall level of pain. For me, it's a difficult balance as it will mean shaving my head every 3 months, and that is really demoralising, but the fact that I'm considering doing it again tells you how much I got from the treatment!

Good luck!

UW Hospitals are very good. That's in my neck of the woods. I hope it goes well. I wish you well.

Hi Susan,  thank you for responding.  I am glad you are getting relief.  My injection will take place on Tuesday and I am hopeful it will help me.  Best wishes.  Barb

Goodness Bonnie, what a terrible time you are having managing your pain.  I am so sorry.  This stuff is tough!!!!!  I will have treatment on Tuesday and hope it works for me.  Best wishes,  Barb

Bonnie this started for me from the shingles, in my late 40s. I have MS and was doing ok. working full time, happy. I came home one day bent over to pick something up, and zap. A shock feeling in my back.  The following day I noticed a rash on my lower back. The rash navigated around the left side at my naval and wrapped around that side to my spine. The shingles the doc said. You know the story well. The rash went away, the nerve pain pusued. Like a Iron for me, or a drill. Just anoying pain,  Pain every morning, shirts, wind.  I lost 40 lbs when the started. They put me on morphine when I first developed pain. Four years later. I am doing a lidocane patch, taking gabapentine 3 times a day. Your location sounds much like what I have. Hope it works. I had a  nerve blocks done too, I was so happy when I thought the pain went away afterwards but it only lasted three or four hours. Let me know if you have any success. I have been down that hope for the best path I wake up today, fighting back the pain the best i can.

Hi michael,

Although we have never met I feel I know all of these dear people on this forum. We are all living the same nightmare.  Its crazy. Monday will be my procedure. I will let everyone know how it turns out. Talk soon.

Bonnie

Hi Barb,

You know too well. My treatment is on Monday. Prayers for all of us.

Bonnie

Hi Susan,

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I am sorry about your having to shave your head, but thank you for the feed back.  My proceedure is on Monday.  I hope I get at least the same results as you.  I have 4 grandchildren that have been alienated from us for 5 years now. My daughter was in an abusive maraige and the father woulldnt even let the children say Hi.  Well that is another long story but after $30,000 and a year of legal battles we can at least see them once in a while.  So the shingles has made even that hard.  I need some relief so I can at least see my grandchildren a little after all we went through. Will let everyone know how it goes.  Sorry Im not prompt at getting back.  Will try harder.

Bonnie

Hi,  my treatment went well, but there now seems to be little improvement with the pain.  I will keep searching and praying for all of us.  Barb

I'm sorry Barb (gee, I almost mis-spelled that!). I hope you find some relief also.

 

Barb, ironically, we are both on an almost identical path, so maybe my story can help. I AM NOT  Pollyanna, look on the bright-side type of person. I am pragmatic, analytical and highly-skeptical, type A so trying to figure out why on earth  I'm not healed and why can't I fix this becomes wearing. However, I've finally learned to acccept the small improvements, the gentle glimmers of hope. I have even written down what positive changes I see, not matter how small. If a month ago I couldn't drink without a straw (the glass was too heavy) and now I can, that's huge! If now I can go 5 hours between meds and cream, another sign of progress. I only started driving a month ago, and now I can drive. I can carry my purse without (too much) pain, etc.

I started 10/25 and am still on 2000 mg of Gab, Extra strength Tyelenol every 5-6 hours (used to be 4 hours) and same with Lidocaine cream. I also take a prescription anti-inflammatory which helps (it was prescribed 20+ years ago). Also, I'm 61 and did not get the antivirals, otherwise in very good health, had some minor depression issues but had some nasty stuff with this condition and the meds.

MANY people don't improve at all after the 2-3 month window so I have to believe I am still healing. I feel very lucky that I am, and it seems you are too. We just have to be very patient, avoid things that make it worse, but push ourselves a little to get more strength and feeling of control in our lives. I am back to my passion which is ballroom dancing. I took it up four years ago, but only seriously about 18 months ago. I smile, I laugh, I challenge myself but most importantly, I don't feel like an invalid.  Can you find something that gives you that joy?

Take good care, and don't stay too discouraged too long. 

Barbara.

Hi all.  I haven't written on the forum for awhile.  I have had PHN now for 11 months.  I am now on 600mg gabapenten (200) 3 times a day .  I am cautiously optimistic that my pain has slightly improved.  I am a optimistic person to begin with.  In regards to the steroid injection, my neurologist advised that it was onlyv60%  effective and could make things worse so I did not get it and really seem to be improving.  I still use lidocaine cream and Tylenol.  My pain is right side shoulder blade and armpit and chest.  I can finally wear a bra for short periods before hurting too bad so I guess that is a big improvement!  Keep me posted please anyone who has had luck with the injections.

Hi Ruth,I had to read this twice  as it's so similar to my situation. One of us seems to be on a questionable dose of gab, I'm still at 1900 MHz per day,but can finally wear a bra almost all day. But that's with 3 extenders so the band is much looser. It's been 7 months since my shingles DX and I'm st about 80%. 

Hi Babs,  I had to laugh when I read about the bra extenders!  I also did the same thing plus I bought this bra actually from target that has no seams and is 2 sizes too big!!  I cannot wear it all day.  If I wear it 2 days in a row,  the bad spots become super sore.  Do you by chance find that you are better in the AM and worse as the day goes on?  There is one spot on my back about the size of my fist that is super painful to the touch all the time.  If it weren't for that spot the rest would be tolerable..  of course, that is wear a bra strap hits!  Do you have any other remedies that help??

I bought bra extenders, which are that section of the bra with the hooks and eyes on Amazon and a local department store.They just hook on. Now I can use almost all my old bras, but adding two or three of those. They're really cheap, come in 2, 3 or 4 hooks and black, white or tan, usually as a set of three. But some bras are still uncomfortable.  I have that same area, which feels the most pain. I've actually gone into the restroom and taken off my bra at night. In winter (sorry guys, TMI) you can go braless, not so much during the summer, but wearing prints does help disguise that "carefree" look.

Yes, I call 5:30-6:30 my witching hour, that's when the pain is worse--you're more tired, have done too much, getting hungry, a bit dehydrated PLUS it's the time for more Gab, Tylenol, Aspercreme and my prescription anti-inflammatory. I'm on an NSAID called Nabumetone or Relafen for other joint problems. Some people find that anNSAID helps the Gab work better, I think it does for me.

I also try to avoid extreme bending, lifting and twisting. Sitting and typing are hard on me, as are some chairs. If it hurts, I try to avoid it. I don't know as I keep decreasing my Gab how much the pain will increase. I had cut back too soon back in January, so I could work again, samething in February (by only 100 per day). But my last decrease 3 weeks ago, went "OK", as I'm feeling quite good now. However, I did have withdrawal--more spacey, more numb/disconnected/confused and more pain/emotional--for about 5 days. I couldn't drive as I was too out of it.Then I was much better, back to what I was when I decided to taper down.

I sure hope this doesn't happen everytime I drop!! But I think there's been enough healing that I can drop again soon. I'm currently on vacation, so I don't want to mess that up, so I'll wait until I'm back. I have no idea where this will end up, but I'm MUCH better than I ever expected 6 weeks ago.

Yes, I bought the extenders also but my old bras are underwire and wearing that is totally out of the question.  As I said originally , I am only on gab and 200mg 3 times a day for a total of 600 a day.  Did you say you were on more than that?  I have had no side effects, can drive and do anything I want.  I am wonder if I could up that and maybe have less pain.  Why are you still cutting back and what are you on now?  I totally agree about the pain worsening with straining or twisting.  I am trying to stay in shape by exercising  but notice more pain then. It is not as bad as all winter when I did nothing.  Yes, even sitting in upholstered chairs hurts.  I live alone so I go topless whenever possible and cover chairs with anything soft.  Can only sleep on the good side and don't move much at nite. After 11 months that feels normal and I do sleep well with the aid of a pill!  My go-to outfit this spring is soft light weight bomber jackets.  No bra needed!,

On  many bras, you can actually make a tiny slit on that section where the underwire is and just pull it out. Yes I'm in a much higher dose of gab. I was originally at 2400 it took several weeks to get to that level. My doctor kept asking what my pain level was on the scale of   1 to 10 and it was quite often still at five to eat, he would increase it. It really did deal with the pain quite well. I have no idea if the doctor would recommend increasing it at this rate, but seeing as you are on, a relatively  A relatively lower dosage, that is a possibility. Many people don't want to go much higher than what you were on right now, because of the side effects. Once you get up to 1200, or 1500 you will have much more fatigue,  possible confusion, depression, and cognitive issues. Ain't it grand? It is a very powerful drug, but has been very effective for me with dealing with the pain.  I want to discontinue the drug eventually, but it will take probably six months to a year to do that as I have problems with decreasing the meds. I don't like the side effects such as hair loss, memory  issues, some weight gain, and just being on a drug that I know is so powerful. My body is definitely healing so it's appropriate that I'm trying to get off the medication.  I had to be off work for two months at that very high dose of gab, I also did not feel comfortable driving, as my thought processes were not as sharp as they should've been. I also was very in active, despite normally doing a lot  of walking, and dancing. I do ballroom dancing, and luckily I've gotten to the point that I can take the activity back up again.   The joy and feeling of accomplishment I get from that, has really helped a lot with beginning my health. I had to take it slowly though. Once I start to get more active I increased my walking carefully. After two months of doing almost nothing but sitting in a chair, I had a hard time even walking in shortly around the block. But I'm doing very very much better now. 

That is so encouraging to hear.  I actually have a dr appt tomorrow and I think I will go up just a little on the gab simply because at this point I can do so little even though it's not as bad as it once was.  Thanks so much for writing.  I will let you know how I do with your excellent suggestions!  Thank goodness for this forum.. Friends have no idea what this kind of pain is like and since I look pretty healthy I am sure they wonder why I don't seem to get better!  PHN is a beast!!!