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Nerve root block,

Posted , 7 users are following.

james82082
james82082

Booked in for tomorrow 12 midday. Absolutely scared like hell!!!!

I'm terrified of needles and this procedure is doing me in with fear!

How many of you have had it done? What was it like? I've never had a local anesthetic before!

1 like, 31 replies

31 Replies

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  • Enna1
    Enna1 james82082

    Posted

    Oh dear, perhaps you have already gone to the dr/hospital.  Yes, I am not too keen at all but you do not say WHERE you are having this procedure.  I've had lots actually, in the spine a few times, thigh - lots.  I look away and I hate dentists.

    Centre your eyes on something far away in the room and count. Something like a pen that you can see,  or anything thats not medical although you might have to - a door -  Thats what i do.   Tell me how you get on when you come back.  JUST DON'T LOOK

    I am presuming that you are getting a spine nerve root block in your back. Last one I had it was over so quick. You feel somepme  swipe over your skin.to dead the needle, you should see the screen with your spine on it. Thats to show where the dr can accurately place the needle.  Once the swipe or you can see that they are about to put some anesthetic onto your skin. LOOK AWAY.  or LOOK AWAY BEFORE THAT, they are so quick you have to decide. Then look at something far away, a door, a pen anything thats not near where you are, you can count in your mind or you can do an imagery. Like you are going up a path and looking at the flowers. JUST DON'T LOOK AT THE SCREEN..

    Speak to you when you come back home.  You know what they say, its only a miniscule time in your life time.

  • ellen82139
    ellen82139 james82082

    Posted

    It's fine honestly I had it done with sedation knew nothing good luck
  • james82082
    james82082

    Posted

    Refusing to give me sedation. Waiting for them to organise accommodation and then they will do it. I can see me running out the room sad I would anything except this sad
    • ellen82139
      ellen82139 james82082

      Posted

      You will be fine James really,stay positive and let us know how it went
    • Enna1
      Enna1 james82082

      Posted

      Oh bless you James, by now it will be all over. You did stay didn't you!! Did you have the injection X Ray lead, did you see your MRIs up on a TV screen?
  • james82082
    james82082

    Posted

    All finished.

    Local anesthetic was fine, other needles weren't. The local was working deep enough (apparently because I have too much fat on my back!) and the pain from him trying to push the needles in was horrendous. It was like electric shocks!!! He stopped as he said when he hits the nerve the pain will be unbearable!

    He came to the conclusion, with the amount of pain I'm in, nothing like an injection will fix me. An operation is the way forward.

    • janette34023
      janette34023 james82082

      Posted

      That's not so good James. They didn't give me sedation although I was expecting it.. Didn't want to say that to you though..I'm praying the injections will kick in soon.hope you feel ok.
    • james82082
      james82082 janette34023

      Posted

      I know sad need to wait and see now what my consultant says. My fiancée wasn't happy about him using the word fat about my back. As far as she is concerned there isn't any!
  • Enna1
    Enna1 james82082

    Posted

    James have you tried a quick cortisone injection for the pain.  I get one for sciatica in my thigh every so often, not had one for 2 years now as was thinking of my op soon. Went last week and an op apparently is going to be dangerous because I have scar tissue.

    I know what you mean about these root nerve injections, they are all the same sorry.  They hurt for ages afterwards. God only know what he would say about me then because taking Lyrica pain killer, I have put on weigh unbelievably

    • james82082
      james82082 Enna1

      Posted

      I haven't tried the cortisone, no. I wasn't offered them. I only get sciatica pain when I try and reduce the morphine level.
    • Enna1
      Enna1 james82082

      Posted

      hadn't realised you were on morphine,  I will NOT go on that road - not if they cannot operate.I have walked quite a bit today - we went to Benidorm lol - and did quite well, I am trying to lose weight - just think i might do better but hard because of these flipping pills but maybe the pain clinic will change them.

       For you - you sound young - you have everything in front of you and I hope that eventually things will come about that you will be well in the future. Whether you get operated on or not. I presume you have tried osteopath etc. 

      Regarding medication, I take 2 x 3 times a day of Pazital which is a small quantity of tramadol and the rest is Paracetamol. I also take 4 Lyrica a day.  

      Cortisone injections in my thigh (if you feel around your thigh you may find that you have one spot where it is really painful - a sort of area no bigger than say a £ coin. (can't remember how big they are but you know what i mean)  - so much so that if a dr puts his finger on this place you will jump.  

      Anywhere else and it doesn't do a thing.  I had 4 injections in this thigh and 3 in the other.  I never had anything for 2 years and walked up mountains and all sorts. but then the pain comes back with a bang.

      This is where they will inject you. But.... if you are in England you can only have 1 x 3 times a year (I think) if you have private insurance thats OK but I paid in England over £1,000 for one - (it was funny because I had one before and so I tried to get off the bed and fell down so it must have been strong, but it lasted 3 months. So I guessed they have different strengths.    You have to see that the dr really does put the needle at that precise point too as they are a bit haphazard about it.  Did they give you a test where the dr lifts your leg up and then brings your knee to your chest.  I forget what the test is called. I haven't a clue what its all in aid of but as I do yoga (I'm 73) I did it well.   try it and see if you can bring your knee to your chest - not being funny but a lot of men probably can't do it- like my partner ha ha

      What do you mean I wasn't offered a cortisone injection? by the dr or surgeon?   Be careful because it may be that if you are on morphine it may not mix with cortisone.

      I wish I wasn't writing this to be honest, I am really pissed off with my condition but hope that what i write is going to help you.

       

    • james82082
      james82082 Enna1

      Posted

      I am indeed on morphine. Was on codydramol, ibuprofen and had 3 courses of diazepam over 8 month period. Then they tried tramadol which did nothing so they gave me morphine. The dosage has steadily increased and got to a very high level. Pain clinic helped me manage my pain and we managed to reduce my dosage to what is still a high level, but safer long term.

      i am indeed young, 29 now, injured at 27. Wedding next year and I want to be able to stand for the whole ceremony and not be in pain! I have been through all of the conservative treatments. The only one which worked was acupuncture. It was one of the only 5 or so days in 2 years I have been totally pain free. Then as the sessions continued, they wore off gradually. 

      For the leg test, early in the morning is the best time to test me as the morphine dose at night is less than day, I cannot under any circumstances raise my leg if I'm laying flat or I would scream the place down! If I don't put my socks on in the evening, my fiancée has to the next morning, and it makes me feel useless. 

      I havent been offered injections of cortisone, I presume they are offering me an operation next. In fact, I hope they are. Life just can't carry on like this!!!

       

    • Enna1
      Enna1 james82082

      Posted

      I am suprised that you haven't been offered cortisone before now. I went through all the conservative ways of getting the pain out of the way but they didn't really work, if they did, they came back.

      Yes, my partner has to put my socks and tie my shoes up.

      You didn't say where you live. 

      Who is your neurosurgeon/orthopaedic surgeon?  

      But then I went through all that and they caused scar tissue thats why I can't have an op but then if i went private in Spain they would. Difficult decision for me, I can't put my savings back.......I thought i was onto an op but then they told me about the scar tissue - I still can't believe that I can't enjoy life as I did.  And.... my daughter will be the same, she fell off her mountain bike about 10 years ago and has a disc prolapse.  

  • joanne24722
    joanne24722 james82082

    Posted

    Hi James

    I had my first nerve root block under sedation and it did appear to work for a short time.  I was booked in for my second under a different consultant and he refused to do the nerve root block with sedation.  I swear I have never felt pain like it!!!  Insist on having sedation.  I really do feel that performing this procedure without sedation is barbaric.  I have been told that guidelines say that this can be done without sedation - I would like to know how many of these people who write the guidelines have actually had the procedure carried out on them!!

    Hope all goes well!

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