ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Headaches => Topic started by: cin605 on September 07, 2010, 04:22:06 pm
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Any one try depomedrol steroid injections for head and neck pain?
Went to specialist today he said its muscles and nerves as well as acouple bulging discs in neck....i ::)arghhhhhhhhh
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Just did a search...love this place....Captain deb had some done w/ a little relief..I'm going for it....(holding nose and jumping in)
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I had depomedrol nerve blocks in the greater and lesser occipital nerves and I got the first real relief from daily pain and 2-3 migraines weekly that I'd had in three years. I had I think 6 of them in about 18 months or so. Downside is that you cannot have them indefinitely, but they do buy you some time for your body to heal itself some, which, believe me, it will. It may take years, but it does get better.
I was ecstatic at going to the beach and being able to boogie-board a little and walk the beach. I had been to the beach the year before and spent 3/4 of the time up in the condo with a migraine watching everyone else on the beach playing and having fun--hence the being ecstatic part. We even took a small boat to a deserted island that didn't pick us up for several hours, something I couldn't even dream about doing previously.
When my pain doc, Mike Douglas (yup, that's his name) told me I had to take a break from the depo, I started having my first Botox, another moment of ecstacy! If I'd known then what I know now, I would never have put myself through all that drug therapy which cost thousands of $$ and didn't do squat. (Well, they did do squat--they ruined the lining of my stomach permanently and I ended up with a liver issue that nearly killed me.)
I'd like to go back again for a nerve block as they do a better job at controlling the sub-occipital pain and the Botox does a good job at not letting the pain spread across the top of my head and lodge behind my eye, which are the super-brutal brainwrecks.
Cin, what kind of specialist did you see?
The injections are really painful because they go right into the nerve, but it only lasts for a second or two and the area can be quite tender for a day, but I hope you will be as amazed at the difference as I was.
Good Luck!
Capt Deb(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/skull_sword_through_head_lg_clr.gif)
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I saw a spine Dr...his name in Nathan Jergensen...hes is w/ a new spine clinic that opend at my local hospital..Wentworth Douglas....i kind of skipped the spine clinic step and got an appointment w/ him becouse i am already doing physical therapy.
Thursday 1:00pm...they lightly sedate you so had to get driver..then no doing nothing for the next 24 hours..no dishes ..no vacuming,,,,,no lifting.WOOOOOOOOOt i am ready for some relief from this nagging neck pain. ;D
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They sedate you? lucky you! They just rammed those needles right into my nerves! Now are you getting a true occipital nerve block or one for the discs?
I wasn't even sedated here in this hospital when they jammed a huge aspiration needle into a large fluid filled cyst adjacent to my liver. I asked about sedation and they told me it would take too much time. Of course I flinched really bad and the needle went into my lung and punctured it. It collapsed, reinflated and then they sent me home. I woke up the next day unable to breathe with a total pneumothorax and was rush back to the ER where they did a chest tube implantation and kept me there for 5 days. Of course I had to pay for all this. Aside from a juicy horror story, the lesson in this is always ask for sedation when they are jamming a needle where it doesn't belong! After the first nerve block, I asked for ativan that I could take before the appt--they gladly obliged.
Capt Deb(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/skull_sword_through_head_lg_clr.gif)
(now THAT'S a nerve block!!)
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love my nerve blocks, like Deb the only real relief I had in 17 months! Going back to try some different spots at the end of the week. I can't remember the meds that he used, will ask on Fri, but he only "flavored it" with a steroid so I"m able to have them more frequently if needed. Also, they were done in a series of 4 in which I had more and more relief after each.
Liz
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Liz...yes series of three shots over 4 week period.....Deb...shots are going to nerves and muscle...protruding disc and position of surgery aggravated all...getting all my stuff done today....major migraine this mourning..stress related??
I keep hearing that song in my head...bahbahbahpbahbahbapbabah...i wanna be sedated. ;D
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I have been going for SI (sacroiliac) joint injections--the next time I go, whicj I'm going to try to arrange before my thyroid surgery since lying on my back really flares things up, I willl ask the Dr Vandernoord if he performs cervical facet injections for cervicogenic headaches. God, but I'm an informed patient!!!!!!
Capt Deb(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/skull_sword_through_head_lg_clr.gif)
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Hello,
I am back and doing well......no major pain yet...the iv they put in to administer slight sedative...started w/ a V.. not valium but stronger worked pretty well as i can not recal the Dr. inserting the shot into the nerves right smack in the middle of my neck.The next minute the nurse was asking if i was o.k. and feeding me a warm blueberry muffin and coffe.20 minutes later they called my sis to come and pick me up as theysaid no driving ,,,no lifting no nothing....i did do one wierd thing..the nurse of course could not get a good vain for the iv and poked me 3 different spots..so band aids..i hate band aids...so two of them were alredy taken off by the time i got out of the "shot room" i can not recall taking them off but i kno the nurse probly didn't.So when she took the iv out she opened a bandaid right in front of me and stuck it on.....no sooner did she put the wrapper down i pulled the bandaid off...she looked and said now why did you do that i just put that on..i said no that was the one from before...lol ;D Sooo i guess maybe i as still a little out of it.
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Feeing a little sor today....they di not tell me that i would not sleep last night due to the steroids.hopeing to get a good nights rest tonight.
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Why is there not a standard procedure for this stuff? I sure never got an IV sedative for a nerve block! Apparently I have been going to the wrong place. I'm seeing my back doc about an off the mountain pain clinic in Charlotte since I have lost ALL faith in my local hospital, where the pain clinic is located. I got IV sedation for my Sacroilliac joint injections--the first one I did not, the next two with a different doc, yes. Asking about facet joint injections for neck occipital pain.
If I'd known then what I know now, I would NEVER have bothered with one bit of oral medication and gone straight to injection therapy. What is working for me now when I feel a brainwreck coming on or wake up with one , in addition to the Botox I get every three months, is 2 Fioricet , 1 Xanax and an ice pack. My never-fail solution which works almost every time in getting me back on my feet in a few hours. Bad head pain, for me, tenses up my whole body, which is why the Xanax works so well--relaxes all my muscles, and the Fioricet is basically Tylenol with a muscle relaxant in it. I'm kinda like a Gumby, but I don't lay in bed and cry like I used to!
I doubt if any doctor would believe this remedy works, but it does for me--the ice pack numbs the nerves in the back of my head and neck which are triggering the migraine and the Botox doesn't let it spread. The muscle relaxers work by not letting my body tense up further impinging on the nerves.
What can I say...works for this particular Headacher. Too bad it took me almost 8 years to figure this out!
Capt Deb
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I say if it works stick to it!Today pain is about a four not the usuall eight...still some discomfort and pain on right side of neck.
No major headache upon waking in the mourning which i have delt w/ for the last two years.
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Day 3 after injection....pain in riight side of head and neck still....icky nausea off balance day today...could be the weather rain is coming and its very cool out today.....sad to see summer end.Also need to grocery shop and having a bit of anxiety over the thought of it....oh well do not need anything that bad..putting it off till tomorow in hopes for a better day.
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Going for shot #2 tomorow...hoping for relief.
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Went for shot #2...no sleep last night...head ach nausea today...There was some talk about possbly burning the nerve ends w/ lasor..anyone have any thoughts or experince to share?
Thanks Cindy
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Zip,Zap,Zilch,Nada is what i got out of these shots to the spine....grrr.....told them the pain was in the right side of head and neck...they give me shots right smack in the middle....Whats next?Perhaps Botox in Dec.,when my insurence switches over.
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My doc on Tuesday told me Botox wouldn't help my cluster headaches. I would really like to try them, but he wasn't encouraging for me since the steroid shots didn't help.
Sorry your shots didn't help!
Hugs,
Mei Mei
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Bummer, it sounds like they tried cervical fascet blocks, what about trying occipital nerve blocks? There are so many types, but that's the one that worked for me...the neck pain is pretty much gone and I don't have a headache in the front that radiates to the back in the morning. Huge relief..don't give up yet!
Liz
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Thanks Liz, I did have several Occipital Nerve Blocks at two different doctors and none of them worked. I'd really like to try the Botox because so many of you said it worked. I don't know why he thinks it won't work for me.
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Went back for consult today.....next try is a Medial Branch Block...anyone???? ???
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Also so looking for imput on facet denervation???
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Medial branch block, that sounds interesting...I'm googling now. looks like its for lower back pain? See this link, which also talks about radio frequency lesioning. Seems to be similar to denervation?
http://www.permanente.net/homepage/kaiser/pdf/6755.pdf
Please keep me posted on what you discover.
Liz
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Sorry...cervical facet denervation..
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My guess is its the same type of procedure, where the "warm" up the nerves to cause them to shutdown for a time. This is not permanent, but would work for an extended period of time, like the blocks.
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Thanks Liz......Radio frequency lesioning...kind of scarey but.. i am really at my wits end w/ this head and neck pain.I just can not live w/ it.....as in not function.....it is so limiting every thing from grocery shopping to driving more then a half hour at a time...grrr..grrr..grrr
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I hear you, Cindy. I was pretty deptressed yesterday about it. I felt like I was crawling out of my skin. Just can't escape...our lives are so changed now.
Hugs,
Mei Mei
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No problem, its been a really bad week for headaches and its making me pretty nutty too...I just wish I would wake up one day and feel no pain!
I'm currently waiting on a pain management group to review my file right now and hoping they will have some more "block" related options for me....
Keeping them crossed, because even though I'm trying to stay positive the pain is beginning to take over my life again!
Liz
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The same here, Liz. Getting very desperate and sad. Hope you get some relief.
Hugs,
Mei Mei
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You too Mei Mei, its a tough journey for us and its just that much harder when the weather changes and the cold starts creeping in. I hate those winter blues...
:-* :-* :-*
Liz
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I went for the first shot to see if cervcal medail nerve block will help.......i coughed w/o pain...got really nauseous....stiff neck for awhile then no pain....now its worn off and all has kicked in....going to bed hoping for a better day tomorow.
Going back next Fri. for another....i'll take the nausea over the pain...they say if these test shots work for 4 hours then hey will do the complete nerve block.
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I sure hope it works, Cindy. They say the shots are diagnositic, at least that's what I heard from one of us hear and also at the anesthesiologist I went to.
Enjoy the weekend. It's apple season and we're going out to get some today!
Hugs,
Mei Mei
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I went for the last round of temporary cervicl medial nerve branch block today...(big words..I KNOW! ;D)
I got some relief from the heavy head sore neck thing for about 4 hours.
I think this may work...going in for the real thing in about a month...of course my Dr. is gone for the next 3 weeks..Sooo
i probly will not see any lasting relief til Thanksgiving....And if it happens before then....Thanksgiving may actually be enjoyable this year!
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Something to be thankful for!!!!
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Amen!
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Do any of you know the cost if you got trigger point injections? I just started with those a couple weeks ago in my neck and shoulders due to muscle tension.