I spent my week on Benadryl so I mostly played video games, homeschooled my kids and tried to stay awake.
On Tuesday I had my follow up appointment with the Pain Doctor. I explained about that I think I am having a reaction to the epidural steroid injection and he actually agreed. He is also sending me to a urologist to make sure there isn't some anatomical reason why I am having trouble urinating if I stop taking Benadryl. He didn't seem too concerned about all the other symptoms I am having. But he was very interested in the urinary issues.
After the appointment, Nikky and I discussed how odd this was. We started asking around to see if anyone else has had an epidural steroid injection or knew someone who had. Then we asked about side effects and if it helped. We found quite a few people who have had them and more that knew someone who did. ALL of them, and I mean ALL, have said they had the same problems. All of them had teh Burning sensation down the legs like acid being poured on you and most of them had leg weakness. The others reported other negative symptoms also like headaches, unable to stand up by themselves, extreme stiffness in the back and joint pain.
Mikky and I talked more about it and we think the reason the doctor isn't really concerned about my reaction to the epidural steroid injection is because it's a normal side effect they failed to warn me about... but the urinary issue isn't! That's why they are so interested in it.
I can tell you, I will NEVER get another epidural steroid injection again! But, if you had one and you are having side effects, I would love to hear your story too. Obviously my case is not that unique or they wouldn't be so "couldn't care less" about it. And I am finding that reaction is not some weird or unusual reaction. It's common.
What do you think? Do you know someone who had an injection and had a reaction like this? I wanna hear it.
2 comments:
ARRRGH! I just wrote a long comment which seems to have gotten lost in cyber space. How sodding annoying!!
Basically I just wrote about the 4 people that I met at my rheumatology appointment.
One woman thought it was great, the other 3 said they would never go through it again. They described pretty much the same symptoms has you're currently going through, with one man unable to walk after each injection.
Wow thanks Lily. I talked to a few more people too. 1 said the first injection helped. The second injection, not so much and the third is when he finally refused to do that again. And then described the same pain I am having (sans peepee issues)
My husband talked to a guy and he is having the same issues too. But he said that the urinary issues means that there could be sciatica nerve damage. Great. Something else to add to the list.
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