update on the pain shots I had done today

[jessica31876]

First sorry this is really long and kinda rambley as I am on pain meds right now and have had a pretty stressful day.

I had to fast for this procedure from midnight today so it was scheduled pretty early in the morning. I got there around 9:30 and they got me back and prepped quickly. (although the woman doing my IV had to poke like four times and finally the anesthesiologist had to do the IV)

They explained the procedure as a little different then what I thought they were going to be doing...it is called a facet injection and it was basically being done to try to find exactly where the pain is coming from in my neck by seeing if the numbing agent that was injected effected the pain in my neck or not. If it worked and numbed the area it was injected in and the pain went away they could conclude that was the area that was causing the pain.

They injected the stuff in my upper neck I kinda thought that was odd because the pain is in my lower neck and I told the doctor that last week but then when he was pressing on my neck to see where it hurt. It did hurt on the upper part when he pressed on it but it stopped hurting when he released it. The lower part still hurt whether he pressed it or not there was really no change in pain by pressing it . Probably should have added that it hurts before he started pressing it but that the pain did not get worse with him pressing it.

So he decided to try the injections on the upper part of my neck after I had told him that there were several sensitive spots there. After the procedure was done today and I had woken up he came back to see how I felt. It was hurting pretty badly and I did not experience relief from the injections.

He almost seemed angry when I told him it did not work and that it made the pain in my lower neck worse. He tried to tell me I did not tell him my lower neck was hurting at the initial visit but I know I did. When he first asked me where the pain was he asked me to point and describe the pain. I pointed to my lower neck and told him that there is severe pressure there all the time which gets worse as the day goes on and with certain activities and is only relieved when I am laying down with something supporting my neck. So I guess there was some miscommunication during the initial visit last week.

After the procedure was done today and I had told him it hurt on the lower part of my neck he pressed slightly where I said it hurt and it hurt really badly. It felt like he was squeezing really hard to me. He then asked "this that I am doing now hurts? Because I am only touching your neck not applying any pressure and it defenitely should not hurt"

I was getting upset at that point because I was in so much pain and it seemed like he did not believe me. He walked away and said he would be back in a few minutes. I waited for him to come back and he talked to me for a few minutes when he got back and said he cannot understand why I was experiencing so much pain in my lower neck when the procedure was done on the upper part of my neck.

I told him the pain was in my lower neck to begin with so maybe that is why it is hurting. (I again tried to explain to him that when he was pressing on my neck last week there were defenitely areas that were extremely sensitive to his touch BUT they do not hurt all the time only when he applied pressure to them.) So then he starts flipping through my file and calls out to the nurse and says we did not do the psych eval last week? We need to do this at the next appointment because I need to find out how much of this patients pain is coming from depression and how much is actually from her injuries.

So at that point I got really upset because I am not depressed and this pain is real. I really did not have a great experience with this treatment...I am going to give it a few days though because it is supposed to take a couple days to feel the full effects of the treatment but I am not sure I really want to go back to see this doctor again.

By the time I left the office he had me crying partially because it hurt alot more then I thought it would and partially because of how he reacted to me telling him it was hurting in my lower neck and saying he thinks the pain is coming from depression.

I took a pain pill as soon as I got home and put an ice pack on it to help relieve the pain and while it is still really sore if I dont touch it or try to move my neck to much it is tolerable right now.

[breakingbrie]

Ugh, what a horrible experience. I'm sorry it didn't go as you were hoping!! (hugs)

When my dh started seeing a new dr. up here, he sent him to a specialist for epidural injections into his spine. They were supposed to help with his pain(severe nerve damage from 2 previous lung surgeries that didn't go as well as they had hoped). After the first set of shots, they said after the numbness wore off, he'd be feeling better - poor thing could barely walk, he was so numb... By the time he went to his next appt the following month for more shots, he hadn't noticed any change in his pain - and dr. said, oh, you won't notice a difference yet, the first set was just to get it into your system... After this set of shots, you'll start noticing a difference. Well, after the following month, he still didn't notice a difference again, they said the first 3 sets of injections are not going to make any difference, but after his 4th round, he should notice a lessening of pain... OMG, he was so mad, he never went back. We kind of wish he'd kept it up, just in case it ever did work, but now he's just looking for another dr. We'd love to find a dr. who will be honest about procedures, and be willing to try new things, different things than the last dr tried at least.

It might be a good thing to go back to this dr. another time or two, so he can get the full picture of what you're going through, maybe try something different... But I know it sucks to feel like it's a waste of time, and all the hoping something will work, then it doesn't :( I hope you start feeling better soon!

[jessica31876]

My husband went through the same thing and they told him after the third they wont do another one. I guess this is pretty similar to what your husband had done but it was done in my neck. I was under the impression he was going to do some sort of injection that would numb the nerves but it seems like this was more for the joints or the bones or something from what I read online about it. What bothered me the most today was that the doctor saying he thinks the pain is coming from depression and that I did not tell him the lower neck hurt. I did tell him. I even marked it on the chart and pointed it out when he asked me where it hurt the most. It was just not effected as much by him squeezing it as other areas were.

[kbbeale]

Ok, here's the deal. Facet injections are done to try to narrow down/pinpoint and diagnose exactly where the pain is coming from. The docs wont be able to do anything to help unless they do this (and mind you, I've had it done twice now). In my situation, I had nearly 75% relief for a couple of days, and the pain steadily came back. Doing this will be able to tell the doc exactly where your pain is coming from, as they cant tell by just pointing to x area and saying HERE. Kwim? After they see how this works for you, then they will be able to go in and can narrow down what nerves to do the RF (radio frequency) to kill off the nerves. There are so many nerves that run along our spinal column that they would be shooting blind if they didnt try to narrow it down a bit.

I know its frustrating, but its just another step in getting relief. Im afraid that if you arent getting ANY relief from todays injections, they did NOT get in the right area, and you will have to have it done again. This particular procedure can only be done a maximum of 2 or maybe three times in a calendar year. But yes, it is a diagnostic tool and if they can hit the right area, then you WILL have relief nearly immediately. The pain relief varies from person to person, but some feel better for a day or two, like me...or some even go months and feel better! They dont want to go in and kill nerves that they dont have to, you see?

Another suggestion - I have also switched doctors in this process. If YOU are not comfortable then switch. Saying your depressed is not going to help and certainly isnt something that was appropriate to say at all. However, I do know that I am much more sensitive, get angry easier and cry easily too when I am in this much pain - he as a DOCTOR should certainly understand that! This is affecting your LIFE and the way that you LIVE.

Hang in there, I started actively fighting this with the pain docs and a Neurologist last year and I'm just now scheduled for the RF procedure at the end of the month.

Kristen

[jessica31876]

Thanks Kristin. I looked it up when I got home. I honestly thought he was doing something different by the way he talked last week and so when I felt SO bad upon waking up I was confused and upset and then for him to say that he needs to see if it is coming from being depressed really upset me. I do take a antidepressant everyday but that was to see if it helped with the migraines I also have been having. My primary care dr explained that the medication she was prescribing was originally created to treat depression but then was shown to prevent migraines in some people and also lower high blood pressure as well (both of which I have) so perhaps he thinks that I am taking the antidepressant for depression. He did ask me what it was prescribed for and I told him for migraines I assumed he noted that on my chart but maybe he didn't. I dont know. I talked to my husband and we did decide I should go back but to let the doctor know that the way he spoke last time was very upsetting to me.

[Milmomma]

I would maybe go back but be looking for another doctor as well. I'm sorry but I won't see a doctor that doesn't believe me. I hope the pain gets better and everything gets better. :)