Painful epidural steroid injection is this normal?

Painful epidural steroid injection is this normal?

Q:

Age: 35 Sex: F Concern: Herniated disc at L5

I have been diagnosed with a herniated disc at L5-S1. I have suffered with it since 11/99. I am currently taking 300mg of Neurontin 3xday and Relafen 750mg 2xday. I have had an MRI and have been to both a Orthopedic surgeon and neurologist. I have had alot of pain in my lower back and down both legs. I have recently been getting numbness in my legs and sightly in my right hand. (could be from many yrs of data entry work?) I have another MRI scheduled for the brain and cervical spine and have a EMG scheduled also. But yesterday I received my first epidural/steroid shot. To be completely honest, It hurt like hell!! I immediately felt pain shoot down my hip and go into my leg. Today I have severe pain in my lower back. Is this normal? I thought that people got immediate relief from these shots, not more pain? As he was sticking the tube in to put the steroid medication in I could feel the popping and cracking! I am icing my back today, but I have another injection scheduled in two weeks 2/24/00 and am afraid to go!! What should I do? Will this pain wear off in a few days (could it be muscle pain due to the injection?) and then I'll feel relief? I felt better before the injection. Please help me as my dr.s are VERY hard to get ahold of. And they seem to not have any answers anyway. Thanks in advance!!!

-- Marie L.

A:

About 10% of people can have a flareup reaction to the cortisone injected. In general, if the first epidural didn't help, there is no literature to support the second injection. I usually don't do the second injection unless patients show at least 10-20% reduction with the first injection.

-- Sherman Nam Tran, M. D.

to ask Dr. Tran.