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Michael8466
Guest
My back and leg pain level goes down around 90% when I'm laying on my back. How will this effect the discogram? Will they be able to find the pain source?
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jaydar
Guest
Many docs might disagree but in my opinion...the discogram gets right to the nitty gritty of the problem....it shows what mri won't.Good luck.
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lfoster21
Guest
I agree with everyone else here. It was the only test that actually determined where my pain was comming from. I also learned from these boarRAB, to make sure you go to a place that will give you an IV with a med to put you in a concious sleep. It puts you out enough, that you aren't aware of what is goint on, and then they slow down the meRAB. when they need to speak with you. Once you answer their quesions about whether the pain they are creating is the same as the pain that you normally have, they will then up the meRAB. again to put you back out. The good thing is that this med. gives you a temporary amnesia and you don't remeraber much about the procedure. I called my Drs. office and the receptionist that answered the phone said that they could not give me a med. for this procedure, because they needed me to answer their questions. I asked to speak to the nurse...and she said that they actually do use this special mixture of meRAB. for the procedure all the time. If they had not been willing to use it, I would have looked for another lab to do it.
Best of luck,
Lorie:angel:
Best of luck,
Lorie:angel:
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Michael8466
Guest
Thanks for your responses, I'm going to request one on my next dr. visit. I'm tired of these meRAB and feeling like a zorabie. I need answers!
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Justoneofus
Guest
Ditto on what Jaydar said! Discogram is a great source in determining if a disc is causing you pain.
Discograms are done with you on your tummy. Your pain level diminishing in the supine position has no bearing for this test. It's a horrifc test to have done, but I would do it again if need be. This test alone found the disc that was causing all my pain. This disc looked normal on 3+ years of MRIs. The disc was actually badly torn and had leaked out comletely and was just an empty shell. Doc was shocked it was still holding up and also surprised that it was the l4/l5 disc, when it was the l5/s1 disc that was bulging.
I personally think this test is worth the pain it can create to find the source of pain.
Good luck.
Discograms are done with you on your tummy. Your pain level diminishing in the supine position has no bearing for this test. It's a horrifc test to have done, but I would do it again if need be. This test alone found the disc that was causing all my pain. This disc looked normal on 3+ years of MRIs. The disc was actually badly torn and had leaked out comletely and was just an empty shell. Doc was shocked it was still holding up and also surprised that it was the l4/l5 disc, when it was the l5/s1 disc that was bulging.
I personally think this test is worth the pain it can create to find the source of pain.
Good luck.
J
jaydar
Guest
I have had the test done twice.Once in Massachustts which showed a vertical tear in the annulus and again when I moved to Florida my pm doc ordered one and the two discograms showed the same thing teat in the annulus at L4/5.while the mri's (I've had 6 now) only showed moderate bulge at L4/5 and L5S1.
Also I've had four different doctors two ortho and two neuro and only the two neurosurgeons actually looked at both discogram results and mri film and found the disc was pushing into the thecal sac.Neither ortho doc found the defects but both wanted to do a double 360 fusion.
Anyway both of my discograms were unsedated.The first one was unsedated because I had had a cup of coffee in the morning and I hadn't been told not to drink anything.The second was unsedated because the doctor wanted me to be fully conscious so I could tell him when the pressure replicated the pain of the time of injury.
Both times were horribly painful but both times they showed the same defect in the same discs and these test were done nearly 2 years apart.
Would I do another discogram?Well not for this particular problem because it has alreadt been confirmed twice...but I would do it again in a heartbeat if there was a new other level of involvement.
I still can't get approval for surgery from insurance,even though a Massachusetts judge had ordered them to provide care for my back.
Also I've had four different doctors two ortho and two neuro and only the two neurosurgeons actually looked at both discogram results and mri film and found the disc was pushing into the thecal sac.Neither ortho doc found the defects but both wanted to do a double 360 fusion.
Anyway both of my discograms were unsedated.The first one was unsedated because I had had a cup of coffee in the morning and I hadn't been told not to drink anything.The second was unsedated because the doctor wanted me to be fully conscious so I could tell him when the pressure replicated the pain of the time of injury.
Both times were horribly painful but both times they showed the same defect in the same discs and these test were done nearly 2 years apart.
Would I do another discogram?Well not for this particular problem because it has alreadt been confirmed twice...but I would do it again in a heartbeat if there was a new other level of involvement.
I still can't get approval for surgery from insurance,even though a Massachusetts judge had ordered them to provide care for my back.
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Toonces1
Guest
Definitely request sedation. I was sedated, but was still able to fully participate in the Q & A the doc was doing with me. I had it in my neck (they go in through the front) and would have freaked out of I was not sedated. With the sedation, though, I thought it was rather a breeze compared to the pain I was in everyday.