Epidural gone wrong?

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WCvictim

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I was injured at work so I have been going through Worker's Comp doctors.
Needless to say, I do not feel I am receiving the best of care.​
I have a herniated disc L-4 L-5. Through Pain Management, I have had 3 trigger point injections-no relief. Three epidurals. The pain started on the right side radiating down the leg, yet the injured disc protrudes on the left. After the first epidural I received relief from the right side, but then had pain on the left with it radiating down even further into my foot.
The second epidural showed some relief but some pain still existed on the left and the pain was more centered.
Then I had the third epidural on 6-23. I felt no pain during the procedure for the first two until right afterwarRAB for a day or two. This time I felt pain throughout the entire procedure and extreme pain following. I made an appointment with Pain Management right away to try to find some answers. They told me that everything was done the same as before and there was no reason for the level of pain I was experiencing.
A side note: After the second epidural I complained to the Occupational Health doctor that I was experiencing headaches. I was originally treated for headaches right after my fall. He dismissed it saying it was probably the flu although they didn't even take my temperature/vitals that day.

Less than a week after the third epidural I developed an excruciating migraine headache along with non-stop vomiting. Everything I put in my mouth came back up causing horrendous pain in my head. By the third day I was still in pain, bedridden, and dehydrated because I knew if I drank something it would cause more pain. A friend happened to call and took me to the hospital. Before leaving, I called my Risk Safety Mgr. at work to see if I should go to the Work Comp recommended hospital or one that my personal insurance covered. He called the doctor and the doctor once again said the headaches were unrelated.
Three days later I once again found myself in the ER only this time I went on the second day of pain/vomiting. A few days later I experienced it again, but got it under control so I did not have to go to the hospital for meRAB to relieve it.
Now, almost a month later, I am still experiencing more pain than I think I should in my lower back area. I was sent back to work through all of this even though I told the Occupational Health doctor my pain level was nine.

I was referred to a physician through the hospital for the headaches. He referred me to a neurologist that would not let me talk about anything related to WC, but ordered a MRI of the brain. I see her tomorrow for follow-up. The physician felt the headaches were definitely related to the epidurals, but the neurologist would not, as I said, talk anything related to my WC issue.
I am seeking help here on suggestions or ideas as to what is going on. The Occupational Health doctor says he believes I have "Chronic Pain Syndrome", indicating that there is another reason I feel this pain. I have told these doctors all along that this time the pain is different. The Occupational Health doctor automatically gives me a prescription for pain pills and senRAB me on my way--back to work and that is it.
Thanks in advance for any help.
 
nytime you get an epi. you run a chance of headaches thru the loss of spinal fluid. Also you have to watch that the injection site does not get infected, that can cause a whole heap of problems.

Im not sure if any of this helps, but headaches from loss of spinal fluid usually only lasts maybe 18 - 24 hours tops. Be very sure that the injection site is not infected.

Hope this helps some,
Kevin K.
 
Go back to the people who injected you and DEMAND a blood patch. REMOVE

I had an epi where they stuck the bone and the spinal fluid, I ended up in the hospital for 8 days with the headaches and vomiting on the 6th day they finally gave me the blood patch which immediatley took away the terrible headaches. They of course ran a billion test including a spinal tap looking for blood which they found. I feel your pain. My god you should never had to suffer like this. Didn't the ER doc suggest any of this once you told them that you had an epidural? By the way the headaches can last more like weeks if you don't get the blood patch.
 
I agree that spinal headaches can last longer than a few days. I got a headache the following morning of my injection. I was really dizzy. My injection was on a friday and when I talked to my doctor on monday they told me it was not from the injection. I waited a few days and with no relief I finally made an appointment with the doctor on Wednesday. At the appointment he immediately called another doctor to perform a blood patch, which I got on a Friday. I also got immediate relief. This whole time I had to work and go to school. I had to be driven to classes, which were an hour away.

I got a second spinal headache on my third injection, but got a blood patch a lot sooner. I was told that once you get a spinal headache you are prone to get them again. I do not know if that is true, but I have since had many injections and never got a headache again.
 
Since the epidural was done on June 23rd, is it too late for a blood patch? As I said, I still experience pain in the lower back and still get headaches, though not as severe.
Thanks.
 
I too am a workmanscomp case. I had one epidural, no problem but w/c turned down additional shots because they said it didn't work and I needed to look into chronic pain management. Ah, isn't that what an epidural is? I had a mylogram that went wrong. Dr hit a nerve (ouch) and then because of the position I was in, the vagal nerve was constricted and my bp and pulse dropped and I fainted. Dr freaked out and when I work up, she freaked me out too. I was told since she had only injected the linocaine, there was no concern about any headache. Over the next couple days I kept getting a horrible headache. I laid down and it would subside some. 4 days later, I was in agony, so I called her. She told me since she only "poked" me once, I shouldn't be having problems but to stay in bed completely for 2 days. If I still had a headache then I was to go to the emergency room. I called a friend of mine who was a critical care nurse but is working with new mommys who have epidurals. She told me I needed to lay down but elevate the head abit. She said anytime the spinal area is tapped into, it can change the pressure causing headaches. Taking her advice, I was fine the following week.
BTW, I had back surgery 5 months ago. It took 3 years for workmanscomp to come through. Actually, it was the insurance carrier who kept bungling my case
 
That's one point, I feel like I have not been given time to heal. I was put into physical therapy right away (which I totally believe in) and sent back to work. I got dinged with points and they used my vacation time for the call-ins for the trip to the hospital since the wc doc does not recognize the headaches (a different problem).
My question now...can I still receive a bloodpatch, after a month, to relieve my continuous back pain and headaches?
 
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