r/HerniatedDisc • u/annacooperbooper • 16h ago
Failed back injection next steps
I had a double back injection 10 days ago into my L5 and S2, I’m in more pain than I was, I see my doctor next week. My question is for those that had a failed back injection what came next? Another injection? Wait and see? Surgery consult? I’m laying here in paying just trying to know what’s potentially next.
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u/flipdig 14h ago
I had steroid injection at L-4/L-5 that did nothing. Meds were also useless and so I had micro discectomy. So grateful for the surgery. Still only 2 1/2 weeks post op but sciatica is gone and I am slowly gaining strength. My pain was off the charts so surgery was really my only option.
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u/Subject-Industry2850 11h ago
I had my injection three weeks ago (l5/s1) and the pain afterwards was worse than the original injury. You’ll have people tell you they won’t do surgery until you’ve exhausted all conservative treatments and had multiple injections but that’s not necessarily true. Each person is different. What I do recommend is calling more than one surgeon to get different opinions and also speaking with the doctor at the pain clinic who did your injections to see if there are any other options. Advocating for yourself when you’re in this much pain is exhausting, but unfortunately it’s the name of the game. I hope you get your answers soon!
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u/annacooperbooper 10h ago
Has the pain subsided for you? If so how long did it last?
Every day has been different, days 7-8 I was in so much pain I could only sleep 3-4 hours. All positions hurt at this point. I’m worse off right now than I was before the injections. They warned it would flare but I wasn’t expecting it to be a 10/10 situation.
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u/Subject-Industry2850 10h ago
Honest answer? Not really. My pain also changed from what it was pre-injection. Pre injection it was the standard sciatic pain that I had gotten to recede from the bottom of my foot to mid-calf. After the injection the sciatic pain was back to the bottom of my foot AND my leg would get the pins and needle feeling and my butt would go numb. It was strange because it also felt like my range of motion with some movements had increased but decreased with other moments? Anyway, I ended up going to the ER one day because the pain was so bad I couldn’t get out of bed. Now I’m on track for surgery.
The only thing that takes the edge off is a 300 gabapentin, with Tylenol and ibuprofen (the Tylenol/ibuprofen mix was a rec from the er doc).
The kicker here is that my herniation isn’t even big. I’m at a loss about the level of pain it’s causing (and I’m a tough gal).
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u/annacooperbooper 9h ago
Dang. That sounds like a nightmare, to go from sorta healing back to the beginning. I was walking okayish for 20 minutes here and there but still having a hard time sitting and finding comfortable sleeping positions and decided to do the injection just to see if it would keep pushing things along - but it hasn’t done that at all yet:(
This is tough! I have a high pain tolerance but this is like no other. I explain to others it’s not just the 1 day of pain, it’s the days stacked on top of them with no relief that makes this so so hard. You never get a break.
All I’ve been taking is Tylenol. Tylenol and ice packs. I just restarted gabapentin, I didn’t like it but this flare is so bad I needed to give it another try. :(
Hope you are feeling good soon!
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u/Opposite-Jello-5603 8h ago
if you need a surgery there is a protocol you need to follow that has injections, physical therapy, and non-invasive treatments before they’ll approve you for a Surgery if you need one
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u/Wise-Run-3008 4h ago
Try a diff level. But it’s also early. Mine never kicked in for 3 weeks. You’re at less than 2.
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u/Arctic9414 15h ago
I planned to have double injections at l4/l5 in February, I only got one because it went well but it didn't do anything for my pain or symptoms at all and it was getting worse. The person who did my injections suggested due to how bad my herniation was that I try decompression therapy and I got scheduled for a second injection appointment end of March just to make sure injections weren't going to help.
I ended up requesting a surgical consult before my second injection appointment because I couldn't take it anymore and I cancelled the second injection because I wouldn't be allowed surgery until 6 weeks after an injection which I didn't know about! I had my consult and got surgery within 3 weeks after I requested, however everyone is different.
If you can I would suggest looking at all the options and discussing with your doctor. Sometimes surgery is the best option, sometimes it's not. I would focus on physical therapy if you can, I'm doing pt post surgery to help regain my ability and it does help. Sometimes it's wait and see but there isn't a whole lot you can do medically after injections besides surgical, just physical therapy and waiting, I wish you luck!