What can I expect from the Sacroiliac Injections under Flouroscopy

As per my post from my PM appointment last week, I am scheduled to get bilateral SI joint injections on Thursday for the severe inflammation and DD.

I had the trigger point injections when I saw him on Wednesday and they kept the pain in check along with some med changes - but now they have run out.
I am back in bed again unable to walk but a few steps, standing is intolerable and sitting is pretty bad.

Can I please get some input as to what to expect during and after these injections? I have had nothing but severe/unexpected complications from Epidural injections, so I am scared sh##less! He will not be using Kenalog as the steroid since I did have a mini-stroke (TIA's) hours after the last ESI I had 4 years ago (It is believed that the doctor punctured the dura during this injection). I feel a little better that the injection is nowhere near my spinal column.

I would like to know from people who have had it done vs. the doctor in what to expect during the injection and for the few days following it.

I look forward to being "me" again and not being stuck in my bed, very depressing.

Thanks to all for your input.

Sending blessings for better pain days and rays of sunshine!

Pam

Thank you so much "Ides" for responding to my question!

I was waiting for someone to reply because Thursday AM is coming fast, and not fast enough for this pain.

This gives my an idea of what to expect. You know you can never believe entirely what the doctor says it is going to feel like during or after. Its so much better to hear it from folks that have actually gone through it.

Once again, thank you.

Hugs from Texas,

Pam

I've had this done at my Drs office. It only took a few minutes and I went home right after since no sedation was used. I was sore the day off and the next, but then I could feel an improvement in my pain levels.

I like the fluoroscopy because it's cool to see everything. When I get injections around my jaw it's like a party in the room. The dr uses it as a teaching lesson since the metal TMJs are visible and look like The Terminator :)

I hope the injections provide some relief.

I only mentioned the trigeminal nerve blocks being done because of how cool it looks with the scope.

Many pain centers have areas where procedures are done. This makes it easier for everybody since the Dr will have the same staff.

You will need a ride home, and it might be uncomfortable to drive for a few days.

Whether or not the Dr uses sedation will determine how long you will have to stay. Definitely tell your driver to bring a good book.

They do sedation when the place he needs to hit is close to a vital area that you do not want him to miss,having you completely immobile is the safest way to ensure that doesn't happen. Unsedated there's alway a risk your going to flinch or jump or even twitch. It's nothing to do with the length of time it takes to do the injection but rather a safety issue.

Enjoy its the easiest way to get them,one minute your awake next asleep then awake and it's all over. The amount of sedation is really small since it's only a few minutes you have to be out so it wears off really quickly.

Thanks Vickie!

Makes perfect sense, the area that he is injecting is very swollen and believe it or not very painful to even the touch so I can understand the flinching or moving!

I called my sister to let her know that I was having it done tomorrow morning and she said, "Oh Sis, let them shoot you up, go to sleep for a few minutes and wake up and kick a##"! She's so crazy, I did laugh!

Thanks again!

Hugs from Texas!

Pam

I'm curious too!

Pam, so sorry you are having such an awful experience. Hope this passes quickly and ends with you feeling better soon! I know nothing about this, just wanted to say HI and wish you well.

Warmer hugs today from N Texas

Hi all.............

Well, it's been 48 hours since my ordeal and I have to say I feel "GREAT"! Just a little lagged due to in and out sleep but, the pain IS GONE!!!!!!!!! I can't believe it - I was crying this morning after I woke up because I have not woke up and not been in pain in a very very long time (crying was a good thing). I just can't believe it and hope I can get a good deal of pain free time with this.

I found out from my doc before going in for the procedure that I am having it done again in 2 weeks (bilateral).
I have to be honest and say that the procedure was child's play, I went in the procedure room (with IV in), put on the table by an extremely pleasant OR staff, O2 put on, BP and O2 sat monitor and then a warm blanket around my neck and head .......................... that was it, I was gone ni-night! Woke up in recovery, had a drink, got dressed and went home with my hubby. It was a very uneventful procedure - absolutely no pain or stress. YEA.

Have to share this with everyone. So I am laying in bed in the preop area, the anesthesiologist had just seen me and went on to the patient next to me. It was a very fragile little old woman who was having a spinal cord stimulator put in. She was also a patient of my doc. Sorry but you can hear everything with only curtains between.

Anyway, the doc was asking her and verifying her meds and the woman tells the doc she has a patch on. The doc says you didn't list on your meds that you wore one, she says I forgot. Doc says what is the name of med, lady says I don't remember because a friend gave it to her to use for pain relief. OMG this doc (anesth), was having baby kittens on this woman. I couldn't believe that a patient would come to have a surgical procedure done and have used someone else's pain meds. The doc asked if her doctor knew about it and she said no.

Wouldn't I love to have been a fly on the wall when this anesthesiologist called her PM doc, she's in trouble! I can't really say whether they did the procedure because she had an unknown med in her! Scary, scary! All I could think was, and this is why us CP patients are driven through the mills to get our meds - patients like this and her friend abusing the system. Anyway, just wanted to share that with all.

BTW, the meds for sedation that I was given were: fentanyl, versed and propofol.

cont. on next reply.......

So, I talked to my doc after I woke up and he said the right SI joint was really really bad. He had some difficulty getting into the "sweet spots" but finally got there. Was glad that I didn't do it without anesthesia as he said it would have been difficult even with the numbing med. He did do bilateral, the left was some inflamed but not anything like the right.

I don't quite know why I felt so bad for the first 24 hours after procedure. They said the hot flashes, flushing and soreness was from the steroids but did't think the rest was. I looked up patient comments and a lot of people had the same effects as me, BUT, I will talk to my doc about it on my appointment Friday (before the 2nd procedure). I wouldn't think it was the sedation meds because they are very short acting and metabolized quickly.

So now a funny................ Okay, it was about 2am the night of the procedure. I was really sick and had my drink on my nightstand - tall glass of ice with water and a straw. I had been taking little sips on and off at night.
Next thing I know, I sit up screaming out of a sound sleep!!! Apparently I had been sipping the glass and left it propped up on my chest, nodded off and spilled the entire glass of ICE AND WATER on my chest!! All over me, my pillows, blankets and sheets. My poop husband jumped out of the bed because I scared him screaming so loud!!!! My two fur-babies (120 lb german shepherds) pounce on me thinking something was wrong with me, my husband not even coherent yet and here I am shivering in a pool of ice!!!!! OMG, talk about a shock!!! It's funny now but wasn't very funny then. He told me that he had done that a long time ago, poor baby and poor me, it was chilling - hehe!

Thanks everyone for your support and advice in getting me through this, I appreciate it immensely.

BIG hugs from Texas,

Pam

I had a negative experience with one. The doctor popped his rubber glove and the needle moved. It was very challenging afterwards and the doctor did not help out. i paid a price with pain 5 years later. and I still do.
I was open minded when I went to get it but suffered so much afterwards. there is much research on missed injections also. They just never tell you that. I know it works for many but for me, I always look back and wish I never had it.