Is my Steroid injection causing all of this pain???

OK, I am asking for some help. . .

I am in the middle of treatment for several lower back/spinal problems as well as a bulgin disc in my neck. about a month ago, I had a steroid injection in my spine, and the Dr. put me on an oral steroid. Once I got the shot, the injection site was instantly burning/stinging. It went away within a few hours, but then the rest of that night and the entire next day, I was doubled over in pain. I almost went to the ER, but my neurologist said it was just the inflammation and that it would go away. He was right, it was gone the next day.

Then 2&1/2 days into taking the oral steroids, my mouth was covered in a thick white film. I could not taste anything, and the inside of my mouth was completely numb. This lasted the entire time I was on the steroids, and 2 or 3 days after I was off them, I was starting to get my sense of taste back.

Then, about 2 or 2&1/2 weeks after the shot, I got a headache that has not gone away. It has lasted for 2 weeks now, and shows no sign of going away. I have taken Ibuprofen, Vicodin, and several other medications, but nothing works. I go to bed with it, I wake up with it. At times is seem to ease up a little, but a lot of the time, it is bad. The whole back side of my head just throbs and feels like it is going to fall off! I have also been nauseous, which is very unusual. Along with the constant headache and the nauseous feeling, at times, I have been dizzy. You know when you are squatting down and then stand up real fast and feel like the room is spinning? I have been getting that feeling quite a bit here lately. I have to stand still, grab a hold of something so I don't fall, and close my eyes till it passes.

On top of all of that, I think I am starting to get sick! I am just sore all over, even my eyes hurt and keep burning and watering! So, tell me. . . do you think all of this could be related to this steroid injection??? Oh yeah, HOW THE HECK DO I GET RID OF THIS HEADACHE???!!!!!?????!!!

Post Edited (longlastingpain26) : 11/9/2012 9:28:40 PM (GMT-7)

I also did not receive much relief from this shot. The nerve root block worked wonders, but the cortisone or steroid shot directly into my spin did no good. I still have this headache, and when I called my neurosurgeon's office on Friday, they did move my next appointment up to Monday, but did not seem to be too worried. I do find relief when I lie down. My grandmother also had a nerve root block just last week, and was almost instantly sick with a headache, nausea, hot&cold flashes. . . she is mid 70's and has had back problems for years. Turns out that she did not take her meds the night before the procedure, and didn't need her pain meds after because she was not hurting. . . she was having withdraws from the narcotics.

Deltaforce, thanks for your help. I actually checked if the facility I went to received any contaminated meds from NH and they did not. Also, I think all meds with manangitis outbreak were taken off the market and all doctors were notified about it a while ago so I think getting the shot with bacteria is no longer really possible, but of course that's my assumption.