arthritis killing me

Can someone please give me some feedback about cronizone shots in neck

Thank u very much for your reply

42,
I am so sorry you are dealing with so much pain. I have arthritis in my neck due to a fusion C6-C7 and I have had a cortisteroid injection in my neck several years ago. That one did not go so good. I ended up with more pain than before. Now that is not saying you will. It all depends on the doctor and if they use a floriscope (i think that's what it is called) machine. It is kind of like an xray of the area they are giving the injection in to see where the joints and nerve roots are at so they get it in the right spot. I will be going to my pm in three weeks for another in my neck so I am crossing my fingers that it works. I have had them in my back but it hasn't helped on the right side yet but my left side feels a little better. Also you might want to see about getting on an anti-inlammatory or the arthritis pain. I am on Voltaran and seems to help a bit. Stay away from Celebrex...didn't work for me. Doc says it's crap. You can also ask for some vicodin, norco, or oxy which may help better than the excedrin plus you won't have to take as many and reduce your acetamenophin intake. Good luck and keep us updated.
HUGS

Hi 42 in pain. I'm Linda and am new here also. Welcome from one newb to another. Before my first auto accident I had some really awful neck pain too. I had a job at that time working in a office doing inside sales for a pharmaceutical generic company that sold to the veterinary industry (one of my favorite jobs I'd ever had) I thought maybe because I was on the phone with my head holding the phone (yes this was before headset's) that maybe that was some of my issue. My muscles would tense, nothing helped. They also gave me robaxin, vicodin and flexeril all of which either left me loopy or just plain good for nothing. I finally went to a orthopediac doctor that ordered a Xray & MRI of my neck. It appeared I had bony spurs on 4 levels of my neck and therefore it was rubbing on the tendons and muscles creating a ton of pain. I had a minor auto accident about 2 years after that diagnoises, and I was in a parked car the lady in front of me didn't see me and bumped my car from the front (she backed into me) but I was turned around in the back seat getting my daughters book bag. Within a day I lost use of my arm. Because of the weakened condition of my spine a minor bump caused major damage. The disk at C5/C6 had a encroached the neural foramen and I had to have immediate surgery for a fusion. It worked great and I was pain free!!! (Till someone else rearended me but we'll save that story for another time) If you're having this type of pain it's not normal. I was a smoker and had some inflammatory markers for possible rheumatoid (you can get severe neck pain from rheumatoid problems) or if you smoke you are more apt to have spine issues as well. Right now, many doctors won't even perform spine fusion on people that smoke because they don't heal well. All that being said my best advice is to see if you can find a highly recommended orthopedic doctor or spine specialist that can order some test's to find out what's going on with you. I wish you well and hope it's something easy to fix. Lastly, I had 2 spine injections in my spine. I'd never have another!! 1st reason is that injecting Kenalog (the most commonly used steroid) in the spine is not recommended it even says so on the bottle (please google it if you don't believe it) and lastly it's known to weaken your joints. You may feel better temporarily, but in the long run, the steroids actually make your joints more apt to injury. Again please google some of this. I used to sell pharmaceuticals and am in the medical field. Best wishes, Linda

I have chronic neck pain from a whiplash injury back in '76. I did have an interfacet steroid injection in my neck. It only worked for 2 or 3 days. I'd had trigger point injections and every other thing you can think of (over-the-door traction, a TENS unit with electrodes on my upper back, Capsaicin, PT, etc. After the injection didn't work, the doctor recommended Darvocet 3 x a day. It has since been switched to Lortab, which I now only take twice a day. I was a medical transcriptionist and found that once I retired the pain is not nearly as bad. You have to pay attention to the triggers that set off your neck pain. Make sure your pillow is on the flat side, so your neck is not tilted. I have the osteophytes in my C-spine and can feel tendons, muscles, or something catching on them occasionally. My official diagnosis is cervical spondylosis with osteophytes and degenerative joint disease.

Surgery is usually recommended when pain goes to the extremities, as yours does. (Mine doesn't.) I agree with friedspine that you should see an orthopedic surgeon, get a firm diagnosis, and then pursue treatment or surgery. Meanwhile, you should lift no more than 10 lbs. Avoid repetitive motion, such as painting, window washing, even typing. Make sure your computer screen is slanted so that your neck is not tilted up or down. Avoid ibuprofen or you will cause liver damage. NSAIDs also cause kidney damage. I had a liver transplant 4 mos. ago and was told I can have acetaminophen in moderation, including what's in the Lortab, up to 1500 mg a day.

Hugs,
Connie

I have just had my second steroid injection in my neck this week. Still waiting to see what happens. I seem to have a little relief in one way I turn my head but so far it is minimal. So far, with any other move mentment, the pain is the same. I will be having 4 more injections on 2 more vertabrae within the next 4 weeks so time will tell. I am hoping for a lot more relief!!!

 

Thanks for the advice but I'm limited to what the VA offers and pays for. I was lucky to even get this pain pump. Most VAs don't offer that yet so I'm told. This is the last line of defense for me. The increases in dosage are so small during the first few months that my pain is not under control. There are probably any number of other treatments, surgical procedures... you name it out there for my types of problems but as I said, I'm at the mercy of the VA and very fortunate just to have that. I just keep trying to hang on one more day until I get this dosage level up to a point that blocks all pain. In this pump, they started me out on morphine, then switched to dilautid and maxed out with that. Plus they had added bupividaine(sp?), clonipin and now Prialt.... otherwise known as ziconotide. Time will tell.....