So I had a cervical steroid injection today due to this bad neck I have now. This is the first one I have had in a year so I’m a bit worried how it’s going to effect my EM I hope that it doesn’t increase the burning flares I already have. I know it causes facial flushing but I already have a face that flares. Anyone else ever had this done? If so how did it effect your EM symptoms.
stay cool
I’ve had several. My EM did flare a bit more for the 1st day. But I tried Prednisone once and I turned into a tomato so I respond to steroids badly. But the EM settles down pretty quickly so hoping it’s short lived if it does spike a bit. And mostly hoping it helps your back pain.
So far the first and second day were pretty bad my face flared of course and then hands and thighs and upper arms. It seems to be a bit calmer today. I’m glad I had it I was long over do this nerve pain in my right arm becomes so hyper sensitive that even the breeze from the car a/c is to much. I wondered if my cervical injuries were partly the trigger to my EM.
I have had both the injections and ablations done. Lumbar and S-spine. Hip sockets too. Since low, didn’t do much to my face. I would recommend them.
I had 6 cervical injections done right before I had my cervical spine fused (all at the same time) the injections caused my entire body to flare. I felt like I was burning from head to toe. I was sent to the ER and put on Predinisone for 2 weeks. They sent me to an allergist who told me I was hypersensitive to lidocaine and instructed me to never get any type of injection again because the reactions would only get worse. This was 3 years ago and I was only diagnosed with EM 4 months ago. In my head I think it might be the cause of everything.
Rstubbens,
Dr. says I can only have 3 a year so they have been staggering the injections, but like you after I get them I feel like im on fire everywhere so one problem causes another problem. I haven’t had to go to the ER with it though that sounds awful so sorry you had that happen. I did have to go to the ER once when they gave me nifedipine it caused me to have such a bad flare from head to toe I looked like I had the worst sunburn ever the heat was radiating threw my clothes. They gave me some kind of antihistamine and somethin else to try to calm it down but it barley touched it they said I would have to wait it out and not to take it anymore. I was only diagnosed like 6 months ago or so after 2 years of trying to go to every kind of doctor but my derm is so awesome and now she has 2 others with EM that she’s treating. I had 5 6 and 7 fused and between trying to take and do different things for that some things exacerbate my EM so its a constant battle.
Stay Cool
E
EM can be caused by nerve damage anywhere along the nerve pathway. From the brain on down toward the foot. Nerve entrapment may cause EM. So your spinal operations could have damaged or entrapped nerves and that could be affecting the nerves and causing EM. Spinal surgery of course is full of risks.
If the damage can be reversed the EM symptoms may be resolved as they are secondary to the damage. If the damage is permanent then the EM may never be fully resolved.
People end up seeing neurologists or pain specialists to treat the symptoms (pain) of the EM. People will often chill the feet with environmental chilling or areas of the body affected with cold packs or even cold water immersion. The treatment to resolve the flare with cold is a classic sign that you are dealing with EM. Heat will make it worse and cold will help resolve the system.
Often skin specialists will diagnose an EM condition and Neurologists can treat it or pain clinic doctors.
With the crazy “War on Opiods” that the government is continuing to do in the USA, which should be read as a “War on doctors” as they are the easy target it’s difficult to get Opiod medication for EM and keep getting it. Doctors are afraid of being shut down or losing patients to the side effect called “death” which can happen from Opiods.
I believe most of the deaths in the Opiod war are from drug addicts taking fake norco pills created out of Fentynl powder. In other words black market stuff. Not prescriptions to chronic pain suffering patients. But a chronic pain patient can overdose an die from Opiods, so it’s understandable that the government is trying to save lives by making Opiods difficult to get. We used to have four or five doctors who could and would be willing to prescribe the Opoid prescription necessary for mom. Now we only have one that will do it.
The rest are not allowed or scared off by possible threats against their licence to practice.
I’m looking foward to the day when the political correct focus changes off Opiod drugs toward Medical Pot.
A reaction to Steroids can cause a lot of problems of course. For some the reaction may stunt their growth. So it’s good to be careful out there.
Steroids may be a substitute for lidocaine. They are often slower acting and will last longer. But they may not be as effective in blocking the pain. With my mom, steroids don’t work as well as lidocaine.
watchman,
I have thought about many times if my EM was brought on by my cervical fusion or if it was just laying dorment for a long while waiting until it could rear it’s ugly head. I had 4 years of nerve pain before I had my cervical fusion do to being so scared for anyone to mess with my spine. It’s been 4 years now since my fusion but only around 2 since all of these EM problems became over whelming. I was seeing my pcp for everything then 2 years ago things were still not getting better with my cervical pain and nerve pain so she sent me to a pain dr whom I have been with the last few years. I to know all of the challenges that come with trying to control pain not only my EM but chronic as well at times it seems never ending and that i spend so much time in waiting rooms but the opioid thing is defiantly at a high so i know what your saying.