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extreme low back pain

It IS possible to die from an ESI, mainly from first getting an infection at the site. When you sign your consent it will state that, but im not trying to scare you as it is fairly rare. I had 3 ESI's and not one was numbed prior to the injection and it did not hurt that bad. They did not work for me whatsoever and have not worked for other's on this site, but with that said, they do help a lot of people. The fact that you are a recovering addict should tell you not to be abusing your medication and, as well as the pain, to try other options, which you are thinking about doing with these injections. I would say that you should try it as it may work for you and if it doesnt then you know not to get anymore and to try other options that your doctor offers you. Tramadol/Ultracet/Ultram doesnt cause any long term damage that I know of. It does sound like you have some nerve damage though and i dont know what kind of tests your doctor has ran on you, but I would talk to him about having some done so that you and your doctor know exactly what is wrong with you. Also, the injection is done under a live x-ray so they know exactly where to insert the needle and where not to and it is a very small needle....I believe they used a 20 gauge and a 22 gauge needle. It actualy bends if you move during the procedure. It's basicaly a 50/50 shot that it will help or wont help, but I would let them do the first one and see how it makes you feel in about a week or so. Best of luck with everything with your back and your recovery, stay strong!

First of all is that taking too much of anything with acetaminifen is very dangeros 4000 mg is all you can have and most of the time at first you are going to get something like 7.5/500 mg and after 8 it is destroying your liver because it cannot prevent it from poisioning your body. If you are experienciing constipation you need to take a stool softener or some good old prune juice. That'll straighten you out in a hurry. Tell your doctor if what he is giving isn't sufficient.

Hi pillsgalore- I don't know how many mg. of Tramadol per day you are taking when you take them "like there is no tomorrow" but they CAN hurt you if taken over the maximum recommended amount per day. Also, as has been stated, the acetaminophen alone can cause liver damage and other things. The combination of all the meds you mentioned... well, I realize that you didn't take all of those at the same time or on the same day, but you've got to be careful. Google "Tramadol patient information leaflet" and read the information about the drug dependence and abuse. If you are taking more than were prescribed, particularly a lot more than prescribed, you need to stop doing it. But, this is not something (Tramadol) that you should just stop suddenly if you've been taking it very long. It is also not something you are suppose to take long-term. Did you know that it is an opiod analgesic? Abuse of Tramadol is a problem. Please read about it at the above site. If you want to be scared, know that taking too much Tramadol can cause seizures and death. Please be careful.

Regarding the injection: Don't worry!!! Really the chance of anything serious is so low... and I'm one to worry, and have had injections in my "spine" 5 times and never worried about it at all. Forget the needle. You will NOT be paralyzed. Could it happen? Anything can happen, but you are probably more likely to die driving there. Truly, the damage you could do if you are abusing any of the meds you listed, even acetaminophen, should worry you much more than the injection. I hope it goes well. I hope it helps! Take care,

gail

I agree with watching how much of certain drugs you take, like if you are taking Tylenol on top of Vicodin or something like that, you are taking a chance of liver damage. Tramadol(Ultram) is a more wicked drug than they tell you. Notice how it "speeds" you while other pain meds do not? It caused me to go into A-fib twice before I realized it was the drug causing it, besides it is a crappy drug and did little for my pain. I hate it and won't take it again, of course.

Good Luck with the injections, and like Chandler said, the epiderals did me no good but then I got "nerve root injections" that made me a new man! So they are just the first injections the doctor tries. There are many other types (and you are under anesthesia during most of them) that work better so don't give up after epiderals don't work. IF they don't work that is. Though many of us had no luck with them, some people do.

And don't be afraid to treat your pain, even if you are an addict. And don't confuse addiction with dependence. Most of us are dependent. There is a huge difference and if you are not familiar with the difference, familiarized yourself with the difference. There are many article on this very web site about it or you can Google it if you want.

Again, Good Luck!!!

Rick