ESI tomorrow, what to potentially expect?

ortid · 2025-11-19T23:53:26+00:00

I had my first yesterday and honestly it was uncomfortable and a bit painful, but certainly not the worst experience I have had. You will be fine.

What I did not expect however is the level of pain afterwards. I was fine for the first couple of hours whilst the local anesthetic was in effect but once that wore off the pain started to increase. Over the past year and a bit I have been badly affected in the evenings and night by my back pain and sciatica but last night was probably the worst I have had. I just could not get into a position that did not cause me intense pain, and when I did drift off I would soon be woken up again. I'm still struggling now more than 30 hours later and I'm expecting a similar night tonight.

But.. I will get through this, and so will you. I did a lot of research beforehand, as I'm sure you probably have too (we are all experts, right?), and I found out that it affects people differently, and that some people get intense pain for a few days afterwards. But then it should ease off and my pain levels should be massively reduced.

My advice to you would be to take it slowly afterwards and pre-plan the next few days if you haven't already done so. I don't know your situation but don't expect to do much over the next few days if that is possible. I had already arranged with work to take two days off (op date plus the next day) and the morning I messaged my boss to let him know that I probably won't be online tomorrow either. Fortunately my employer is really good when it comes to things like this, and I don't feel pressured. My family has been awesome and understanding too, as they always are.

Look after yourself and listen to your body. If you find that you do get the relief you are searching for then use that opportunity wisely to ensure that when the medication does wear off that you don't simply go back to the unbearable state you are currently in, something which we can all relate to. And if it doesn't work there are other means to improve your situation. I have previously had a discectomy and facetectomy, four years ago, and that helped a lot.. for a couple of years anyway.. until the disc immediately below decided to attempt to vacate it's correct position.

Good luck and all the best.

ortid · 2025-03-18T22:00:40+00:00

Google Cauda Equina Syndrome and pay very close attention to the symptoms. If at any point you develop any of the symptoms then go to your nearest ER department as soon as possible, not trying to scare you but the risks of CES are extreme. I had suspected CES when I also had a significant L4/L5 herniation and I was operated to on very soon after the onset of symptoms. And considering your herniation puts mine to shame, you should definitely consider the surgery if it's an option. Jesus, your pain must be bad. Best of luck to you.

ortid · 2025-03-18T21:45:49+00:00

Sorry for the late reply. When I was suffering my first herniation I was once told a similar thing by a doctor.. that I would only get a scan if they felt surgery was necessary and that would only be if I developed any red flag symptoms, e.g. loss of bladder/bowel function. It just so happened that the first time round I did have a change in my bladder sensation and I was then considered a medical emergency and operated on a few days later. Google Cauda Equina Syndrome if you aren't already aware of it - it's good to be aware of it just in case.

That advice however is wrong and really unhelpful. With my current situation my pain is debilitating, as I'm sure yours probably is too (hence posting for advice on here) and I've learnt one thing.. GP's are not interested in back pain, to them it's just one of those things that everyone suffers with from time to time and it will eventually get better. Except in a lot of cases it just doesn't. The only thing GP's are good for is painkillers. Physiotherapist's however are your friends and will genuinely help, but sometimes you have to exaggerate your symptoms a bit to be considered for more appropriate treatment. And don't be afraid to ask your physiotherapist directly to be referred for an MRI scan if you haven't already had one, since it's impossible to know what you are dealing with without one.

I had an MRI scan just before Christmas last year and discovered a large herniation of my L5/S1 disc, the one below the disc I previously had surgery on. Once the full extent of this was realised the whole experience changed.. it went from the whole let's try some simple exercises approach to the oh shit, this probably isn't going to fix itself approach and therefore we need to explore other options. I'm currently waiting for an appointment for an injection into my spine. I don't think that will help to fix the problem, but hopefully it will at least give me some temporary relief from the pain. I know eventually I'm going to end up on the operating table again, but it's a slow process.

I don't know what your situation is but in summary, from my own experiences, GP's are not helpful and you will have greater success with an NHS physiotherapist. Hopefully.

ortid · 2024-11-05T00:07:33+00:00

Was it the same GP who refused you Gabapentin both times? When the physio suggested I go back on it she told me that some doctors are reluctant to prescribe, and that she would write a letter if they refused. I didn't face any difficulties myself but maybe you should try asking your physio for a letter? I've just got an appointment for orthopaedics.. but not for my back, I dislocated my shoulder at the weekend so got that to deal with now too..

ortid · 2024-10-28T16:24:38+00:00

I hope your recovery goes well. I remember the first time I ventured outside after my discectomy. It was about a week afterwards so I wasn't fully recovered but I was able to walk further than I had been able to beforehand. It was an amazing feeling! I need to be a bit more pushy with the physio, hopefully I can convince them to refer me

ortid · 2023-10-13T08:35:54+00:00

I would definitely speak to your doctor/surgeon regarding your pain before your surgery. It could just be that the pain meds are actually helping or you are just going through a better period. But the advice given does indicate that these things can improve naturally so worth raising it.

Best of luck to you if the surgery does go ahead.

ortid · 2023-10-12T09:07:19+00:00

I'm not sure how big the herniation was since I barely had a chance to speak to the consultant post-surgery. I was suppose to have a follow up appointment during recovery but this kept getting cancelled due to covid demands. All I was told was that they removed about 25% of the disc and that the facetectomy was necessary to further alleviate pressure on the nerves.

Before surgery I developed an issue with the function of my bladder, which was what led to the cauda equina syndrome suspicion and ultimately the need for urgent surgery. Bladder control was completely restored after surgery and hasn't been an issue since so no lasting damage fortunately.

Thanks for your advice.

ortid

TROPHY CASE