What can go wrong during an epidural steroid injection?
Possible Side Effects of Epidural Steroid Injections Headache. Dizziness. Fainting due to anxiety from the procedure causing a sudden decrease in heart rate and blood pressure (vasovagal attack) Flushing of the face (redness and a feeling of warmth)
What are the long-term side effects of epidural steroid injections?
Potential etiologies for long-term complications associated with ESI include infection, bleeding, endocrine effects, neurotoxicity, and neurologic injury.
How safe is a lumbar epidural steroid injection?
Yes. Epidural steroid injections have been used for years and are considered one of the safest options for pain management in the lower back. However, as with all minimally invasive procedures, there are small but extremely rare risks involved.
How many epidural steroid injections are safe in a year?
Epidural steroid injections are recommended to be administered up to three to six times per year. In the case of a new disc herniation, injections may be only weeks apart with a goal of quick and complete resolution of symptoms. For chronic conditions, three to six months or more between injections is common.
Can you become paralyzed from epidural steroid injection?
Indeed, FDA warned in 2014 that injections of corticosteroids into the epidural space of the spine may result in rare but serious adverse effects, including loss of vision, stroke, paralysis, and death.
Are spinal injections risky?
Spinal injection procedures are generally safe procedures. If complications occur, they are usually mild and self-limited. The risks of spinal injections include, but are not limited to the following: Bleeding.
Does an epidural affect you later in life?
While it’s very rare, having an epidural procedure can lead to some long-term complications, including: Permanent neurologic deficit due to spinal cord or nerve root damage from the epidural injection.
Can you gain weight from epidural steroid injection?
Results: We found no significant change in weight after administration of a series of three-epidural steroid injections. Discussion: It appears that neuraxial steroids administration doesn’t induce weight gain.
Can epidural cause paralysis?
Myth: Epidurals can cause permanent back pain or paralysis in the mother. Fact: Serious complications from an epidural, including paralysis, are extremely rare. Some women have discomfort in the lower back (where the catheter was inserted) for a few hours or days after the epidural, but it doesn’t last.
Are epidurals worth it?
Epidural is one of the most effective methods for pain relief during delivery and childbirth, and it has minimal side effects on both mom and baby. It works quickly and can begin to relieve pain within 10 to 20 minutes . Most women who have an epidural feel little or no pain during labor and delivery.
Why is pain worse after epidural steroid injection?
The proximity of so many nerves also means that the injection is more likely to be painful compared to other procedures. Since the needle will have to pass through several nerve clusters and straight into the spinal column, patients are likely to feel some level of pain and discomfort even if anesthesia is used.