Multiple Pudendal Nerve Block

[Sheryle]

I recently had the pudendal nerve block. I had it the first time in June and had little or no results. I had it again on Friday and I can tell I am getting some relief. Anyone else have this procedure, and what were your reactions to it?:smile tee

[deborah bush]

Sheryle want kind of relief did you have from the block. I had 2 done. When I had the first when done with no relief and the second I had some relief. I would really like to talk with you again. I holp you are feeling better. Deborah

[Sheryle]

Well....as is turns out, I guess I was just sore from the procedure that first week. Now I can definitely say I have relief on the right side of my abdomen and bottom. The left side didn't take for some reason, but Thank GOD for some help!

[ad8123]

I have been having nerve blocks for several years now. I started with the hypogastric plexus nerve blocks for pelvic pain, they can only treat one side at a time for me, so I have the right side treated since the majority of my pain is there. In the last 6 months we have also added blocks that help the low back, just had one done last week the recovery can be anywhere from 3 to 10 days but it makes a huge difference I am so glad to see that there is a section for this type of treatment now. I have not been on the site much latley, but I am in a terrible and long lived flare just now so back I come for some support. I am so glad they are working for you!!!! I hope they continue too. How often have you had to reapeat them? Or was that the first series? God bless and keep us all.:angel:

[hollipop]

I'll have my first nerve block next Thursday....I'll keep you posted! Glad you got some relief!

[ihydenout]

I was wondering if anyone else has had the interstim therapy for IC. My doctor has put me on a trial run of Lyrica 50 mg threee times a day and if I dont get any pain relief he wants me to do the trial run of the interstim therapy. I also suffer from iritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia and he says these disorders are feeding off each other and making my remissions shorter. Has anyone had any success from this therapy? I am praying for a miracle so I can get back to my life and stay there more often. I would love to hear any advice anyone has to offer. Thanks,
Paula

[hollipop]

I didn't get any relief...just more muscle spams. I've since started taking muscle relaxers and I'm getting better now.

[ihydenout]

Dear Holly,
Thanks for such a quick reply. So have they decided that you do have IC or not. I am so glad that you are doing better. I am still in the pain stage and very miserable. I am taking the elmiron and the lyrcra and praying that I get some relief soon. I have only been dx. with ic since early Sept. but went through the entire summer misdiagnosed. I guess I cant really complain at least my doctor is trying the different therapies. Good luck to you and hope to hear from you sometime.
Paula

[ICLori]

Paula, there is an entire section of these message boards devoted to the Interstim and other neurostimulation devices - you might try posting your question in that portion of the boards. Simply click on "IC & PBS Support" in the upper left hand of the message board screen, and then click on the topic you want to post in - the Interstim section.

I will tell you that the Interstim is NOT for pain relief. If a doctor is telling you that, ask him if you can see that in writing. Or go to the Medtronics website (the makers of the Interstim) and call their phone number and ask them if this device is FDA-approved to treat IC and if it treats the pain of IC. You might get some veeerrrryyy interesting answers.

You might also ask them how much money they had to pay in fines as a result of their little kick-back to doctors scam they had going, where they paid doctors big bucks to implant their devices into patients.

Blessings,
and good luck,
Lori

[Freckles]

Paula.
I wouldn't do the interstim unless I had tried every other therapy out there. I would do that as a last resort before having my bladder removed.

[DebbieD]

Everyone Talks about the Different Nerve Blocks.

My Nerve Block was When my DR. Went in the Lower Part fo My Back and Cut me Open and cut the 2 Main Nerves that went to the Bladder.

Which is Called an S2 Nerve Block. To Block the Pain to the Bladder. It did not work on Me so I was self-cathing then. Plus we did other surgeries. And Now I have an Urostomy now for 21 Years. This December will be 22 Years.

I still get Kidney Infections , But hey it was better than what I was doing.

Havea Great day:smile tee
DebbieD

[hollipop]

My nerve block was a CT-guided lidocaine/steriod injection on either side of my tailbone where the pudendal nerve comes out from behind the ligaments attached to the pelvic bone.

Paula - who knows....I think I just had a nasty enterococcus infection that too a long time to get rid of. I haven't had any bladder pain since I started the antibiotic treatments, but my PN pain remains when sitting. Of course, I'd MUCH rather have the PN pain versus the IC pain.

[mandyleija]

I have had 2 nerve blocks for my pelvic pain and it has not helped a bit. I am going to have another one next week. I hate having them done. I get so nervous. I also have a buldging disc so the last one i had done was for the back and it didnt help either. I would expect to get some relief. Why do you think it isnt helping at all??? The Dr. put me on Kadian that helps a little. I can tell the dosage needs to be raised. Has anyone one else tried this medication??

[hollipop]

I had four blocks yesterday and they lasted through the night, but I'm experiencing pain again today. Ugh!

Marcaine lasts much longer than lidocaine, but the steroid isn't doing anything for me.

[Freckles]

Okay.... What the heck is a broth culture? I've never heard of that before. Could some of us IC'ers really have a bacteria that isn't present during a regular culture? Please give details.
Thanks
Karen
P.s. Weather is beautiful in Tampa tonight!!

[Ashelliak]

:confused: Karen-I too want to know about the Broth Culture! I want to know where and how I can have this done.

[ihurttoo]

I have had 2 nerve blocks for my pelvic pain and it has not helped a bit. I am going to have another one next week. I hate having them done. I get so nervous. I also have a buldging disc so the last one i had done was for the back and it didnt help either. I would expect to get some relief. Why do you think it isnt helping at all??? The Dr. put me on Kadian that helps a little. I can tell the dosage needs to be raised. Has anyone one else tried this medication??
I have had 2 nerve blocks also. They helped me at first, but I went into severe retention on the 2nd day after both of them. I could not urinate at all without cathing. The pain Dr. didnt think it was caused by the nerve block and acted like I was crazy b/c I thought so. He said it must be "some weird IC thing", but NOT b/c of the nerve block. Although, I have never had retention before or since (except when I took 2 meds, which I wasnt on at that time.)

I had the Hypogastric Plexis Nerve block. My pain Dr. pushes nerve blocks REALLY hard. He charged $1400 each for mine and wanted to do them every 2 weeks!!!! It is a 5 hour drive roundtrip to his office, even if it worked, I could go there every 2 weeks! Nor could I get someone to take off work to drive me there every 2 weeks. But, when I told him I didnt want to do them anymore, he got very angry and tried to drop me. Nerve blocks make him alot of money. $1400 for 10 minutes is alot more profitable for him than meeting with a patient in the office and getting $60 for the same 10 min. I guess that is why he built a surgery center beside his office and does nothing but nerve blocks all day long 2 days a week.:(

Regarding your Kadian question, I am on it too. I take 30 mg once a day. Most people I have seen on it take it twice a day, but my Dr. wont hear of that, even though it wears off for me after about 14 hours. He wont increase it or switch me to something else either. *sigh* It is hard to find a Dr. who is willing to be aggressive in treating pain.

[Moonheart]

I have had 2 nerve blocks also. They helped me at first, but I went into severe retention on the 2nd day after both of them. I could not urinate at all without cathing. The pain Dr. didnt think it was caused by the nerve block and acted like I was crazy b/c I thought so. He said it must be "some weird IC thing", but NOT b/c of the nerve block. Although, I have never had retention before or since (except when I took 2 meds, which I wasnt on at that time.)

Regarding your Kadian question, I am on it too. I take 30 mg once a day. Most people I have seen on it take it twice a day, but my Dr. wont hear of that, even though it wears off for me after about 14 hours. He wont increase it or switch me to something else either. *sigh* It is hard to find a Dr. who is willing to be aggressive in treating pain.


Have you asked him to put you on 15mg twice a day? That should give you better coverage.

[ihurttoo]

Have you asked him to put you on 15mg twice a day? That should give you better coverage.
I havent asked outright, but I have told him at every visit for the last 3 months that it wears off at about 14 hours, and he just says that I am on the most pain meds he feels comfortable with me taking right now. :( I wish I could find another Pain Doctor, but I already drive 5 hours round trip to see him, and just cant drive any farther, so I guess I am stuck until he decides to help me. Thanks anyway though! Hugs, Amy

[hollipop]

About the broth culture, yes...some could have an unknown infection. that's what happened to me. I went to several doctors that said I had no infection, but I always felt otherwise. Finally, I broke down and had the broth culture sent in to United Medical Labs, and they found not one, but THREE infections. Also, at this time I passed some kidney stones that once broken open revealed the same infection, so I had a double test of positive. Now my bladder is fine, but being in pain for nearly a year caused my pelvic floor muscles to contract, which is causing my pudendal nerve pain, we think. That's why I'm having the nerve blocks and pt. At least we are finally figuring out this crazy puzzle.

For a broth culture, you can go to unitedmedicallab.com and click on FAQ for instructions of how to get one. You do not need a doctor's order, but you need to have a doctor listed that can receive the results. They will not release the info directly to patients.

[anke]

I just had my first pudendal nerve block last Tuesday (two = one on each side). 6mg of betamethasone and some Naropin in each side. I had no relief. I am pretty disappointed.

I am just wondering...for those of you who get these done multiple times...how do you afford it? I mean, I make a pretty decent income and I can hardly keep up with the procedures I get.

Now the next step... another type of block maybe. I need to take some time off for now, I just got a $1200 bill from a December procedure and have yet to get the one from last week. Time to work, work,work...

Anke

[Dolphjoy]

I've had pudendal (sp) nerve blocks twice with trigger point injections, maybe 3 times.

I'm now trying a S3 Nerve block, that's where Dr. Gunter is going to try next. I go in this coming Monday...

Anyone had that before?

Thanks
Stephanie

[DFree]

I had an interstim removed in December and have had what I think may be Pudendal Nerve pain ever since. Where do you go for these nerve blocks. I have been researching and thought there were only 3 doctors in the US that specialized in this.

[Dolphjoy]

Hi...

I rec'd my trigger point injections from Dr. Walter in the Uro-Gynecology Dept. at a Kaiser in Sacramento, CA.

I am now under the care of Dr. Jennifer Gunter at Kaiser in San Francisco.

Hope this helps?

Stephanie