Hi Dawn,
I just went in yesterday morning for a lumbar steriod injection. It was a simple proceedure that didn't hurt at all other than the pinch from the needle...until the freezing wore off.
I've been on Lyrica, Tramacet, Dilaudid and Methoxisal for pain and had it reasonably controlled. I walked into the hospital, walked out after the 5 minute proceedure and within an hour was completely bed ridden and I couldn't stop crying. They never explained any of the side effects to me. I have 3 torn discs in my back and have had this injury for almost a year before it was correctly diagnosed. I am just now ( almost 48 hours later ) able to use the bathroom by myself andmove around a little bit with out being in agony. They told me when I called the dr's office today that in some people this is normal and that it will start to feel WAY better when the cortisone starts to be absorbed by the nerves.
I'm not trying to scare you, I realize that everyone reacts differently to different proceedures but I was definately not expecting to be feeling worse. I thought i was going to feel better after the shot so I was unprepared. Remember we are all here for you if and when you need to talk. I wish you the best of luck and that your experience is better than mine was. Huggs!