@gravity3 Hello, I had spinal fusion surgery (lumbar, L5-S1), about 5 months ago. I was still having pain in my right side with the muscles in a constant spasm, and I had an epidural at T11-T12 back on February 10th. They do numb the area where the needle goes in, however, I had severe pain at the nerve the doctor was trying to block. This lasted about 30 seconds, then it seems the lidocaine kicked in. However, 48 hours after the epidural (and up until today, March 28th), I am in more pain than I was in before the epidural. Now the doctor has ordered CT scans of my Thoracic and Lumbar spine.

As for the steroid pack, my surgeon's PA wrote me a prescription for the 6 pills about two weeks after surgery when I was having severe nerve pain in both legs all night long. Unfortunately, the steroid didn't work. However, I was then given Lyrica, 75mg, 3 times a day. Within 2 days, the pain was gone and I could sleep all night. If you haven't tried this, ask your doctor about using Lyrica for your pain.