Hi @bustrbrwn22, I always ask for lidocaine at the IV site and then the IV doesn't hurt at all. The Lidocaine is given w/ such a tiny needle that it's barely a sting. A lot won't want to give it and say it makes the veins roll away or some other reason but I tell them it always works for me at the first attempt of the IV and it does! Then I would request what they call, "light" or "conscious" sedation. I was barely conscious but think mostly out, b/c the injections (2) I had, were painless. Pretty drugged the rest of the day and must have a driver. I got a significant increase w/ my heart rate which is one of the side-effects one can have from the injected steroid. The reasons I had mine was quite different than the typical low back, butt and leg/foot pain so it was not to have relief from pain. It's a complicated diagnostic for numbness and my leg giving out for no reason, without pain. I do have aching thigh pain but it's not the horrific pain I had before my first three back surgeries. So as far as results, none known yet. Please keep me posted and I will be praying for you. I had to pay a total of $100 for my procedure and I am on Kaiser Permanente Medicare Optimal Advantage plan. Keep me posted but know I'm probably not going to be as active here on the Neuropathy blog b/c I HAD to join the bone/joint/muscle blog to help w/ some decisions I have to make about taking a drug w/ potential serious side-effects for my "severe" osteoporosis . All the best, you're a trooper to say the least! What BTW, are you having the injection for? Many blessings, Sunnyflower