After Injection
Hello Dr Bland
I had the injection last Friday 9th of March, I thought you might like to know that as yet the symptoms have if anything got worse, I am waking more at night, even with my splints. I have redone the questionaire and it does show as being a bit worse!
I now have very similar pains in my right arm as i get on the left, I couldn't even pull the lid off of a pen today.
This leaves me wondering if I should look at having the operation, I know it is only a week from the injection but my sleep is getting less and less and the pains seem to be getting worse.
What do you recomend?
Hi Dr Bland
I received my appointment today, which is very much appreciated thank you.
I am however wondering if there would be any chance of changing it to the anytime between the 28th of March and the 6th of April as my husband is on holiday, so would be easier to get there? Though if you cannot possibly change I will arrange to come down as per appointment. Thank you for your time.
Karen
I'll have a look at the diary tomorrow but I know we won't manage 28th March to 6th April I'm afraid as I have no clinics that week. In fact most clinics are fully booked until 30th April and I am slotting odd follow-up patients into cancellations. JB
If we move it from where it is at present I am afraid it will be into May now - do you want to keep the current booking? JB
Most cases that are going to respond to injection have done so within a week so this is not looking hopeful - though we do occasionally see people who get better after several weeks. About 20% of patients seem not to respond to steroids but when there is no response at all one does worry slightly about misdiagnosis and possible poor surgical outcomes too. You do have a few other atypical features - worse symptoms in the neurophysiologically more normal hand and relative youth compared to most CTS patients so, although I would normally just go straight to surgery when faced with an inadequate response to steroids, in this case I think I would like to see you again myself to check it out once again before we subject you to an invasive procedure. We'll repeat the NCS to see if there has been any physiological improvement after the injection and we'll also do the ultrasound and see if we can make the diagnosis as concrete as possible before surgery. I'll find a free appointment when I get in to the office tomorrow and send you a letter in the post. JB
PS - Appointment letter now in post