HomeAnswersAnesthesiologyepidural anesthesiaCan epidural anesthesia cause sciatica, neuralgia and migraines?

I am having sciatica, neuralgia and migraines. Are these due to epidural anesthesia?

Share
I am having sciatica, neuralgia and migraines. Are these due to epidural anesthesia?

The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Divya Banu M

Published At April 13, 2019
Reviewed AtOctober 31, 2022

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

12 years ago I gave birth to my first baby. I was healthy when I walked in and then, not even for a single day I felt well. When I was given my epidural, my heart rate shot up to 150 and you could see it beating from the outside. They took it out and replaced it. The anesthesiologist said he must have hit a blood pocket. What does that mean?

The epidural caused my BP to drop every time I lay on my left side. My baby's heart rate dropped every time I lay on my right side. After what felt like an hour, they made me lay on my left and gave me a shot to keep my BP up. Is that normal? Because I stayed on my left side, I could not move or feel anything on that side but could feel everything on my right side. I now have migraines, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, peripheral neuropathy, sciatica, and fibromyalgia, all on my left side. Could the issues I have now have been caused by the issues with the epidural? Please help me.

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Maybe unintentionally epidural needle must have hit a blood vessel in epidural space and so needle was withdrawn and reinserted in order to place it in epidural space avoiding blood vessel.

Hypotension in pregnancy may be caused by supine hypotension syndrome and also due to regional anesthesia. So you were placed in left lateral position and you were given an injection to keep your BP up. It is not unusual to have these situations and are treatable. The issues you have mentioned are due to a spine problem most likely prolapsed intervertebral disc, etc., and very less likely due to epidural. May require MRI of the lumbosacral spine to diagnose. Need to consult an orthopedic surgeon.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Jadhav Yatish Anant
Dr. Jadhav Yatish Anant

Anesthesiology

Community Banner Mobile
By subscribing, I agree to iCliniq's Terms & Privacy Policy.

Ask your health query to a doctor online

Anesthesiology

*guaranteed answer within 4 hours

Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. iCliniq privacy policy