Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 11/30/2007

Question
I had an epidural done when I had my son in 2004, It took
two tries, and  I could still feel everything and was able
to walk 5 minutes after I had him. Then the injection spot
got infected and ever since I've had bad back pain, trouble
walking sometimes, or sharp shooting pain in my back and legs. Could that be from the epidural I had done?

Answer
It is certainly possible but there is no way to tell. The fact that it took 2 tries or that it didn't work well has nothing necessarily to do with the fact that you now have back pain. Rather than worrying about what caused it, you should see a neurologist or a neurosurgeon and get you back evaluated. It might just be that you have a herniated disc (unrelated to the epidural).

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston