[adrigail]

I too had a discogram done. It is quite painful, but if your Dr. uses a sedative ( Versed) they will keep you in an "altered state" right up until they inject a disc. When they push the fluid into a damaged disc, you will definitely know and be able to tell the Dr. if it reproduces your chronic pain. (it will most definitely be a 10 level) When a normal or undamaged disc is selected, you will feel pressure, but typically no or low pain.

Having been through the procedure recently, I have recollection of the really bad pain, but the Versed almost makes it seem like a dream. I know that doesn't make any sense, but I know I was there, I know it hurt, but I remember it as though it happened in a dream.

My procedure was done by my ADR doc. His explanation to me for the necessity of a discogram was this: In a person that presents with ANY DDD, he wants to be certain that there is NO pain generation above or below the affected disc. Of course this is no guarantee that there is no disc damage adjacent, but in my case, it helped me cross off just one more question I had about ADR.

My advice is: go for it. Request that you be given a sedative to make the procedure tolerable. I was so nervous before hand I almost cried in the Pre-op. I haven't cried about anything in 40 years.... the nurses did everything in their power to make me comfortable. To and including a procedure nurse sat in right front of my face while I was lying on the table. She took both my hands and made me look right into her eyes. She talked me through the whole thing while making me maintain eye contact. She was a godsend! The Dr. told me after the procedure that he thinks I invented a couple new curse words!

All in all, it was not much worse than an ESI. I have had about 15 ES injections and when they hit your pain generator, it about sends you through the roof!.

Mike