Does anyone know anything about one? Anyone have an experience they'ld be willing to share?

My BFF had a baby this morning, and got an epi around 130am. She got an instant headache, and her fingers went numb.. Then her hands, then her arms, then she had full paralysis from the waist up. She was unable to breathe, or even lift her head. She still had full labor pain, but couldn't move, they put a breathing tube in her because she couldn't breathe on her own.

She had to wait until it wore off she she could push. She is fine, the baby is fine.. 6 lb 11 oz healthy baby girl... I've never heard of an epi going UP instead of down. Does anyone know how this might have happened????? Or have a link???

Oh, here's the baby. She named her Gracia..

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff299/lindsaymn110/DSC01015.jpg

I dont know, mine worked fine. But she is a cutie!!

I didnt' have any problems with any of mine. she is soooooo cute though!

My grandmother had one for knee surgery that went up instead of down.. That's scary!

Glad all is well with mom and baby! She's beautiful!

I have heard that it's a bad reaction to the meds that are in a spinal. Mine wasnt that bad with Savannah, but I had the massive headace. but I was only numb where I supposed to be.

Same thing happened to me with my second child. It does happen. It was very scary at the time but it wore off after quite a while and I was fine.

That happened to one of my best friends just a few months ago. It was so scary! My friend is a tiny lady, like 4 feet 10 inches tall. They ended up having to put her under full anesthesia and do an emergency c-section. When she woke up she still couldn't move anything but her eyes.

I guess the reason it happened is that she responded to the petocin too quickly, had back-to-back full contractions and was having trouble holding still while they administered the epi. The needle slipped in too far and it paralized her.

She's fine now and her baby is doing wonderfully, but man oh man, those were scary moments.

Same thing happened to me with my second child. It does happen. It was very scary at the time but it wore off after quite a while and I was fine.


How does it happen???? Is it from misplacement on the doctor's side? My BFF has had 2 epi's before with no problems...

i dont know about any of that. the only problems i ever had with an epi was when i gave birth to my son. the anesthesiologist put it in, and then never turned the machine on for it to start pumpin into me. i kept telling the nurses, that the epi wasnt working and they kept telling me to be patient. by time they realized what the problem was i was already fully dialated, and ready to push.....too late to turn it on then.:tantrum

That is really scary and I never knew that could happen. I had to have 2 spinals earlier this year and each time I know I had to sign a bunch of consent forms........I feel almost positive it's covered in the consent forms but no one (including me) probably takes the time to read them:nutts

How does it happen???? Is it from misplacement on the doctor's side? My BFF has had 2 epi's before with no problems...

Here is a list of side effects of an epidural. it has nothing to do with placement. it's the person's reaction to the meds. But just because she didnt have a reaction before doesnt mean it wont happen later. Bodies change.

All of these are possible side effects of a epidural

Dural puncture
Hypotension (29%)
Nausea, vomiting, shivering (frequent)
Prolonged labor
Uneven, incomplete or nonexsistent pain relief
Feelings of emotional detachment
Respiratory insufficiency or paralysis
Convulsions
Toxic drug reactions
Slight to severe headache
Septic meningitis
Allergic shock
Cardiac arrest
Maternal death

i dont know about any of that. the only problems i ever had with an epi was when i gave birth to my son. the anesthesiologist put it in, and then never turned the machine on for it to start pumpin into me. i kept telling the nurses, that the epi wasnt working and they kept telling me to be patient. by time they realized what the problem was i was already fully dialated, and ready to push.....too late to turn it on then.:tantrum

Oh, what the hell? :irked :irked They told me that :quotethe window is closed:quote when I had DS.... A nice way of saying it was too late.... Dirtballs..:voodoo

I have had 3 epis and I have had the headache numbnes of my hands and legs..... my last one I had pit & epi and then cause I COULDNT pee a cath(I was in pain!)

Ive never had an experience with an epi but I had a botched nerve block back in April. It was HORRID. It made my leg shoot straight up in the air.. I was laying on my stomach and it burned so bad. I even passed out. I couldnt eat for a week after and kept passing out. I was home alone, DH was out to sea. I had to call an ambulance to take me to the ER a few days later and they put 3 bags of fluid in me. It made my nerve damage twice as bad.

I hope your friend is ok and the baby is beautiful.

That happened to one of my best friends just a few months ago. It was so scary! My friend is a tiny lady, like 4 feet 10 inches tall. They ended up having to put her under full anesthesia and do an emergency c-section. When she woke up she still couldn't move anything but her eyes.

I guess the reason it happened is that she responded to the petocin too quickly, had back-to-back full contractions and was having trouble holding still while they administered the epi. The needle slipped in too far and it paralized her.
She's fine now and her baby is doing wonderfully, but man oh man, those were scary moments.

this can happen with me I was told my 'epi' spot was to tin and it was hard for them to get it in

That is scary. Her baby is beautiful.

~*~Charity~*~

I was numbed in really strange places, but in the general area you are supposed to be (mine just stopped at my upper thigh and would have patches in between my hips and ribs that werent numb :dunno it was weird) but it never went up. I am definitely glad to hear her and the baby are ok though!!!

My whole labor and delivery experience was fine with the epidural, it was the aftermath that was scary.

They didn't remove it until the next day, and when they did, spinal fluid started to leak into an area it doesn't normally go. I have scoliosis, which they were aware about, but they didn't know the exact curvature of my spine, so the needle had punctured something (can't remember exactly what area they called it). Anyway, I had spinal headaches the first whole week of DSs life. The first one scared me soo much I thought I was having an annorism (sp?). Just had to load up on Coke and Tylenol, per the doctors orders.

My whole labor and delivery experience was fine with the epidural, it was the aftermath that was scary.

They didn't remove it until the next day, and when they did, spinal fluid started to leak into an area it doesn't normally go. I have scoliosis, which they were aware about, but they didn't know the exact curvature of my spine, so the needle had punctured something (can't remember exactly what area they called it). Anyway, I had spinal headaches the first whole week of DSs life. The first one scared me soo much I thought I was having an annorism (sp?). Just had to load up on Coke and Tylenol, per the doctors orders.


I had that also with my second spinal earlier this year. If it had not cleared up I was going to have to have a blood patch done to seal off the leaking hole. thankfully it cleared up on it's own but I spent about a week flat on my back and loading up on caffeine (per the doctors). When I would sit up my head would pound like my brain was going to explode out of my head:eek