What are some side effects of an epidural that I should be prepared for?
The most common side effect is a slight drop in blood pressure. For this reason, the womans blood pressure will be measured every few minutes immediately after an epidural is placed, and at regular intervals after that. It is possible that a woman may feel light-headed, dizzy, or nauseated, or the babys heart rate may be slowed, for a short period of time if the blood pressure falls, but this is usually rapidly and easily corrected. Another side effect is itching. One of the medicines used in an epidural called fentanyl can cause some itching. This is a common side effect, and is usually mild. In a small percentage of cases, the itching can be severe and an anti-itching medication can be used, but this is uncommon. Occasionally an epidural may take more effect on one side or another, or may not work at all this occurs in roughly 5% of cases. Manipulating the location of the catheter or completely re-inserting the catheter can almost always fix this. In some cases, especially first-time
