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Metairie, LA
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SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Pain Management
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
60 Answers
19 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Both NSAIDs: They are both members of the NSAID class. As such, an allergy to one makes allergy to others within the class too likely to risk.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
The one that works: Other than tylenol, (acetaminophen) otc pain meds are all in the NSAID class. Although they have similar mechanisms of action, their efficacy is vari... Read More
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
No: Codeine and oxycodone are related, but are not identical molecules.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
50%: If you take mris of the general population, a full 50% will show bulges or herniations.
Disk herniations typically cause axial pain. Radicular pain,... Read More
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Often: The workup prior to rhizotomy is key in determining which candidates are appropriate. If your facet joints have successfully been blocked on two occa... Read More
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
All depends: Are you treating imaging findings? Or are you also having symptoms?
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Several: A lot depends on the underlying cause of the stenosis. If it is due to an anterior vertebral compression fracture, vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty can be ... Read More
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Core strengthening: Stay in shape, especially your abdomen and the muscles of your low back. Do not focus on crunches exclusively - movements with a rotational componen... Read More
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 54-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Vertebroplasty: Since restoration of vertebral height has not demonstrated added benefit, if you are an appropriate candidate for kyphoplasty, you are also an appropr... Read More
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Lay term: Sciatica, when used by medical professionals, is synonymous with radicular pain.. However, lay people use it to describe all back and/or leg pain. S... Read More
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
How old are you?: 42 degrees is significant, but it depends on if your curve is likely to progress.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Nowhere legally: Desoxyn (methamphetamine hydrochloride) is only available by prescription in the us.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Yes: Performing these procedures exclusively under local is probably the safest way to do them.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
How soon it works: Immediate release starts having effect within 30 min to an hour or ingestion. It also only lasts for 3-4 hours.
Sustained release has a longer ons... Read More
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
An injection: Of local anesthetic and corticosteroids is a good start.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
OTC: Orudis kt (also known as ketoprofen) is available over the counter.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Versed: I had mine out 25 years ago with concious sedation. Smooth induction, no nresidual effect, and peri-procedural retrograde amnesia.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
C/S or T/S pathology: You need to be examined. Physical therapy would be useful. If this has been going on more than 3-6 mo, an MRI would be recommended.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Potency: On a milligram for milligram basis, Dilaudid is more potent than oxycodone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Taper slowly: Gradually, under a doctor;s supervision.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 65-year-old male asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Celebrex (celecoxib): It is safest anti-inflammatory.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Acute? Chronic?: Anti-inflammatory medication in combination with muscle relaxants and physical therapy for the first 3 months, possible epidural steroid injections if... Read More
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
About an hour: 90 min from when you arrive to when your ride can pick you up.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Atypical: But certainly not out of the realm of possibilities. There are lots of other options (tramadol, torodol, etc).
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Be careful: When you say it didn't work. If you got short-term pain relief, it did work. In that case, confirmatory facet blocks and/or medial branch blocks wou... Read More
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Lots of variables: It depends on if this procedure is being done in an office setting, an asc, or a hospital. Will you be receiving anesthesia, or conscious sedation? ... Read More
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Why is that?: Are you looking to abuse it? Hydrocodone is an excellent pain medication, potentiated by tylenol (acetaminophen). The euphoria it can generate has n... Read More
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Brand names: Same ingredients, different brand names.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
No: Relafen (nabumetone) is an NSAID (same class as advil (ibuprofen) or aleve). You will test negative for controlled substances.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
None unless it hurts: Mris are very sensitive. Many asymptomatic patients are found to have disc pathology. Unless you are having back or leg pain, no treatment is necess... Read More
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old female asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
No: You are a candidate for treatment with physical therapy, psychotherapy, and adjuvant agents like Lyrica (pregabalin) or cymbalta.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Double-check your DX: Causalgia was the civil war designation for what was more recently known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (rsd), and complex sympathetic pain syndrome ... Read More
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Minimal: Occasionally, patients have an hour or two of injection site soreness, due to passage of the needle through muscles. Ice and rest is sufficient to ad... Read More
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
It varries: At a hospital, an ambulatory surgery center, or a procedure suite in a physician' office.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Lots of variables: It depends on if this procedure is being done in an office setting, an asc, or a hospital. Will you be receiving anesthesia, or conscious sedation? ... Read More
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Maybe: Do you have high blood pressure? A history of stomach ulcers? Kidney or liver disease?
As dr. Rosenfeld said, in general, nsaids are useful in the ... Read More
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Generally fewer: Celebrex (celecoxib) is a cox-2 specific nsaid. As such, it reduces pain and inflammation, with far fewer side effects than non cox-2 specific agents... Read More
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Neither: Tramadol is a weak near-opioid with virtually no euphoric effects. Davocet is no longer available in the us.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
No: Three a year is outdated. In the past, docs used to do a series of 3 esi's in sequence. Patients were limited to 3-4 "series of 3" per year. This i... Read More
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Sense of euphoria: It gives patients a sense of euphoria.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Tylenol (acetaminophen) dosage: In addition tto the hydrocodone/oxycodone distinction already discussed, vicodin has more tylenol (acetaminophen) (750mg) than either variety of Perc... Read More
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Pain/Spine: Interventional pain management/spine specialists.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 55-year-old member asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
A better diagnosis: It is unlikely that your herniated discs have anything to do with your sternal pain. They are most likely an incidental finding.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Peter Zimmermananswered
Pain Management 34 years experience
Perhaps anxiolytics?: Oxycontin is a medication that addresses pain. If you have anxiety issues, perhaps you need to speak with a psychiatrist. They are the most appropri... Read More
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
2
Recommendations
147
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Zimmerman is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Zimmerman is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thank you so very much for the answer on tramadol it was very helpful
HealthTap member
I would like to thank you for your input, it was very informative.
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer or tip was very helpful!
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, IL
Graduated 1988MD
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