side effects alcohol injections morton neuroma

I also had a series of alcohol sclerosing injections. 7 to be exact...did one foot because the injections were so painful. The only improvement was no shooting pains into the toes. I still have pain where the neuromas are and still have to favor the way I step on that foot. Now my question is...the nerves are dead, if they go ahead and excise the neuromas, will I have a chance of developing the more painful stump neuroma, or will I escape the pain because they already killed the nerve?

My husband now has kidney problems due to these shots, if drinking alcohol can damage your body what do you think injecting it straight into soft tissue can do? But I guess your doctor never told you about the side effects or that this is a short term solution, or that it was Experimental until about a year or so ago. My husband is also having short term memory loss. This is so new that they don't know much of what the long term effects are.

Has anyone experienced a subcutaneous "blister" or "nodule" under the skin on the 4th toe after the series of alcohol injections for Morton's neuroma? It burns constantly and is so sensitive I can't even allow a sheet to touch the toe.p - and certainly not shoes! Sallile

Update to my situations, Say what you want about Obama care but I now have insurance again, so I went to a New Dr. I removed my sock and watched the Dr's reaction. He was definitely concerned. The alcohol injections did severe damage the my feet. By shooting blindly into my foot the previous Dr shrunk the tendants so bad that my toes are totally dislocated. My new Dr said its one of the worse cases he has seen. He said that he does not believe in the injections and my feet are a perfect example why. I'm scheduled for extensive surgery in boot feet at the same time. Yes I contacted a attorney and he said its definitely malpractice, but unfortunately there is a statue of limitations which I have passed. If you choose injections a few things to know. #1 It should NOT be administered without ultra sound monitoring to insure the injection is going into the right place. #2 if there is no substantial improvement after three injections STOP #3 never go over 6 injections..I had 12 and 9 injections. #4 DON'T HAVE THE INJECTIONS. I have done a lot of research on this and a example of why you should go the surgical route from the start. Surgery is in in three weeks I will post the results.

I had 8 injections for a Morton's Neuroma. They didn't help at all, and I then had the neuroma surgically removed. A month post-op, and my foot felt 3 times worse than it did prior to treatment by the podiatrist who so-called "treated" me! Please -- do NOT let a podiatrist inject you with anything, alcohol or cortisone, and do not let them do surgery on your foot! I have visited a very well-respected orthopedic surgeon in my city, and he said the injections I received 3 years ago (and subsequent neuroma surgery) caused the healthy tissue, nerves and ligaments in my foot to atrophy. I now have metatarsalgia which feels like I'm stepping on a nail, and I have continuous burning, electrical impulses, and spasms in my foot. I feel like my life is over.

Do not do it.  I am also a patient with foot damage due to the shots.  Now my only option is surgery and I am told it is only 80% effective and 100% certainty of foot numbness due to cutting the nerve.

Im on 3rd alochol shot i feel like a clump under toes and bad itching after shot for a day or so them Im fine. will know more to come.

I have had the same issue. I would like to know how the surgery worked out for you and if you pursued it legally. This has been a nightmare.

I have the 4th alcohol injection yesterday. It is not helping and after the 4th yesterday it seems to be worse. Now my toes hurt trendously and the burning will not go away even when sleeping or off my feet. Has this happened to anyone where it actually got worse?

I had surgery for a bone spur on my heel about two years ago.  I was told that in three to six months everything would be healed.  The bone spur part of the surgery was ok, but I developed a lot of nerve pain on the side and bottome of my foot.  I did everything that  the doctor said to do, including physical therapy.  I spite of that, I was in constant pain.  It was like I was walking on a marble.  I was now told it could take a year or so to heal and at every doctor visit I was told to give it more time - there was no new prognosis.  After 15 months, I decided I had had enough and went to another podiatrist.

The second podiatrist examined me and said that I need to have "my nerves tucked".  I then had surgery in three places - the top part of my calf, the inside part of my ankle, and my first inner space.  According to the second podiatrist I would be back to normal in a few months.  Well, a few months went by and I was worse off than before.  Now, I was told I had a Morton's Neuroma.  The second podiatrist recommended a series of up to nine alcohol shots in order to "kill off the nerve".  Alternatively, I could have a radio frequency shot for a mere $500 (not covered for insurance) that was "90%+ successfull" and would result in almost immediate relief, as opposed to "80%+ successfull" for the alchohol shots.  I choose the ratio frequency shot and got no relief.  The second podiatrist then told me that I should get both the radio and alchohol shots at the same time.  That did not work, and in the second podiatrists opinion I did not need any physical therapy.  I went through the rest of the alchohol treatment shots and two more radio frequency shots.  All of the shots were on my second and third inner spaces.  I was then told I was in the "10-20%" part of the did-not-work class.  In reality, I was mis-diagnosed and the treatment made my condition much worse.  My toes went numb and I could not move them.  The skin in the area the shots were given turned grey.  I was in more pain and my foot was swollen constantly. I was icing my foot at the podiatrists recommendation rather than applying heat. The numbness and greyness, I was told, was a common part of the process.  I had a MRI done that supposedly showed that my inner spaces on my feet were normal.  I could barely walk.  I could not wear any shoes.  Things were not getting better; they were getting worse.  Time to change doctors, again. 

I went to a third podiatrist who had the reputation for not doing surgery and fixing other Podiatrists' screw-ups.  The third podiatrist was apalled.  I had developed three hammer toes and the alchohol injections had destroyed so much tissue that I was walking on bones on the bottom of my feet.  Further, I did not have a Mortons Neuroma.  He told me that I may need to think about going to a pain management specialist and designed some specific exercises to do.  He also encouraged me to do research on the internet about non-surgical solutions and the procedures I has already had done on me.  I wish I would have done that sooner, but I had a blind trust in the first two doctors.

I decided to go to a Chiropractor as well.  The Chiropractor provided almost instant relief.   Coupled with the exercises.  My hammer toes started going away.  In addition, I started to do research on the internet.   I bought some "RX Crocs" at the Crocs website.  They are like walking on a gym mat and have provided tremendous relief.  At the "Relax your back" store, I bought a foot massager with radiant heat (~$200) and starting usign it extensively - several times a day.  I bought some toe spacers and started wearing them also.  My hammer toes are slowly, but surely going away.  My pain and discomfort level has gone from  a level of 10 four weeks ago to about a level 3 in about a month.  I am starting to wear shoes a little bit at a time with the custom insoles my Chiroproactor provided.  In my opinion, six weeks ago I was on my way to a wheel chair due to two incompetent Podiatrists.  Now I am on the road to recovery by using a Chiropractor and a conservative Podiatrist.  I have learned a big lesson in this - be wary of any kind of surgery on your feet!!!  If I could do it over again, I would have gone the most conservative route possible. 

I would quit getting them. After I had a reaction to one, I went to a sports medicine foot doc and he said that after you have 3 or 4 it goes beyond killing the nerve and starts to destroy the tissue around it. That is what has happened to me and now my only option is surgery, which I am trying to avoid. Good luck. I know exactly the pain you are talking about.

I have the same thing from the injections. The blister started a week ago. How long will this go on.

***this post is edited by moderator *** *** private e-mails not allowed*** Please read our Terms of Use

I've had 4 injections and now I have the red painful blister on the end of the 4th toe. How long will it take to subside. Thanks.

I had my 3rd injection 5 days ago and seem to be having a bad action . Red painful blister , serve burning and itching its a nightmare :( and each day its getting worst .

Just started seeing a podiatrist for a neuroma. He said if anyone wants to give you these shots to leave! Definitely can cause damage..that the alcohol has no way of knowing where to stop, and damages a large area.