Side Effects Of Cortisone Injections

I got cortisone shots on 1/23/13 one in each elbow. Almost immediately I had shooting pain in my left arm, so bad I was screaming outloud. I took vicodine, ibuprofin and iced it. Nothing helped sleeping ha thats a joke i have even taken sleep aids I have experienced worse pain in my arms and hands since and nothing helps its way worse than what it was to begin with I have also had panic attacks, nausea, rapid heat beat, crying. I have been unable to work. I have no idea what to do I thought I was going crazy since everyone says they were better after two days. I know I had cortisone flare in my left arm or still do which I read on line should be gone in 24/48 hrs but I still have swelling in my whole upper arm. Please help. I need hope!

Hi,
I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to you. I had a cortisone shot 7 weeks ago in my left ribs and have also been in hospital with it. I also got severe anxiety, was shaking, sweating, had a HR of 160, my blood pressure was severely high, my insulin levels were insane and I hadn't eaten for a few days as I felt too sick. I am on beta blockers and feeling a lot better now but still have very painful intraoccular pressure. I'm 25 and now thanks to this stupid injection am quite underweight, experiencing diabetic symptoms and struggling to not constantly moan about my eye pain. :-/ I was just wondering if your better now and how long it took for you to recover? I can't seem to find much on the internet about how long it takes and my doctor didn't seem to know. Any help or tips would be so appreciated right now. :-)

 

steph,get your blood pressure seen to urgently ASAP or esle you could end up with severe tinnitus for LIFE.Had one injection 16 months ago and still suffering from its effects.feel free to email me for advice and help at 

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steph,please read robbie stefans post on page 7.

As a Doctor of Chiropractic we often see a lot of ill side effects of cortisol injections as many of you have been posting about. The other problem is that injections do not effectively get the joint better and even will exacerbate pain later on and joint osteoarthritis. An alternative to having cortisol for pain you can use supplements of hyaluronic acid, which is naturally formed in your joint and with fater time/repetitive trauma it will decrease over time. There are oral forms but they are not very well absorbed through the GI tract. Injections will actually help a lot. Pain will take approximately 4 weeks to subside but at least you are replacing a supplement that is supposed to be there naturally. Other things nutritionally make sure you increase your Omega 3, and glucosamide chondroitin is very good for the joint matrix. Hope this helps!

I have learned from experience that Chiropractic can be very helpful for headaches because if your cervical vertebrae are out of alignment it will cause all kinds of pain and headaches, etc. Sometimes, chiropractic along with anti-inflammatory medicine can be a great tool. Vertigo is best treated by this type of intervention.

I am four weeks into a wrist injection of cortisone.  Never again!  The doctor hit a blood vessel.  The heat and flushing were within a few hours.  I felt the rapid pulse, and tightness in my chest.  I checked my BP at work the next day and it was normal, as was my pulse.  I think this drug creates panic attacks. 

I regularly wake up between 1:30 and 3:30 a.m. feeling like a furnace. I am many years beyond menopause and know the difference.  This is a very dry heat.  I started itching a few days ago, primarily in the hand. 

To add insult, I left a message for my doctor's assistant the week after the shot.  She said the doctor never heard of such things before. Wow...even the Mayo Clinic posts the side effects, the very hospital where she worked out of med school. 

I suggested the assistant google Cortisone and Side Effects.  She seemed down.  I wonder if they're all told to keep quiet about these things.

I'm taking 3,000 mg of Vitamin C, L-Thyrosine and Astragulus to help my poor Adrenal Glands return to their rightful state and flush that c**p out of me!  I'm drinking organic green tea, Pau D'Arco and lots of water, too.

 

So here is an update...I finally went to my regular Dr on Mon 3/4/13 and was diagnosed with a staph infection in my left elbow yes i sat around miserable sick and in pain for 6 wks after my injections. Plain and simple I was scared. I was prescribed antibiotics but by Tues 3/12/13 there was not much improvement my elbow was still grotesculy swollen, red and continually bruising so back to the Dr I went. She informed me that it was cooler to the touch so it wasn't infected I also explained that I had pain in my bicep, forearm and was numb and tingley in my wrist, palm, thumb and pointy finger. She said I had some sort of nerve damage. So on Thurs 3/14/13 I wake up with so much pain coming from my left armpit I could barely move my arm the pain radiated into my chest, so off to the ER I went figuring it had gone septic. Well thank goodness it hadn't. I was put on prednisone for the swelling and told I needed to go get another EMG and see a neuologist and orthopedic. There is nerve damage, carpal tunnel also she said I may have had a major nerve hit when the needle was put in. So here I am today done with the prednisone and still swollen, red and bruised elbow. I am taking B6, B complex, green tea, glucosamine, chondroitin, bromaline, and flax seed oil. 

SORRY THIS WAS AN UPDATE FOR ROBIN

Do your research before going to a particular hospital/clinic to receive these injections. I am lucky enough to live within an hour of Massachusetts General Hospital and have been a patient there since the 1980's.  I have been going to the pain clinic for about 4 or 5 years. I receive the injections in my sacro-iliac joints.  I am a survivor of a motor vehicle accident caused by a drunk driver (not myself).  I ended up w/8 pelvic fractures which all healed mal-union (on top of each other or not lined up properly due to a nurse moving me incorrectly while still in traction). I've since received a 5 vertebrae spinal fusion and a hip replacement. My legs are an inch difference in length and my R SI joint was torn at the time of the accident.

I had injections in my hip and in my R SI joint at my local hospital.  The doctor who administered one of the SI injections was interrupted & called out of the room while the needle was inserted.  He rushed, pulled it out and I was left w/a large egg just under the skin.  The hospital tried to say it was my 'allergic reaction' to the medication.  I have since been receiving them at the MGH pain clinic for a few years now w/out ever having this reaction.  I do have a 'flushed' face a day or two after and very low energy at some point between my injections.  To me those things are incredibly minor compared to my inability to function & sleep due to a very high pain level.  I particularly don't like the lack of energy, but in between I can actually function, so it is worth it to me. I stretch these out beyond the acceptable time frame so that I can continue to have them for as long as possible.  I try to make it 5 months between even though they are usually worn off by the 3 1/2 - 4 month mark. 

If you are fortunate enough to live by a hospital with a great reputation, believe me - it is worth the drive.  I would even go and stay at a hotel if I had to.  

I received a hip replacement due to the description of my pain. However, my trauma specialist who is one of the top in the world at MGH said I didn't actually need the hip replaced.  The SI joint pain fits the same description of the hip pain and my pain was actually coming from the torn SI joint and the left one as well since my gate was off.

Go to the best place you have available to you & good luck.

 

i am glad i read a lot of these as i had 2 injections a week and a half ago have had a head ache ever since i ache all over have been getting flushes and feeling very sick but was not sure if it was anything to do with injections or not and yes they do hurt

The tingling is from the freezing you received prior to the injection.

I have had a slew of problems!

oh my goodness, im experiencing the same thing. the dry mouth and stuff...i had a ligament tear and my doc gave me cortisone shots. ever since i havent been the same. my stomach aches and feels bloated. im miserable.. :(

Got cortisone in shoulder yesterday. Kinda hurt. They did it with xray I guess to make sure they found right spot?

I felt a bit odd for awhile after, but not bad.

Today I have facial flushing and thats why I researched on 'net.

My shoulder makes WEIRD noises when I move it! YUK. Proly cuz it got fluid shoved in there.

I also had pretty bad headache last night(migrainish), but its better this a.m. tho not gone completely.

I did have some transient anxiety, but I have xanax :) and that helps.

So today....not so bad, hurts a little in a poking sort of way at the injection site, but I guess thats to be expected.

Other than the red face (kindof embarassing when I go out....) its ok so far.

Hope this helps my shoulder cuz it was pretty painful at times.