steroid injections sideeffects?

Hi,

Not sure if anyone looks at this anymore? I had two facet joint injections yesterday, my left leg is weak and wobbles when I walk. The pain is nagging and constant, my face is bright red and I'm weeing loads!!!

Wish I had looked on here before!!! Is there anything else I can expect!?

Karen

My right shoulder have hurt all the time since about last1 month. It become more pain day by day. I have go through physiotherapy treatment however during the treatment i felt very hurt. after 5 times, doctor have stop the treatment. Now he tried to convince me to have steroid injection. i was very afraid because i know the side effect but the pain is killing me. He said another choice is to do MRI. is MRI safe? but after MRI also need to inject steroid. Is there any way to have the pain gone beside of steroid injection and physiotheraphy?

Weight gain? Really. I have an issue with weight gain because of being on birth control. I am currently trying to lose weight. I won't let this make me gain weight. I am to start physcially therapy following my 3rd shot.

Hello All:

    I have chronic back pain and was about to start my epidural steroid injection for pain next thursday, but after reading all this extensive feedback

I'm serious thinking about cancelling my appt.  I thank God that I found this site, thank you all for your negative and positive feedback..

Thank you

FM

 

I have had the facet injections as well as epidural injections.  Eventually I had the spinal fusion surgery at c6-7.  Although I am not pain free, my pain is tremendously relieved following the surgery.  If I had it to do again, I'd have the surgery a year sooner than I did.  The facet injections caused more harm than good.  The epidural helped but not much and not for long.  The steroids made me instantly depressed and I knew I was!  I called the dr and they decided I must have chronic depression because my mother had passed away the year before.  Ok, yes I was more sad than I have ever been becuase of her death...but the depression caused by the steroid was different.  I don't know how to describe it except that I just didn't have any reason to live!  It was awful!!  I begged them to fix it or do something and they kept blaming my mother's death the year before.  I am a very strong person and I just had to end up pulling myself out of that horrible funk!!  I have gained over 50 lbs in the past 2 years, my focus is not as it should be, I am always tired and my limbs have not strength at all, just tired and weak all the time.

I found the best surgeon I could find and had the fusion.  I still have pain because I now have 3 bulging discs with spurs and foraminal narrowing at the 3 levels above my fusion.  The pain isn't as bad as before, but it's getting there slowly but surely.  I can't take pain meds because I either go to sleep and stop breathing or I throw up for hours.  Before my surgery when I hurt so bad I prayed to die, my 19 yo son did some research for pain relief alternatives.  He found that marijuana helps many patients with nerve pain.  It's the only thing that gives me any relief.  It's not legal and it's not cheap, but it works better than anything the drs gave me...and it's not addictive.  After my surgery, I didn't smoke any for 7 months - and I really didn't want to, since I was't hurting I had no reason to.  I didn't crave it or feel like I had to have it.  I went from smoking 2 or 3 times a day for 5 weeks to not smoking at all for 7 months and I had no withdrawals whatsoever.  Now that I'm hurting a little again, and I can tell when I've pushed my body too much, I will smoke 3 or 4 puffs of marijuana and my nerve pain is significantly diminished.  Caution - you will get the munchies so if you try this, make sure you have healthy snacks and lots of them.  If you hurt as bad I have, and it sounds like most of you do or have, it is a viable option.  But remember it is illegal!  Be careful! The best thing about it is that it actually works for several hours - the nerve pain doesn't go away, it just really dulls it so that I can function.

Anyway, it may not be an option for you, but I was desparate.  And it really helped.  Good luck to all of you.

Hi



I thought I was losing my mind after a cortisone steroid injection into elbow but frustrated that nobody cam back to say how long the side effects would last so I've come back to give some idea. I had the head rush shortly after shot and felt disorientated foggy weak lethargic erratic heart beat racing then rapid then racing breathlessness shallow breathing hyperventilating hard to co-ordinate fingers to even get drink to mouth not hit cheek anxiety waves of nausea the list is endless ... Was fine before the injection and as a very optimistic happy person I felt low and sombre in my mood. This went on for what seemed like forever and I was panicking that it would never go away but on day 9 the fog is lifting and I feel my mind clearing the anxiety has diminished the co-ordination is 85% accurate now and I feel brighter the heart is settling down and all in all I think within 14 days I should be fog free I truly hope this helps I did see my PCP and he said "never heard of side effects in his 39 years as physician" I know they exist but worrying about them only makes it worse so take it one day at a time try to eat nourishing foods if only a smoothie through a straw but dont stress as you'll make it worse and last longer. I realised the facts I cannot change the fact that the cortisone (synthetic was in my body and nobody could get it out) so as scared and anxious as I was about the side effects I kept focusing on listening to my body and waiting for the awful symptoms to get better and I am on the mend.



I hope this helps everyone I also drank lots of water and smoothies as not much appetitie but body needs nourishment to get well.



Give yourself 10-14 days and you should be clear minded by then



Wish you all better and for me ... never again

I have gained about 10 pounds in just a couple week's. This is so discouraging to me. It seem's to relate to the cottal epidural I had a couple months ago. If this happens to other people as well, how is the easiest way to deal with it, and loose the weight?? please any recommendations are strongly appreciated!!

Thank you sooooo much for writing back. My mother had this shot about a week ago and has experienced terrible side effects. She feels like she is losing her mind! I just got finished reading your post to her and she feels better already, just knowing it is not just her and how long she might have to wait to get the meds out of her system. Never again here either.
Thank you and good luck!

It's the same here. I have been looking for some side effects to getting these injections and couldn't find anything on the drug sites. I am beginning to have the same symptoms and glad to know that I am not loosing my mind.



I have been getting the injections for L5-S1 injuruy and gained 10-15 lbs since my injections started Dec 2011. I've had 4 so far and scheduled for my next one in 2 weeks. I'm starting to feel depressed for no reason, wanting to cry over little things, muscle spasms, weakness in my legs, fatigue (my husband thought I was pregnant), moodiness. And the list probably goes on.

Drs. prescribed steroid injections for me when I was 23-29 years old and this was 1984-1990.
The side effects were that I bloated, sometimes up to 35 lbs. in weight that showed suddenly because I'm female and weighed 120 lbs when the shots were given. I went back n forth on the scales like a yo-yo. From 120-155 lbs.
Steroids only made me feel good for 3-4 days. After that, the side effect of weight gain was not worth getting the shots for.
Also, I had terrible mood swings. I found myself throwing temper tantrums, fits of rage and I didn't know why. I was really embarrassed to learn that upon receiving shots about once every 3-4 months, it would always be within the first 3 days I was changed into being a violent person. I am so ashamed of how steroids made my behavior change, and I embarrassed myself in front of family and friends.

 I am a 47 year old man with Degenerative Disk Disease and the disk is on my sciatic nerve causing leg pain, fatigue, and stiffness..... that was evidently escalated  from many years of playing football and other sports. Evidently some people have success with these injections but I have yet to meet one of them. God bless you all and I hope for the best for each person that has posted on this topic and anyone who has gotten to this page from having the same or similar issues or maybe even someone who was smart enough to check this out BEFORE going through this. 

I had my first ESI for 12 yr. severe pain. I am Hypomanic and acted out so severely they were going to cancel, but my husband and I told him I had Diazepam and it haddened taken effect you. I am so embarassed now. For the 1st time I have no pain at all. Now the soreness. On my list is to once again make love to my husband and drive and go to church! So right now I am back on bed rest for while! Thanks for your help my dear!

As bad as I hate to say this...other than some severe pain the few days after my actual shots...I've yet to have ANY of the listed side effects. I am in dire need of surgery also & have been running two years long with my injex. Oddly enough...my blood pressure is the most effected & I've seen no mention of high blood pressure as a side effect to date. I'm 41 as of July 2012 & have NEVER been ill a day in my life until my injury. Stepped out of the back of an 18 wheeler & landed flat of my back on concrete & now have a bulge, compression, & exposed nerves. Not a good trip to the ground. 

i just had my third epidural steroid injection two days ago- i have a disc bulge between L4-L5, two degenerated discs, and osteoarthritis and scoliosis in my back.  i had a horrible time after the first two with side effects, but the second one provided several months of significant pain relief so i decided to get this one.  hopefully the side effects will wear off, i'll get the pain relief, and it will have been worth it, but right now it doesn't feel worth it at all!!!