just had my first steroid jab

[Bodhbh]

To cut to the chase, just wondered what people experiences are with these jabs? Googling they don't seem to have a very good rep - not treating any underlying problem but stopping inflammation for a while and then the problem returns, and sometimes worst.

The backstory is on Monday had a steroid jab in my groin to treat some chronic pain I've had for a few years down there, which plays up particularly if I do anything strenious. I had a hernia op about 15 years ago, and when the pain started they assumed it was a reccurrence and went in and replaced the mesh, but it didn't do anything for the pain. The current specialist I'm seeing reckons the meshes might have caused inflammation and a jab has a good chance of knocking it on the head.

Two days on, the tenderness down there just went overnight yesterday. Quite amazing really after having it for years, but I'm wondering if/how long it'll be till it resurfaces.

Usual disclaimer - yes I know, speak to your doctor, not get medical advice off internet forums, etc.

 

[Ciar]

I had a course of 3 jabs in my right elbow, the injury was caused by rsi using keyboards & playing guitar amounted to being bloody painful, ignored it for a couple of months, then decided to get it sorted, 3 jabs over a 2 month period, my elbow is much better, would go as far to say cured.

I actually went the doc first, but got a referral to a specialist who took an mri and told me it was badly inflamed, not sure if i had steriods or hydrocortizone (sp) though.. didn't check the bottle as i was avoiding the bloody huge needle!

 

[vickster]

I had one for tennis elbow, very painful flare for a couple of days. Relief for a few months, came back with a vengeance, then had platelet rich plasma which did nothing and unfortunately needed surgery a couple of months later. Hopefully it works for you. The effects can be temporary especially if a chronic problem and can also damage soft tissues and skin

 

[Ciar]

I had one for tennis elbow, very painful flare for a couple of days. Relief for a few months, came back with a vengeance, then had platelet rich plasma which did nothing and unfortunately needed surgery a couple of months later. Hopefully it works for you. The effects can be temporary especially if a chronic problem and can also damage soft tissues and skin

it's been 2 months since the jabs, hopefully it stays like that, it's been worked hard since then doing circuit training and cycling, still playing the guitar as well, if it doesn't i will ask for a replacement hah

 

[Bike_Me]

From experience, steroid jabs are usually hit and miss. I injured my shoulder last year while weight training, causing inflamation within my shoulder joint (i can't recall the exact term).

I usually love getting jabs as I have a facination with needles and all thing associated, but this time round, I didnt enjoy it at all. My shoulder was numb for a day and after it all, it resulted in slight relief for a week but to no prevail. Since then, I cut down on the weight training and any straneous activity, 8-9 months later, like with alot of things, it healed it self over time...

 

[VamP]

Is this corticoid that you are talking about?

The results can be very mixed unfortunately. Sadly tendons are a still relatively poorly understood treatment area, and there appears a wide range of responses amongst individuals to different treatments.

 

[Ciar]

I went private, to be truthful i am not sure what he gave me, all i know is it was a bloody big needle!

 

[Bike_Me]

They are decently sized needles.

I was actually surprised that my treatment didn't work and that the doctor that injected it wasnt accurate, considering he did it while using an ultrascanner...scanner in the one hand, needle in the other stabbed in between the bones... hows that for a visual...

 

[fossyant]

I've had 5 in total.

First one was into my shoulder. Had very little pain relief for it and it actually seemed to make it worse. That then led to an anaesthetic injection into my joint which the consultant was able to diagnose that surgery would fix it. (I felt great after that, until it wore off).

Thing is they are usually a conserative treatment, and if it works - great. In my case I needed shoulder decompression surgery, and this removed most of the issues I was having.

The next set of stereroid injections were for myofacial pain - tension in the muscle fibres that join the muscles - that was actually shoulder related. Basically you get hard knots in the muscle fibre that gets inflamed. I had two in my back and two into my trapezius. They worked wonders. Went back after 3 months and had no further trouble. I remained on the 'come back in if you need them now' list for a further 6 months. Happy to say these worked and my shoulder is more or less 100%. My shoulder pain was as a result of car vs bike crash, that compressed the joint. It was fixed by 'making room' in the joint, and also calming down the muscles that had been over working for a long time to compensate.

As folk have said, they sometimes work, sometimes don't. Worth trying though. They can sting quite a bit too. You can have 3 per year into the same area. The reason is that too many can thin the skin too much.

The reason for them is to assist the body to heal by being conservative, rather than diving in and opening you up. Hopeflly the injections break the inflamation cycle.

 

[slowmotion]

I had extremely painful inflamed wrists, elbows and shoulders for a few months last year. A couple of drugs eventually sorted things out but the consultant said that they would take a few weeks to kick in. In the meanwhile, I was given a single large jab of cortico-steroids in my bum. It was absolutely amazing in reducing the pain but I was told that it was a thoroughly bad idea to have the jabs on a regular basis because the side effects can be quite harmful.
Good luck.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I had extremely painful inflamed wrists, elbows and shoulders for a few months last year. A couple of drugs eventually sorted things out but the consultant said that they would take a few weeks to kick in. In the meanwhile, I was given a single large jab of cortico-steroids in my bum. It was absolutely amazing in reducing the pain but I was told that it was a thoroughly bad idea to have the jabs on a regular basis because the side effects can be quite harmful.
Good luck.

I live with those side effects and they complicate matters considerably. They are best avioded. Mine are not from injected corticosteriods but from inhaled corticosteriods - my asthma medication. google Adrenal suppresion or addion's disease. My next short synacthen test is due in 2 weeks time to decide if I need to go onto hydrocrotisone for the rest of my life!

 

[vickster]

My surgeon no longer gives steroid for tennis elbow to private patients as the mechanism for success is hit and mad and poorly understood. Steroid works on inflammation but te is not an inflammatory condition but damage to the tendon. Only does prp now. Bloody hurts (with steroid there is anaesthetic mixed in, can't do with prp as it kills the cells) and no success for me...that said when operated on, the tendon came away much more easily than expected!!!

 

[Bike_Me]

If you don't mind me asking SatNavSSO, what corticosteriods are you on? I use Seretide everyday, and have been for the last couple of years.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

If you don't mind me asking SatNavSSO, what corticosteriods are you on? I use Seretide everyday, and have been for the last couple of years.

I take 2grams daily of inhaled Beclomethasone diproprionate (Clenil 250mcg 2 doses four times a day, so equivalent of the dark brown (100mcg) steriod inhaler 20 times a day) . It is a glucocorticoid steroid which now suppresses my adrenal glands. been on that dose of 20 years now - unfortuantely very little else controls my asthma and I don't respond to salbutamol very well (been resuscitated twice now after very severe attacks). I had to come off seretide because after 2 years the heart flutters where getting badly out of hand and were happening 4 or 5 times a day. But as you can see, I don't let it stop me (unusually - today being the exception) from cycling/being active.

 

[Bodhbh]

Cheers all for the replies. I wasn't ignoring my own thread, just assumed would get notifications when people replied.

I actually went the doc first, but got a referral to a specialist who took an mri and told me it was badly inflamed, not sure if i had steriods or hydrocortizone (sp) though.. didn't check the bottle as i was avoiding the bloody huge needle!

Yeah he did a pretty good job of keeping the needle out of line of sight while sitting me down for the jab. Then got me to look away and got me talking while he did it. I've seen them before, but had no wish to be reminded just before he stuck it in

Is this corticoid that you are talking about?

The results can be very mixed unfortunately. Sadly tendons are a still relatively poorly understood treatment area, and there appears a wide range of responses amongst individuals to different treatments.

I'm assuming it's Cortisone, but should have asked really (finding I should write down questions in advance with doctors, tend to get blinded by science during the consultations).

As folk have said, they sometimes work, sometimes don't. Worth trying though. They can sting quite a bit too. You can have 3 per year into the same area....The reason for them is to assist the body to heal by being conservative, rather than diving in and opening you up. Hopeflly the injections break the inflamation cycle.

The specialist was very positive about it working, but I'm thinking like you say it's just something that's worth a punt prior to risking surgery. 4 days on now, the area is definately 'quieter' but still feels wierd and distended. The issue actually got me to take up cycling in the first place, as it's the one thing that didn't bother it too much - but now too much gas on the pedals does too. Oh well, the specialist is via work insurance and his area is in treating sportsmen (not that I'm claiming to be one!) so he's at least treating - what is a fairly minor problem in the scheme of things although annoying - seriously.