Cortisone shots

[ScotchDave]

I beleive that Cortico Steroids can cause fluid retention, this could be the weight gain you've experienced.

I hope that you don't have to have surgery, but if you do: good luck!

 

[RBE17]

I had two cortisone epidurals right into disks in my back. The first was L5/S1 and the second was L3/L4. Both of them worked miracles as far as eliminating pain and giving me greater range of mobility. However, what actually helped w/ the herniated disks was weight loss, exercise and time.

 

[BEAR DEN]

I've had more of those shots then the doc should probably given...for me the longest relief I've gotten 1 week. I've had 3 surgeries only one seemed to help. The other two set me back further. What helped me the most is losing weight. The less you weigh the less stress on everything. I'm in pain constantly but it is more tolerable with weight loss. I will try anything since I have a 100% physical job.

 

[Wendy]

I beleive that Cortico Steroids can cause fluid retention, this could be the weight gain you've experienced.

I hope that you don't have to have surgery, but if you do: good luck!

I guess that is what is going on. I guess in another month or so when the steroids are out of my system we will see.

Surgery is Aug 31st. I do have some confidence that the doctor I am using is a sports medicine doctor and has worked on many of the STL Cardinals, Blues and many other teams basketball, football, tennis you name it.

 

[Wendy]

Okay gents.... How about cortisone shots after surgery??? Doctors think I have just torn all of the scar tissue and urged me to get another cortisone to take the pain away and here I am 2 weeks out an no relief. Dr said he can not do another MRI because it is too soon after surgery. Anyone had cortisone following a surgery with luck?

 

[WhosYerBob]

Got one in my elbow and it was one of the most painful shots I've ever had. Worked okay for about three days then the original pain returned. Won't have another, at least in my elbow.

 

[dsheppard]

Okay gents.... How about cortisone shots after surgery??? Doctors think I have just torn all of the scar tissue and urged me to get another cortisone to take the pain away and here I am 2 weeks out an no relief. Dr said he can not do another MRI because it is too soon after surgery. Anyone had cortisone following a surgery with luck?

They work. Steroids are NOT pain relievers. They are anti-inflammatory drugs. If the surgeon is messing around in your joint, this causes inflammation and swelling while it heals. The swelling makes things hurt.

Steroids should help with this and enable you to move around more comfortably and possibly do some rehab work. The mistake most people make is getting relief from the pain and then working too hard and re-injuring the joint before it fully heals.

Don't do that.

 

[BarryR]

I'm a Rehab Doc and have injected 100's of shoulders and knees (I don't do epidurals, but my colleague does).

As mentioned in above comments they can provide excellent relief. The problem is that if you're going to need them 4X / year for decades the cumulative effects on the area injected could be an issue. Whenever possible, the underlying problem should be addressed.

Systemic (whole body) effects are minimal because you're injecting about 40 mg each time (whereas a patient on even low dose oral steroids for a systemic medical condition would get at least 1500 mg annually) though for a severe diabetic the sugars would have to be watched.

There's no real rule about how many total injections should someone get, etc. What's needed is a doc who knows what he's doing and isn't just injecting for dollars (epidurals in particular may provide a bit of a financial incentive).

 

[raisindot]

Last Thursday, my wife had one for her bulging disk. So far it hasn't helped one bit. As a matter of fact this morning, her pain was worse than it has ever been. This was her first shot, I don't know if it hasn't worked yet or was not the right option for her back.

Same here. Had surgery on a herniated 10 years ago, which cured the horrendous sciatica that had turned me into a madman, but they didn't operate on another disk that has given continuous hip pain since that time.

Since I didn't want more surgery, I went through five different injection sessions over a six months preiod with just about everything they could shoot into me. Nothing worked at all. I've heard similar things from most other people with back pain I know who have gone through it.

Jeff in Boston

 

[BarryR]

Last Thursday, my wife had one for her bulging disk. So far it hasn't helped one bit. As a matter of fact this morning, her pain was worse than it has ever been. This was her first shot, I don't know if it hasn't worked yet or was not the right option for her back.

Bulging disks are usually an insignificant MRI finding. If the history and physical CLEARLY support a radiculopathy ("pinched nerve") then an epidural might help. Results vary greatly with epidurals.

For knees and shoulders (assuming the right diagnosis has been made and the injection is indicated) the success rate is quite high. I don't have the research numbers in front of me, but anecdotally, I'd say about 80% of patients I inject get significant relief.

 

[Dandaman]

I had one in the shoulder for a rotator cuff problem. It made an incredible difference and gave me enough relief for the problem to heal on it's own. One of the best treatments I ever got from a doctor.

 

[Wendy]

I guess I may just have torn the fixed tendons. The cortisone shots did not help prior to surgery because of the tears. The doctor thought they would work this time, he assumed I am inflamed and just ripping scar tissue. I am thinking that is not the case. I hurt more now than prior to initial surgery.