Eileen, I am sorry if I posted this to you before. I have had two injections, one in my shoulder, which has worked and one in my hip which has done nothing. I have had osteo necrosis, have had an X Ray in my hip and am now wondering that it might be necrosis again. Can I ask you your views p,ease
It isn't uncommon for a single injection not to clear all pain but usually I think it achieves some improvement for a while. But if you've already had osteonecrosis I suppose you have to bear it in mind - have you already had an x-ray of that hip this time round? Sorry - that isn't clear to me from what you have said.
Thank you Eileen for your reply. Have had an X-ray of hip but to be honest the pain s now really bad. Have an appointment next month so will try to maybe talk about options xx
I hope it is EARLY next month, and even so it is another week. If they have seen signs of necrosis on the x-ray they would have got back to you I'd have thought. But bursitis won't show on an x-ray.
Once again, thank u for your reply. The X-ray showed bursitis so have to along with that. Maybe stress not helping which I understand. My appointment is 19th Feb but to be honest I've lost faith in the Rheumy, let's be honest they follow a plan. But maybe they haven't experienced it, I know I have been on this site for a while but I have no confidence with the consultants. To be honest, like so many people going through this, my life is controlled by the pain I am in pain all the time xx
If you have bursitis you need that attended to - with a cortisone shot most likely - and then the removal of THAT pain will probably help the PMR pain and allow a reduciton of pred dose. It did for me.
Thank you Eileen, the doctor said that the X-ray showed bursitis. I had an injection but they gave me that in my thigh. Sorry but it did Nothing. I am determined that if that is the pain from PMR then I will be able to cope with it xx
Hi Eileen, me again sorry. Have been back to hospital because they were concerned about my bleed n brain before (which comforts me) but said there are no neurological symptoms and put my pred up to 60 as all my symptoms relate to GCA. Ok, fair enough, but pain not easing even on this dose and they said they would have to put me on a ward if this does not work. I do not want to go into hospital, what do you think! Xx
No-one chooses to go into hospital - but if you have such severe pain and 60mg pred isn't helping it then you NEED to be in hospital where they can do things that aren't possible as an out-patient like higher dose pred in an infusion.
However unpleasant pred and being in hospital may be, these too will pass. If you ignore GCA and it results in loss of vision or even a stroke - which is a possibility - they do not pass.
Me again, have been to hospital today and had an injection in my hip with ultrasound scan guided. Have been told it will take at least ten days to have any effect which I am ok with. They said there was a lot of fluid there which the steroid might help or do nothing. They also said it might do nothing, do you no if this means that I will have to put up with it always? I can cope with it but I can't walk very much X
Possibly - but there are other things that may contribute to the hip pain and you could investigate that. The fluid suggests it could be a bursitis - and the pred should help in that case. Otherwise I would probably try Bowen therapy and investigate the possibility of myofascial pain syndrome.
Sorry - I'm on holiday so have only just seen your post and haven't time to reply more fully at the moment.
Thank you, the doctor said it was bursitis and the injection could take ten days if it was going to do anything? At the moment 5 days in the pain is not easing and I am vomiting, also dizziness and balance problems which I didn't expect after being on pred for over 2 years
All depends on it being in the right place - but is he sure it is bursitis alone?
I am so sorry to have bothered you on your holiday. He just said that I needed an ultrasound guided injection. The doctor that did it said that it would take 10 days to kick in. It's now 12 days and not good. Should I just accept it do you think? No problem with that I can cope with it rather than have anymore treatment
I really don't know and can only say what I said before - the other things don't sound like bursitis and aren't really typical of side effects of pred injections. There are other causes of the hip pain which the steroid injection wouldn't help much and they should be looked for, just in case.