long story short I took a 5 day medrol pack for foot pain about a month ago. I started getting bad leg pains on the second day. I was told to finish the pack so I did. since then I'm still having nagging pain in my groin, quadriceps and hip. I've read about how even short term can cause bad side effects. should I be worried about avascular necrosis or is that more common in long term use? I asked my podiatrist and he claimed he had never heard of it causing that. still worried though as sitting causes me a lot of pain in my hop and legs. I have not had an xray yet.
I would have thought the chances of you getting vascular necrosis after five days must be close to nil.
A 5 day medrol pack is very unlikely to have caused any side effects other than maybe increased appetite but that should go away pretty quickly when you stop taking them.
I'd think it is far more likely that whatever it is wasn't cleared up by the steroids. How old are you and is the pain on both sides? Was the foot pain improved?
I'm 35 and just one leg
You have told your doctor it didn't help I assume - because that is obviously the next step.
PS - I asked how old you are because what you describe can happen in the rheumatic disorder I have that is treated with steroids - but you are far too young.
yes I told the podiatrist that gave it to Me and he never heard of that. however, I've read about warnings online that it can although the longer you take it the higher your chances are of getting something like that. maybe I just pulled a muscle coincidentally while I was on it but its unusual that as a runner I would get this type of pain during a normal jog. I've been running over 20 years now.
im just concerned because I read that steroids are powerful drugs and the pain in my foot wasn't that bad and the podiatrist insisted that I should take it to get rid of the inflammation. I was doing okay on pain meds. I didn't know about all the scary side effects.
They are - which is why for many acute things the very short course you had is enough. The scary side effects need you to have been taking pred for rather longer - and the really scarey ones are very rare. So don't worry.
Thank you for helping me to not worry so much. It's been hard enough dealing with the foot injury and now this makes it even harder.
But do talk to your doctor - you ARE worried so you need reassurance from him too.