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Hi Everyone,

I have had mixed results with steriod shots.  Sometimes they bring great relief, other times not so much.  You need to make sure that you can rest the joint after you are one.  It will be sore at first, but then, hopefully-you will feel better.  You are limited as to how many you can get a year in each joint.  My dr. doesn't like to do more than 3.  Thank you.  Do you have to keep doing it after you start?

You shouldn't need to get them repeatedly.  I usually get them when I am changing meds.  It often takes a while for the new meds to kick in.  If a joint is bothering you to the point that repeated shots are needed, then you dr. should be looking more into that joint.  Cortisone damages the joint if given repeatedly. 

Thank you, Rebecca. Over the years I have had several injections in hips, shoulders and once in my foot. They really helped me out when medications were not working. Wishing you the best and hope you feel better. Oh, and they can scar as I have scars on my shoulders from them.

I'm a frequent flier with Kenalog [cortsione] and would be dead in the water without the injections.  I've been getting them for years when my joints flare and they are a godsend.

Great advice.  Thank you.  One of my biggest fear is that I will make things worse or become dependant. Nori, I've had several and sometimes they work, sometimes they don't; couldn't tell you why! I do want to warn you though, that your skin can atrophy at the injection site. I have permanent discoloration on my left wrist from them. Don't want to scare you... just want to give you a heads up. When I first went to the doctor's office with severe pain in my shoulder, a physician's assistant thought it was a rotator cuff injury (fit with the fact that I had moved some furniture) and gave me a cortisone shot in my shoulder. The shot itself did not hurt at all. I felt good very soon after, however, the pain started coming back the following week and that's when my PCP did blood tests and found the high inflammation and sent me off to a rheumy immediately. Maybe the PA didn't give me a heavy dose? I don't know. Another time, I had a flare (had forgotten about them because I was new to RA) and my rheumy was out of town. Another rheumy in his office checked me over and sent me to nurse treatment for some kind of shot, but it was not to a specific joint - more a systemic thing I guess. Not sure what that was but it did bring some relief. I try to keep track of all this, but all my records are at my office so I can't be specific on some things when I'm writing from home. Hope you start feeling better!

Interesting. I've probably had close to 100 injections over the years in various joints and never had any atrophy or discoloration. With the exception of maybe 3 shots, they all worked. I still say it's all in the skill of the physician.

Sam12342009-11-15 18:35:08I tried to post this at 6:30 and don't see that it or the following one were actually posted. So here is mine again, for what it's worth!


When I first went to the doctor's office with severe pain in my shoulder, a physician's assistant thought it was a rotator cuff injury (fit with the fact that I had moved some furniture) and gave me a cortisone shot in my shoulder. The shot itself did not hurt at all. I felt good very soon after, however, the pain started coming back the following week and that's when my PCP did blood tests and found the high inflammation and sent me off to a rheumy immediately. Maybe the PA didn't give me a heavy dose? I don't know. Another time, I had a flare (had forgotten about them because I was new to RA) and my rheumy was out of town. Another rheumy in his office checked me over and sent me to nurse treatment for some kind of shot, but it was not to a specific joint - more a systemic thing I guess. Not sure what that was but it did bring some relief. I try to keep track of all this, but all my records are at my office so I can't be specific on some things when I'm writing from home. Hope you start feeling better!I had cortisone in my foot between 2 toes for a neouroma.  Didn't help a bit and the shot was sooo painful.  Some people swear by them--I swear at them.   Personally, I would never have one again.  I would suggest to try it to see your results.  Mary, Systemic injection can be preferable if there is more than one localized area of inflammation, or if the target area is too difficult or risky.

Personally, I've had a steroid injection for tendinitis, and after the local anesthetic wore off 12 hours later,  I was back to square one.  Never got any relief from the steroid.
JasmineRain, I did get the long-acting injection.  Front-loaded with local anesthetic.  Done by my orthopedic surgeon.  It didn't work.  They don't always work, you know. Hey Sam, who are you? How many joints have you known to know there are none too difficult to inject?   I just had this done on my right pointer finger in the knuckle area. It was 100% better the next day! i can now bend it with no pain!  I would highly suggest doing it!  It does sting and hurt for a minute while they're injecting, but dont look and remember how much better you will feel when it's done! The day they injected my finger it was stiffer and sore but the next day It felt SO much better! My finger had been so stiff for months and wouldnt budge for anything. After the cortizone shot it  helped tremendously. I hope this works for you!!!Nori Mrs Pincushion2009-11-16 08:16:22I often get the systemic injection.  I have quite a bit of chestwall and rib inflammation.  There are way too many joint spaces in the ribcage.  I will get a few areas around the sternum injected, and then a systemic injection.  Also, there are many doctors in different specialities that are excellent in giving injections.  Ex: my rheumy will not give injections for the ribs.  It is done by my pain management dr. under flourascope (spelling?).  If you have a dr. that you trust and has treated you correctly in the past, don't just assume that they can't give you an injection.  Likewise, don't assume by a person's speciality that they can administer proper injections.  just like in any profession-you get good docs and bad docs. I've had numerous joints injected over the years and I'm a HUGE fan. I've also had numerous systemic injections when I had too many trouble areas to inject all at once and I've had good results with those as well. To all who have questioned my experiences: Sam12342009-11-16 11:09:47I'll be sure to let my father's interdisciplinary team know that no joint should be too difficult to inject, and that you can't understand why someone would take a systemic medication rather than an intra-articular injection.  I guess they all skipped those subjects in med school. Sam~I don't really think anyone is questioning your experience....but we all have different opinions on things. That's not to say you don't know what you're talking about. People on these forums post questions like this so that they can get several different opinions on one subject. Not everyone that has RA sees an orthopedic surgeon on a regular basis....and it's MY opinion that it's not nessesary to go see one just to get a cortisone injection. Sam, I wasn't questioning your experience, just that you were being overbearing to the point of rudeness. Not everyone has the same experiences with cortisone injections.  I've had my knees and shoulders injected multiple times with great success. I'd say its definitely worth a try.

Good luck to you!Sam, the discoloration I experienced happened on my wrist. I also had multiple shots to my shoulder and knee with no problems at all. I don't know how I feel about the cortisone, but I do appreciate the numbing meds they add to it! Thank you for all of your advice!  I see my Rheumy in Dec, so I will see what the suggestion is.  I like to go as informed as possible. I used to get them monthly, don't regret them but they did cause other probs. I am back to square one now. I have to get a pred pack when it gets bad, prob is theyonly last about a month for me....actually 2 weeks then I suffer and in pain the other 2, will have to talk to internist about it.

Cannot afford Rd up here, insurance through Michigan less than welfare will not pay for it...but there has to be a loop hole.

If the Kenalog is what gets ya through the hard time then use it for a better life. Worry about the consequences when they arrive.Lots of replies.  Thank you everyone.  And thank you, Sam1234.  It sounds like you have had quite a lot of experience with these types of injections, and I appreciate you taking the time to post your reply to my question. Regards,

I also have had many injections, knees, hip (bursitis), wrist, shoulders these were all done by my ortho doctor. My Rheumy was aware of me getting them and agreed that I get them. For awhile I was going every 6 weeks...I also had mixed results. Mostly with the flair that I experienced after the injection. Sometimes I would flair and the pain was horrible and other times I would get good solid results. I had a surgeon inject my spine twice. This really did nothing for me so I opted out of the 3rd injection.
I have been doing really well on my meds lately. But I will say that the old familiar sore and stiff joints have been acting up the last few days 
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