Joint Injections??? | Arthritis Information

 

My daughter who is only 3 1/2 was recently diagnosed with JRA and will be having joint injections in her ankles, knees and wrists tomorrow at Duke in NC. Has anyone had these done before? If so, how bad is the procedure? Anything I should know about? Would appreciate any advice! We have just started her on Enbrel and Methotrexate. Thanks so much!

First of all, bless her little heart for having to go through this at such a young age.  I cant even imagine.  It is not the miserable life my doctor first made it out to be but a child should not have to deal with this junk.  I have had steroid shots into my joints and to be quite honest, they hurt.  I would rather have just about anything else done to me except those.  My doc laughs at me whenever he has to do it.  I think part of it is that I am antisipating the pain and part of it is that they hurt.  I am not helping myself. ha.  I have also heard of doctors trying to extract fluid from the joints but I have never had that done.  Maybe someone else has and can give you information. 

I hope your baby does well tommorrow.  The people at Duke are top notch and you should be fine.  When I was first diagnosed, I went to duke after my doctors recommendation and saw Dr. Price (I think that was his name or maybe Rice).  He was FANTASTIC.  Loved him.  I am just too far away to go there on a regular basis.  Are you in the Duke area?

 

 

 

Well, I hope because they are putting her under, it will not hurt so much...right? I just wonder how she will feel after....sore and achy?

We live in Simpsonville SC...Duke is three and a half hours away...AGHHHH! But, it's worth the drive, as there are NO ped rheumy's in our area at all.

I would think they would sedate her for the injections.  I cannot see them being able to inject 6 joints without scaring her.  It would be faster and easier on all of you if she was sedated.  She might feel some pain in the injected joints.  Ice will help that if she will tolerate the cold.  BUt the good news is that she should see a positive response in a day or two

 

It would be great for her if they sedated her.  They hurt and they are miserable (at least in my opinion) but the are not the worst thing in the world.  I usually see results in a couple days. I hope the same goes for your daughter. I was afraid that my original post was too scarey and strong.  I just HATE those shots. ha.  But I could be a big baby. I hope she has relief right away.  I am in Wilmington, NC and Duke is about 2 1/2 hours away.  I would drive it if I could not find a doc here.  Get her lots of lolli pops and movies for the ride.  And of course afterwards, she will need ice cream and lots of it!!! ha.  Thats what I do!!!!!

Please let me know how ya'll make out. I will be thinking of her.  Julie

 

I'm glad they are going to knock her out. If she is anything like me within 4 hours I have relief. The relief gets better for about 5 days and then hits it's max. The injections almost always help and usually last at least 3 months.

With luck the Enbrel and MTX will have kicked in - and she will have a 'normal' kid happy summer.

The docs will let you know about after care - perhaps a little ice if she has pain. Anything in the hands usually aches a bit. I don't have more than usual pain with the knee injs - but I am really hobbling by the time I ask for joint inj.

Best Wishes

Give her lots of huggs.  I am going to put her on our church prayer list. Keep us informed about her progress.   CJames

Ask if they are using the concentraded version of the cortisone.  Less fluid = less pressure = less pain.

 

 

I've had lots of joint injections. I ask for them. They sting for a few minutes - probably the amount of time your daughter will be out. But the relief she will get will be amazing. I've had toes, fingers, wrists, ankles - lots of injections. Don't act like it's a big deal, and I think she'll be fine. She'll have some site bruising, but she'll be okay. Poor little one. I hope it really helps her. As Marian said, the relief can last a while, and sometimes, the joint really quiets down for a good long time.


I am SO glad that she will be unaware of what is happening. That way, you can stress the positive side of it, that she will feel better after her trip to the "big hospital".  I will be praying for her and for you, I know you would so much rather go through it yourself than seeing your child experience it.  I am sure that she is in good hands at such a great medical center, though it is difficult to think of such strong drugs being used on such a little one.  I just feel compelled to mention AP (antibiotic protocol therapy) as a possible option. If you wish to do a little simple research, here are some sites: www.roadback.org and www.rheumaticsupport.net.  There is a 3 year old child being treated this way (after methotrexate) whose mother posts frequently on roadback.  God Bless and keep you and you precious daughter.  PatJust wondering how your daughter made out.  Have been thinking about her ever since your post.  Would love to hear how she is.  Thanks!!

Oh bless her heart.  It just breaks my heart to see little ones having to deal with all of this.  I am glad they are going to knock her out for the injections.  They do sting as they put a numbing med in with the steroid they are injecting.  I am usually a little sore for a couple of days afterwards. 

Please let us know how she is doing.  I hope the injections work for her and her other meds.  I pray she has a great summer and plays her little heart out. 

We survived the joint injections and HOLY COW did they work!!!! This morning my daughter was running around all over the place! And she could walk up and down the stairs w/no pain. Hurray! I no longer have to carry her....my back will thank me! The procedure was not too bad because they put her under so she did not feel anything. The waking up part was a little rough. She was like a rabid puppy! But, that soon wore off. We babied her for a day and now she is good as new! Even better than new! I am SOOOOOO happy! So now we just have to get through giving her shots twice a week. Aghhh!

I am glad she did so well with the steroid injections!!!  That is great!!!

A little heads up for you.  I have heard that the Enbrel burns a little bit when injected.  So be prepared for that fight from her. 

Oh bless her heart.It must be so great to see her run around again.Lots of hugs

Such great suffering for a very young kid. She has to subject to pain of the disease and also bombardment of meds and injections. It is a heavy load for young kid to carry in life!

For the time being it is ok but when the meds wash down, your daughter has to face another onset and so on!  Start to build up your daughter healthy body and make necessary metabolic adjustments.

I look at the situation differently because I beat the disease naturally without meds. I have herbs and naturally foods to overcome the disease.

In libraries, there are many good books about foods for arthritics. Explore, search, find and build an awareness to identify good and bad food for your daughter. 

To check the progress of the disease, first the foremost examine the diet and what your daughter's taste buds. Foods can aggrevate the flare like dairy products (i.e. chocolate, ice-cream, milk etc), citrus fruits, oily foods etc..

Then there are herbs can help gradually slow down and overcome the disease. 

Learn as much as you can to help your daughter.

Take care.

 

I'm so glad to hear she's doing well and the injections were successful!

I'm a big fan of injections and have had more than I can count over the years.

Hope things continue to go well for the little Princess.

Thats wonderful news!  I hope she continues to do well!!
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