Oral steroids symptoms and conditions

I just received a kenalog injection a week ago when I went to the doctor for sinus problems. My regular doctor was not in,so I saw a different doctor who is an allergy specialist.He spent a whole 60 seconds with me and stated that I needed an injection of kenalog.I didn't question him,as I knew that kenalog was a steroid and I had taken oral steroids before with few side effects. The injection itself was not painful,but the next day,I felt terrible and have ever since.I ache,I feel very nervous and have been crying for no reason. My blood pressure is up.I have weakness in my muscles and heart palpitations,and a constantly upset stomach.I also have had a flare -up of irritable bowel syndrome and yet even with the stomach and intestinal pain,I cannot stop eating.I am also constantly thirsty and have excessive urination.I have a pins and needles sensation in my hands and feet and I have blurry vision and confusion and forget things easily.I have trouble typing,as I have to spell-check everything.I am going crazy wondering how long these side effects will last.I am the primary caretaker of my mother,and I now cannot take care of myself.Why do they not tell a person of the possible side effects? I would never have let that nurse give me the shot had I known that it could cause such horrid side effects. And my sinuses are no better.I have an infection and now need antibiotics,which is what I told the doctor in the first place.I don't know what to do,I feel like I am going to die.

I'm a physician. Usually Kenalog injections can be avoided and oral steroids used like prednisone. The local dimpling effect may occur if the injection is too shallow, actually there is a temporary "disolving" of the subcutaneous tissue, the muscle and joints are not damaged. It is usually viewed as a "cosmetic" adverse effect. The Kenalog injections was primarily designed for joint injection and the kenalog or similar depo form stays active in the joint for a few weeks. All steroid medications can cause irritability and this is usually temporary for a few days. Steroids can cause muscle weakness- this is usually associated with high doses for prolonged use like being on prednisone for 3 or 4 months. Steroids can have an adverse effect on menstruation, but this is usually associated with chronic use. The most serious problems with the steroids result in bone weakness(osteoporosis) and serious damage to joints like the back and hip. Steroids can also result in weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure and cataract formation. I don't think Kenalog is any different than other steroids such as Medrol or Prednisone in terms of the side effect profile. These are dangerous medications that can also be very helpful in saving lives and diminishing pain.

Our story is like so many of yours…My son, 7, started Singulair at 2 ½ after a hospital visit and too many rounds of oral steroids. When he started Kindergarten at age 5 his behavior became increasingly problematic. It was hard for him to meet new people - something we had noticed at birthday parties in preschool, where he clung to me the whole time. He became more and more anxious, ran out of the class, didn’t really socialize, chewed his shirt, wouldn’t talk to people he didn’t know (or even look at people). I thought - he’ll adjust, he’ll be ok - he did well in preschool (although looking back, there were some repeated behavior problems there as well). By November the teacher told me she was really starting to worry about him - that he was depressed. I took him to a psychologist and he was diagnosed with anxiety.

In the summer I tried to enroll him in an art camp - but he ran around like a chicken with its head cut off and they kicked him out. In first grade he hid in the back of the room for the first few weeks. More shirt chewing, wouldn’t take off his coat, threw things, hit kids. At home he was capable of acting normal, but then every so often would act - well, psychotic. Mumbling to himself, overreacting to everything, screaming. Meals were hard, bedtimes were hard, getting dressed was hard. I had him evaluated and he was put on an IEP for behavior/emotional issues. More and more he was talking about death - wanting to die, wishing he was dead, saying that he hated himself.

Throughout all this time, I wondered, could it be the Singulair? I asked the doctor, the allergist, the psychiatrist - have you heard that this medicine could cause this? No, no, no- they all said after looking it up.

Finally, I looked on the web and found this site back in January, 2007. I read enough postings to recognize that other people were having similar issues. I told my doctor I was taking him off. She tried to get me to wait until after winter, but I didn’t. I just stocked up on pulmacort and albuterol and figured I would be ready with the nebulizer.

I watched my son carefully that first week, and it seemed like a cloud had lifted from him. He did not instantly change all of his troubling behavior, but as time passed it became less severe and more manageable. He became capable of things that he couldn’t have handled in the past. Almost immediately he learned to read. He had been almost reading for so long, but was so self-conscious about reading aloud to anyone. He took swimming lessons without a problem - it had been impossible to take him to any new class or camp where he didn’t know anyone before.

During this time, he also got lots of support at school and I enrolled him in group therapy. But I know that he would not have made as much progress as he has if I had kept him on the Singulair. Back at his worst he was like another child - haunted, crippled by intense anxiety and self-hatred. We wondered - what could be the cause - abuse? - but it just didn’t make sense - there were no other signs. I have an older son - who never went on Singulair - who has the sunniest disposition. Yes we have some history of mental illness in our family - but most people start showing signs either from birth or in their teens. My son was a happy baby, a friendly toddler, and all along, was very loving in his good moments to his close family members. Things just weren’t making sense. We were looking all over for an explanation. Now that we have it, even though we feel relief, we also feel tremendously sad.

I wonder - how many kids out there with crazy behavior are getting punished, are falling behind in school, are being institutionalized? I will be writing my senators, congressman, state and federal, as well as notifying the FDA.

This is what bothers me the most - all of us across the country go to our doctors and ask about these side effects. But (except for those who posted here) we don’t report the side effects, because everyone tells us they are not caused by the medicine. So our individual reports were never taken seriously because it never got past the doctor’s office.

I feel bad I didn’t post earlier, but I was intimidated, and almost embarrassed to “blame” my son’s behavior on the medicine, rather than taking responsibility for it as a parent. Thank you to all the parents who had the guts to post, and especially to the parents of Cody Miller who brought this to the public. I am so sorry for your loss - and I am so sorry for all the parents and children and teens and adult Singulair users who have suffered. I feel like we should form support groups because we have all been through a terrible trauma. I live in Massachusetts and would love to hear from those who live near me.

I've been on Advair for 4 or 5 years and can never find a doctor who will even entertain the notion of taking me off of it. Although I have many symptoms that have been documented by GSK they consider it "very unlikely" that Advair is causing my joint pain, bloating, headaches, mouth sores etc. Last year I had pneumonia (also a reported adverse reaction) and THIS year I was diagnose with osteoporosis (yet another risk). I think these doctors are afraid that if they agree to wean me off & I die they'll get sued. Sorry to be so blunt but the problem is that the last doctor who tried to wean me off (now retired) even contacted the manufacturer & was told there is "currently no protocol" recommended for the cessation of Advair. My asthma got so bad when I tapered off, even with oral steroids he eventually just put me back on, hoping to hear of a protocol later. I'm very frustrated to say the least. Doctors seem to think "well it seems to be working since your still alive". Of course I can't to a certainty attribute all my symptoms to Advair it seems very unlikely that NONE of them are. Can't say if the Advair is directly causing depression but the Advair SITUATION is depressing!

I had 2 kenalog injection in my sacroiliac joints. I had these injections within 2 weeks of each other. I had them done because I suffer from a chronic back pain, had had a spinal fusion and within 4 months began suffering unbearable pain in my hip and leg,it felt as though my hip was dislocated.
The side effects I have suffered are as follow: extreme hunger,weight gain, puffiness in my face and stomach, excessive hair growth on my face. The wierd part of the excessive facial hair is that before I had these injections done I always left handfuls of hair in the shower and when I put hair products in my hair, since the injections I hardly lose a single strand of hair.I also had severe night sweats,mood swings, and I have yet to get my period since I had the injections.
Above all of this I also suffered steroid withdrawal. Like I said I has these 2 injections within 2 weeks of the other. Abpput 3 weeks after the last injection I began to have a creepy crawly feeling in my arms, cold sweats, and vomiting. I called my Dr who said it was withdrawal from the steroids. I couldnt believe this. I did some research online . I discovered that this does happen if you have more than one injection within 3 weeks. I guess it does make sense because when you take oral steroids you are almost always given a taper pack. You are weened off of them so that you don't go into withdrawal. With an injection obviously you can not be weened but if you have the injections too close together, withdrawal can happen.

The only advise I have is that if you can wait to have your injections more than 3 weeks apart...do it because the withdrawal is miserable.

I just returned from the ER with my 8 year old daughter who was put on Singulair again. She initially took it for about 1 year about a year ago or so. Her pediatrician felt the current cough and stuffy nose was due to allergies, I insisted yes, but also causing her asthma to flare and said that in the past the Singulair did not stop the progression of the symptoms into a full blown multi medicine needed to control her asthma occurrence and perhaps we should use Proventil and Advair to get her back on track. Now after 5 days of Singulair she is on oral steroids, Proventil Inhaler and possible has pneumonia and she has HIVES all over her body! The ER doctor said not use the Singulair and in 2 days I could start the antibiotics if she is still coughing and has fever, Oh yes, I forgot to say the past 2 nights she has had a low grade fever 100-101.2 degrees.
I think MD's are to quick to push a drug they think is safe and newer instead of using good old fashion time proven remedies like Proventil and a short burst of oral steroids.

I have what's known as cough equivalent asthma--on set as an adult. this is my first attack in about 3 years. I'm very unhappy with the Advair--the heart beating so quickly, the nausea and to top it all off IT'S NOT WORKING and neither is the albuterol. Today is my last day for the Advair. It's not even controlling my cough for minutes let alone hours or days. I'm losing my voice and will lose my part-time job because I don't have a voice. I can't hold a conversation without coughing it's making me dizzy and I'm tired because I can't sleep.

I was given Singulair by my doctor to take for severe allergic rhinitus and chronic sinusitis, in addition to the Zyrtec and oral steroids I have been taking. At first, it seemed to help with sinus congestion, but did cause problems with sleeping--nightmares and waking up "jittery" and unable to get back to sleep. Then, after about 3 weeks, I began to experience violent vertigo, to the point of being unable to function. I could barely stand, was nauseated to the point of vomiting, experiencing sweats and hot flashes. I stopped the Singulair today and will see if symptoms improve and post again in a few days.

I'm not sure what to think about Advair. My 16 yr old son has asthma & has been on Advair for a few years & did well for the most part. While on vacation last summer he came down w/2 ear infections & quickly went downhill. He had an attack & was nearly closed up completely; went to the ER & received several breathing treatments, a steroid shot & was released w/oral steroid prescription/antibiotics. The next afternoon he had another attck & went back to the ER. He was given breathing treatments & then an IV steroid treatment. He immediately got a raging headache & got morphine for the pain, started severely hallucinating & violently flipped for hours. He eventually was well enough to leave & woke up the next morn as a vegetable. Didn't know where he was...was hallucinating, couldn't walk etc. We went back home to his family doctor. It turned out the steroids was the culprit. I didn't know Advair was a form of steroid, & the IV steroids caused his psychosis, & he just had too much steroids in his system overall. A few days later he came out of it. My mother had said she heard Advair can cause severe infections & actually worsen asthma. I asked his DR & he said there were other reasons for those problems which didn't pertain to my son, so he's still taking Advair.

Ever since that episode, he is much more susceptible to EVERYTHING. First semester of school he missed a total of 10 days. He'd also been having horrible mood swings, could not sleep at night & then went into a depression. So he was precribed a low dosage of Elavil. This was about 10 weeks ago. 12 days ago he started wheezing & coughing, so we did his at home nebulizer treatments. He went to the DR & was diagnosed w/bronchitus & was given a Z-pak. Last weekend he worsened, took him back to the DR Monday & was diagnosed w/walking pnemonia. He was given another Z-pak & oral steroids. He's slowly getting better, but has missed 9 days of school & I don't know when he'll be well enough to return.

My mom researched Advair again & found that you shouldn't take it w/Elavil, which he is still taking. She also found that side effects from Advair are eveything my son is dealing with. My husband thinks she's nuts, but I have to wonder can Advair actually be making my son worse?

WOW! I can't believe what I'm hearing. I have been on Advair for almost a year. 500/50 dose. I have severe asthma and it was my only hope of getting off oral steroids. YEAH it worked! I even lost 60lbs do to being off steroids. But about 5 months ago I woke up with horrible pain in my muscles. They haven't let up. It has been hard to go about my daily life. I can't walk sometimes and it feels like I have arthritis. I have been to several docs and no one ever mentioned Advair as a possible reason. I now have to wonder after being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. That is how bad my pain is. I also have repeated sinus pain. I had sinus surgery but the pain is still awful. I have ear pain, throat pain, mouth/tongue pain. My anxiety has been so bad over all of this. I will talk with my asthma doctor about this.

I meant to say that "ocular" and nasal steroids can become systemic if taken for long periods of time. Of course, oral steroids *are* systemic. Duh!