Steroid injections symptoms and conditions

In 1988 I had some complications with my pregnancy. I went into premature labor on June 5th. My due date was August 17th. My son was born premature on July 19th, with a good birth weight of 7.11 pounds. I received Yutopar drip while I was in the hospital for 5 days beginning on June 5th. When I returned home I continued Yutopar medication in a pill form up to July 19th when my son was born. Other than jaundice, he had no other apparent problems. While in pre-school at the age of 4 years, his teacher noticed he was having several problems. One of which was staring spells. We took him to a pediatric neurology clinic. His eeg was normal, but the doctor did notice he had problems with cognitive delays. Our next step was to take him for a neuropsychological evaluation. He was diagnosed with sensory motor integration deficits. From there we did everything that was offered to help him, including occupational therapy. Also, we thought he was born with lazy eye. It turned out to be exotropia. We took him to eye therapy to avoid surgery, but it did not help. At the age of 6 he had eye surgery to tighten his eye muscles. From the age of 4 to 6 years old, our son went through a lot with all the testings, therapies and surgery. He continued to struggle with some learning problems and low self-esteem throughout his school years. Currently, at the age of 21 he still has some small cognitive problems. In April, at the age of 17, his hair stated falling out in hugh clumps. He hid this from us by wearing a hat all the time. In June, he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called alopecia areata. By the time his senior year of high school started, he had lost 45% of his hair in patchy baldness. With the help of steroid injections into his scalp his hair came back into growth. He came out of remission at the age of 18 and 19 and is currently in remission. To make things even worse, he started feeling like something was wrong with his heart. This was during the time his hair was falling out when he was 17 and 18, and he was receiving treatment for his hair loss. He also hid this from us. It was October by the time he told me and I brushed it off as stress. He finally told me again in December. He said he felt like he was going to die and his heart didn't beat all the time. I took him to the doctor. He was tested and 2 days after Christmas the doctor called and told us to take him to the hospital asap! His heart was pausing anywhere from 2 to 7 seconds. He was transferred out of the area to a pediatric icu. He was diagnosed with Ventricular Fibrillation and received a pace maker at the age of 18 years old. His pace maker currently does 40% of the work to help his heart beat. There was a team of doctors trying to figure out why this has happened to his heart, but couldn't come up with specific answers. They did every test they could think of. I asked them about Yutopar and they say no. I asked them about the short term amount of steriod injections he had to make his hair grow back and they say no. They say his heart may have had a virus or he may have been born with the defect. He had already started having behavioral problems when he was 15 right after his Dad and I split up. His problems became much worse after his heart and hair problems. We have done and still do try everything possible to try to help him, but our hands are tied because he is 21 years old. His self help is marajuana and doctor prescribed street drugs. He has what I would call severe anger problems, very low self-esteem and a very bad temper. His behavioral problems and mental status can't get any worse than it is right now. As far as a mental illness diagnosis, we don't have one. I know he has one though. I'm always left to wonder if the drug Yutopar I took while I was pregnant had anything to do with all of his many problems throughout the years; especially with his sensory motor integration disorder, ventricular fibrillation heart defect and autoimmune disease.

My 15-year-old daughter experienced alopecia (bald patches) after the first injection. We didn't initially connect it to the vaccine. Then, after the second shot, her thick long hair thinned significantly. She will NOT be getting the third injection Gardasil is poison. Anyone else who has experienced hair loss, please post a comment with information on how long it took to come back. She cries daily about this and it breaks my heart.

I was given Avelox July 2007 .. within a week started getting severe leg pain in both legs .. making walking too difficult and painful... This pain has stayed with me 24/7 since I took the avelox over a year ago.. I have been to over 12 Doctors this past year trying to get help...and spent a small fortune with many tests done..now diagnosed with fibromyagia, osteoarthritis, cardioapathy, torn knee meniscus, adrenal fatigue, and i.b.s. which all developed after given Avelox... Not one will acknowledge that I may be suffering from a severe reaction to Avelox ... though they have no answers and have not been able to help me.. I have tried acupuncture, massage therapy, physical therapy, and steroid injections.. nothing has helped.. I am now seeing a Holistic Dr. and being treated for many hormone vitamin, and mineral deficiencies .. .I It has been a nightmare year with this 24/7 pain.. homebound.. because too painful to walk..and I also have constant gastric discomfort and insomnia. I feel my body has suffered from a very toxic reaction to the Avelox and just want to warn others out there too.... Please think twice before taking any antibiotics from the quinolone family...There are less toxic antibiotics that can be given.. not worth taking the risk of suffering serious reactions from these very poisonous antibiotics..

This is my second bout with what my doctor thinks is erlickiosis. The first time I was at the point where I could only move like an old man doing "the nursing home shuffle". Everything was swollen. Feet, hands, knees even my jaw was hurting. I couldn't stand on my own even though two weeks prior I was walking 3-5 miles per day on some good size hills. I was hospitalized and given steroid injections. Within 12 hours I was standing on my own. I was given Perdnisone 30 mg X 3 days 20 mg X 3 days 10 mg X 3 days 5 mg X 4 days. Except for some insomnia and peeing 5 times a night there were no other effects. Within 2 days I was crippled again. Now my GP was in Africa and my Internist was leaving for vacation in India. Internist would not put me back on Prednisone because he wanted me to see a Rhumatologist. I made an appointment but it was SIX WEEKS OFF. Two days later i was admitted to a different hospital. This one was where my Rhumatologist had access. Long story short Prednisone 80 mg 7 days 60 mg 7 days 40,20,10mg 7 days each. Had to start taking insulin again. Glucose never went over 200. Avg glucose last 5 weeks is 120. Gained 5 pounds because I work out every day with free weights and lots of cardio. Hopefully, I won't have to many side effects when weaning is accomplished.

I can't believe what I am reading! I have been a competitive runner for over 25 years, and in the past two years I started running mainly trail ultras - races up to 70 miles. This March my husband noticed a huge dent in my left glute muscle that over the course of four races got worse and led to a secondary dent in my hip area. I just assumed I had injured my muscle somehow, but no amount of rest, PT, or stretching has helped.(it's been 6 months now) I developed hip bursitis, medium to severe pain in all my joints, including both knees, my left ankle, and extreme spinal stiffness.

None of the experienced PTs I've been to have seen anything like my dent, and they are baffled by my worsening condition. I'm so scared I'll have to give up running altogether, as my joints are failing me. My PT has advised me to go to my regular doctor to get bloodwork, X-rays, an MRI & all tests done to see if something is wrong with me that is beyond muscle-skeletal. Before all of this, I had low back issues but no joint issues at all.

I found this web site by chance, and suddenly I remembered that several months before noticing the dent, I received 2 steroid injections in my butt, as well as pills & cream for a super severe case of poison oak that covered my whole body and face. Do you think my doctor will tell me if it was Kenalog if I ask?

I, too, am very very interested in any other stories of severe joint pain and inability to run especially after receiving these shots. I hope we can help each other figure this out & get answers.

As I read through these posts, I had mixed feelings between thinking they were a little too whiny (please, no offense) to too many memories sweeping back in.
Here is my story... I was on Yasmin for a few years, a few years ago, from ages 18-21. I am now 26. I'd always been active and in shape, no major health problems. At 19, I started to get weird leg pains, tingling and numbness. It got much much worse. Long story short, I had two herniated discs in my lower back which was causing pinched nerves. I had steroid injections localized to my herniations. At this point my adrenal gland stopped working, my face swelled up like a balloon and I lost a ton of weight. Eventually, I had surgery on my back, but went to specialist after specialist to figure out what was going on with my non functioning adrenal gland. We figured that somehow the steroids had gotten into my bloodstream, which doctor after doctor told me was next to impossible. They were ready to do a write up in a medical research journal about my case. Eventually my 3rd Endocronologist (sp?) FINALLY told me to get off Yasmin. Somehow, this small bit of information was missed. My adrenal gland eventually kicked back into shape, my bloating went away and I finally and slow got healthy again.
So... coming back to Yasmin. After reading this site and continuing research on the effects of an influx of potassium, all of my symptoms lead straight to this source. The potassium increase caused the face swelling, muscle spasms, possibly even the nerve weakness (Only speculating, could have caused the herniation.) , from what multiple web sites state.
I must say that this is all speculation; however, light bulbs have just gone off in my head.
I was considering getting back on Yasmin because I now live in Thailand and they offer this pill. I have been on the NuvaRing and I love it, but I cannot find it here. If Yasmin was the cause of what happened to my body or not, I will not take my chances. Most of the symptoms listed by other women are effects of increased potassium. Please research this fact to become more informed about what is happening with your body. It helped me. I hope my story will in effect, help someone else.
And, I'd love to hear if anyone else had something similarly severe...

I have been Advair 500/50 for 4 years with results so profound it enabled me to join a local volunteer fire department rescue squad where I am an EMT & officer . So much for the good news. The bruising, constant tiredness, sinus infections, earaches, mood swings and especially the excruciating joint pains I accepted as part of aging. The hip joint and lower back pain became part of my daily life. Drugs, steroid injections, chiropractic with electrical stimulation, exercise, hot tub soaks @ 2 in the morning were usless. I found this website 4 days ago and have been Advair free for 3 days. The asthma is ok, the pains are gone, I am energetic, and feel much calmer. I feel 10 yrs younger than my 53 years.

I have suffered with aAsthma all my life. My brothers we all were premature and have bronchial issues. I have had allergies and shot along with acute asthma attacks that sent me to the hospital. One of my siblings almost died from his bronchial spasms. My mother was a smoker and she continued smoking while she was pregnant. We are living proof that smoking is devastating to your unborn child. Well, moving on foward I have taken Advair for about approxiamately three years. I was reluctant at first but my constant bronchial infections and asthma led my doctor to send me to an asthma specialist. I had taken steroid injections and steriod pills in the past when needed. Now this time it was different I had to follow the "program" according to my physcian.Now every day I would inhale into the purple disk my dosage was 500mg. and so started the drug induced trip of a lifetime ! The side effects for me were small at first but gradually they grew and even gained momentum! There was the hoarseness, weight gain, nervouseness, heart palpitations, depression, extreme bruising, asthma attacks, growths, complex endometrial cysts on my ovaries ( I attribute to the steriods my periods became irregular and light when I was taking the disk) . I also, developed sebacious cysts on my back and face. Three yars and it took a trip to Vegas over the summer to make me realize the connection!! I was leaving through photographs from the trip. I did not recognize my self. My face was round, my legs swollen and bruised. I am a health nut and even with the astma continued a regular routine to this day of runniong and weight training. I was irritable all the time, I had boughts of insomnia and woke up sometimes in a cold sweats. The steriod inhanced the hormonal changes. I am in my forties and expected some degree of flucuations but not to this degree. NONE of the woman in my family had ever experinced this before. I truley beleive the steriods interuppted my monthly cycle which effected the hormonal balance to a far higher degree than what should of happened to me. I stopped taking Advair approxiamtely 3 1/2 months ago. Since then my periods are back to normal ( I have not missed one yet ). Since, I stopped in August by October no more bruising, normal menstural flow, my face has go down, no more nervouseness..ect. I am currently taking Spivera with very few side affects..sometimes I develop a rash on face... big deal ( I will be closely watching side effects from now on) It still beats the harmful side effects of Advair. I will never take the purple disk again !!!

This may offer some hope to those who have received Kenalog injections that resulted in dents in the tissue. About 15 years ago, when I was a graduate student, I developed a mild case of cystic acne. By "mild," I mean that I would develop deep, painful cysts after eating or drinking certain foods, like red wine or chocolate (so my acne was somewhat controlable, depending on my diet). I received a few steroid injections (which I believe where Kenalog shots) that worked almost immediately. However, when I switched to a very expensive doctor in Princeton, NJ and asked him to zap a huge cyst, he gave me too much kenalog and I was left with a nice indentation right smack in the middle of my forehead! It was very upsetting, to say the least. When I called him, he assured me that the dent would fill in on its own. And guess what? It did - but it took a while. After a year, it was not as noticeable and as more time passed it was not noticeable *at all*. However, I will say that 15 years later, I can still put my finger on where the dent used to be and I can feel a slight indentation. Also, the skin over the indentation recently seems to be a bit more wrinkled than the rest of my forehead which is quite smooth (I'm 46 so it may just be normal ageing). Anyway, after my lovely kenalog experience, I stayed away from these injections. And after I swore off all chocolate, tea, and red wine, my cystic acne disappeared on its own.

Hair loss, which didn't occur to me until I read the postings - my hair is everywhere in the house but on my head! Muscle pain, weakness, and atrophy, itchy skin and eyes, joint pain (from muscle weakness??) is excruciating - after months on physical therapy was pronounced a failure and referred to a pain specialist and another surgeon. Could not raise my arms w/o terrible pain, hurt to drive my car. Nausea, dark urine, alternate constipation and diarrhea, dizziness.

I don't know whether to be excited or terrified after finding this site and reading the postings. At first reading, the only symptom I have NOT had while on Lipitor is the numbness and tingling in legs and feet. I've been concerned I have some terrible, undiagnosed and terminal disease.

Have had surgery on one shoulder and am awaiting surgery on the other, plus a re-do of a scoped knee which is now unbearably painful. Also have had multiple steroid injections at different sites, and am scheduled for another next week - this time in my lower back. Was put on Paxil for pain, but have weaned myself off that. Was diagnosed with spinal stenosis and fibromyalgia. Wouldn't take the meds for the fibromyalgia because of the side effect mentioned in the literature - HAIR LOSS! I was already losing my hair! Finally found a surgeon who told me to GET OFF THE LIPITOR!

Problem is, I had also been on Bextra at least four years, I think, for long term mild lower back pain, and knee pain, so am wondering if arthritis could have set in and been masked by the Bextra, which I came off of at the same surgeon's insistence. One week later it was taken off the market.

Am now off all anti-inflammatory drugs while awaiting my latest steroid injection, and yes, I do fear the side effects of THAT! My pain is back to the "rocking and swaying" stage, and I'm awake in the middle of the night researching Lipitor! Does it ever stop??

I received a Kenalog shot for a sinus infection on January 14 of this year (2005). The amount of Kenalog was to give me inflammation relief in my sinuses for 6 months. A week later, I received a Decadron (sp?) shot - fast acting steroid for a sever sinus headache.

Since this time, I had allergy testing and found out the culprit to my sinus problems (molds, dust mites, some grasses & trees, ragweed). I have started allergy shots.

But, since I have had the Kenalog & other injections, I have had five heavy menstrual periods in the past 2 months. If I don't keep something in my stomach at all times, it feels as if the bottom falls out. I get really weak. My sugar levels tested fine. I have never experienced this prior to the kenalog. I am now somewhat depressed and get anxious. I also get tingling on the top & back of my head. MRI & CT Scan showed nothing... again, this never happened before the Kenalog & other steroid injections. My TSH thyroid level also came back as being slightly elevated. Again, was normal before injections.

This has been terrible. I would never recommend steroid injections to anyone. I just pray my body gets back to normal in time. But, since it was a six month injection, I just hope it doesn't take that long!

Epidural Steroid Injection of Kenalog. I asked about side effects and was assured it was a safe procedure. Within a few weeks I started suffering from pins and needles in hands and feet which progressed to severe burning pain over most of my body. I now live in constant pain (far worse than my original back pain) and have been told that I probably have Arachnoiditis as a direct result of Kenalog shot. Steroid injections in the back are at best only a quick fix and I would NEVER have had it had I known of the possible side effects. This injection has ruined my life.

Glad I found this forum. Yesterday my doctor started me on Levaquin 500mg x10 for a mild case of epididmytis. I've taken two doses thusfar, but have decided to discontinue the medication after researching quinolones online. Also, I developed a small rash on my stomach last night, and a minor rash on my left flank today. Add to this the jittery/dizzy feelings and anxiety I'm feeling, and I think that's reason enough to d/c. My doctor should be calling in a new prescription today, from another class of antibiotics.

I fully recognize that my anxiety is most likely not from the medication-- rather, it's likely from KNOWING that all these potential side effects exist. However, I believe that the symptoms described by the userids of this forum are real, especially since there is so much negative press about this class of drugs. I'm starting medical school next year, and I assure you all that when I finally become a physician, I'll strongly encourage proactive patients. Why trust exclusively what the drug companies/literature says about a medication when there are multiple patients telling you about their bad side effects? Patients know how they feel, not some report.

As an aside, I think I'll start looking into when my girlfriend took levaquin. She's only 22 years old, but has suffered severe lower back pain for a couple years now (sometimes so bad she couldn't walk). I know she took levaquin at some time in the past-- I can remember looking at the pills. She deals with the pain through natural anti-inflammatories (flax oil, etc.), but she has gone through a lot of physicians while trying to find the cause. She's had x-rays, MRI's, physical therapy, steroid injections, and has met with multiple neurologists and orthopods. So far, no cause has been found. She was a perfectly health college athlete (equestrian) when her back pain struck out of the blue one day. I still remember, she was crying, and couldn't walk the two blocks to her class.

By no means have I suddenly concluded that her pain was caused by levaquin; rather, I relate this story to see if anyone else has experienced lasting low-back pain. I'll keep looking into that possibility, but in the meantime, I'l continue feeling relieved that I'm stopping a potentially dangerous medication. Good luck to all of you in dealing with your afflictions.

Nick