Kenalog and hives

Wow…I was doing so much research today and was so excited to find this website and seeing all the responses from everyone below. My daughter had a really bad allergy attack last 6/2008 when there was a lot of smoke in the Sacramento, CA Valley from surrounding fires. The smoke was so bad for a couple of months. I took my daughter into an urgent care Med 7 of Folsom per the advise nurse line provided by my health insurance co. Nothing had changed in my daughters diet or environment for the hives to occur, other than the smoke that was really bad outside. So the doctor came in and looked at my daughter and then he said they would be administering a Kenalog shot and that would help the hives disappear for what ever reaction she was having. I was a bit concerned because my daughter was only being 2 years old and there is steroids in this medication. Normally when we have ever got any type of injection from a doctors office they have always given you a side effects form for you to review and a form for you to sign an authorization to CYA. Unfortunately, due to me being so concerned with my daughter I didn’t realize it until I had to take my daughter an hour later after we got home the hives did not disappear they got even worst, so we rushed her Mercy of Folsom, CA and I gave my daughter benadryl only to settle the hives because she was so uncomfortable and itchy. Finally after waiting for about 2 ½ -3 hours in the emergency room the hives settled down for a short period of time. Finally we got in to see the doctor I explained everything and realized that the paperwork I had for my daughter didn’t have the side effects paperwork from Med 7 or the amount of the kenalog shot they administered to my daughter. The only thing the doctor could recommend was Zyrtec and to follow up with my daughters primary physician. So, we went to the store and purchased this over the counter medication for her allergies and it worked great for her. About a month after the kenalog injection in her upper left thigh I noticed she had these small white/purplish color marks on her leg and then it turned into a dime size indentation. Over the last 7 months that indentation has grown into the size of a quarter, maybe a bit bigger than that. We didn’t think anything of it until recently we called the advise nurse and she said to make an appointment with our primary physician to have him look at it. When we came into our appointment I explained the long story to him about the shot she received and why she received it, so he referred me to a dermatologist who really couldn’t give me any advise other than it was a lipoatrophy? He said he couldn’t recommend anything other than to watch it over time and if it gets bigger to go back to her primary physician. He stated that she could probably get surgery to have the muscle in her leg pulled together or add filler injections. He said I can’t really suggest anything if it is not effecting her general health. From what I see when I touch this area of my daughter softly she doesn’t even want it to be touched as if it is very sensitive? This is truly unacceptable and I plan on coming after the Med 7 clinic for not providing me any side effects paperwork before administering the shot and they have a rate us 1 - 10 website. I rated them a couple of days later and from what I heard from their Folsom, CA office is that they have the board of directors for these clinics and managers review what is sent on this rating website and someone would follow up with the client. Unfortunately, that was not the case because nobody ever called me back or was concerned. I will never go into a med 7 clinic for assistance again and I will continue my mission to make sure my daughter and others are aware of what could happen to them as well.

PS. To the writer slmgator Thank you!!! I will report my message to the FDA as well….

I have contacted an attorney in Delaware who is willing to pursue a possible class action suit. I explained my side effects from this drug and told him of the countless others that are suffering as well. He said if I was willing to do the "legwork" and gather up names of others who would like to join this suit, perhaps we could get a class action started. If anyone is interested please reply by contacting me at ***** Please be sure to type "Kenalog" as the subject and include your name, email address, and a description of your experience with Kenalog. I will than gather your responses and forward them to the attorney. He will than contact you individually, so please include a contact number. This will take some time. So please be patient, as you know these cases take time. I have spent 15 months trying to get some kind of help from various doctors, to no avail. Someone needs to step up and take responsibility.
Hope to hear from many of you. Thank You

I received a Kenalog injection in December '06 to provide relief from an allergic reaction. My doctor did NOT inform me of any possible side effects other than drowsiness. Two months later a small dipple formed where the shot was given. I had no idea what it was and just assumed it was a part of getting older (I'm 30). When it began to get deeper, I became extremely worried. It has now been 6 months and the dimple has turned into a very large indentation. I still did not put two and two together and did not think it could have been caused by the steroid injuection. I visited my doctor, the same one who administered the shot in December, to find out what this could possibly be. He said he had no idea!! And even suggested it could be cancer!!!! I came home upset, obviously, thinking I was very sick, possibly even dying!! My sister did some research and found this site, and I am so relieved. But now I am angry at my doctor for not warning me of this possible side effect at the time of the shot AND then diagnosing it as a possible cancer!!! So now I am left with this deformity on my butt and a profound feeling of helplessness. Someone please tell me actions you have taken that have worked, both legally and physically. Will this go away?!?

I went to my doctor for severe poison ivy that wouldn't stop itching. I received a Kenalog injection. That afternoon I thought the poison ivy was spreading, because the tops of my feet were covered in itchy red welts. The next morning, the backs of my hands were covered in the same welts. I am convinced these hives are from the injection, although my doctor doubts it.

have used kenalog/xylocaine injections over the years for hip and LS Spine pain due to Fibromyalgia, but never more than 1 injection every 3 months. When I saw my rheumy on5/9/06, she said she would NEVER give just one. She insisted on giving me 4 ! one in each hip and 1 in each buttock. She said she's given as many as 5 at a time, every 5-6 months, with no problems. I have so many probs with allergic reactions to so masny meds, I was petrified. But she's always done well for me, for 17 years. Other than having sleep probs, I was walking and having full mobility in 2 days. However on 5 17/06 I began having severe body wide itching. No welts, but appears to be hives. Do you think there's a connectin to the injection? I'll call my pharmacist today and see wehat he says. Can't narrow it down to anything else. Any ideas?

I was referred to a podiatrist on March 1st 06 for a growth on the bottom of my foot. I was given an injection of Kenalog and have experienced severe pain at the injection site. I have broken out in hives all over my ankles, lower and upper legs.My thighs are covered in horrible bruises after the hives went away, but the hive an severe itching returns every evening. I have had severe fatigue, my tongue is raw, I can not eat. I know it is a reaction to the kenalog. I am in menapause, but am having slight bleeding since the injections, I didn't connect it to the kenalog until I read these posting. I have an appt. with my primary care phsycian in the morning, I will never, never have another one of these injections again. Thank you so much for taking the time to post this helpfull info.

I developed whole-body hives from an injection of 1 cc of Kenalog for tennis elbow. Subsequent allergy testing was "incredible" according to my allergist. We both think that I developed a strong allergy to Kenalog from more than 20 years of using it periodically for scalp eczema.
Apparently, allergy to Kenalog is quite rare (according to my allergist). He's thinking about writing about it. So, altho' I had a severe allergic reaction to it, it appears to be quite rare.