Kenalog and kenalog 40

Hi I was given a shot of Kenalog-40 in the center of my hand for a nodule from Dupreytron Contracture two days later my hand swelled to the size of a large boxing glove my fingers were so misformed and pulled apart and I had red streaks running up my arm. It wasn't until they did a echocardiogram of my heart and seen that I had a vegetation mobile mass on the right cusp of the aorta to my heart from this shot. I got my shot at the VA Hampton Medical Center in Hampton Virginia on August 27, 2008
and in the hospital the 29th of August 2008.

There were 11 other people who also had trouble with the Kenalog-40 injection but we don't know who the other eleven are so we could get together and do something jointly about this my husband's hand and his heart are damaged for life this is unforgettable.

I went to the Doctor January 23, 2009 for sinus drainage and congestion. I received the Kenalog 40 shot not knowing what it was they were giving me I just thought it was just like any other shot that I had received. They didn't explain any side effects or anything to me. I knew when I got it that it burned more than usual. I always get a shot in my hip and it never hurt like this shot. I went to bed that night and I woke up out of a dead sleep around 2:00 a.m. and my heart was beating out of my chest. I didn't know what was going on. I then had to calm myself and then I looked up the shot on google and found all these horrible things about it. The past 2 weeks my symptoms have gotten worse. I have felt dizzy, tired, loss of appetite. I just haven't felt myself at all. I haven't been able to drive because of the dizziness. I haven't been able to work, Thank God my boss is very understanding. It just sucks and to read all of your stories it has me really thinking. I really think this shot shouldn't be given to people and it SHOULD be taken off the market.

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….

As a fairly healthy 34 year old male, I went to my doctor for help getting over poison ivy mid-July 2008. I received the Kenalog 40 injection without being advised on any potential side effects. Within 36 hours I started having severe anxiety attacks with spikes in my blood pressure and vision problems (spotty, increased sensitivity to light). These attacks continued for 4-8 weeks during which time I underwent an MRI (head), stress test, and blood work to make sure nothing else was causing my symptoms.....conclusion: everything normal. My doctor prescribed me Xanax to help with the out of control anxiety. Started feeling more normal 60-90 days later. I started trying to run on my treadmill to get back in shape at the 90 day mark, and once again....symptoms returned. It's been a couple of weeks and I'm getting closer to being back to "normal", but I have no idea how long it will be before the Kenalog has completely metabolized out of my system, and I can get on with life. This has been a horrible experience and I would caution anyone from receiving this drug!

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'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.

Like so many of you, I Googled "tissue atrophy" and have had the very same experience that you have had with Kenalog. I received a shot in late February of 08, shortly after I noticed severe bruising, which eventually turned into the atrophy I now have. I have taken pictures of it for the past several months...and now, 6 months later it is much worse...deeper and darker in color. Is anyone else having discoloration? Mine is a dark purple-red.
I AM PURSUING a lawsuit against the nurse that injected me because I was absolutely not warned of the side-effects...and now have had to suffer with this hole in my side.

It bothers me...and no one would understand unless this had happened to them I suppose. In addition, I received a second opinion and was told the atrophy was permanent...can anyone else confirm this?

I've also noticed other severe menstrual and emotional side-effects...this stuff can stay in your system for a long time.

Kenalog-40 I was never told what I was being given in my bottom, just that it would help with seasonal allergies. FDA site "Neurologic-Psychiatric: Psychic derangements may appear when corticosteroids are used, ranging from euphoria, insomnia, mood swings, personality changes, and severe depression to frank psychotic manifestations. Also, existing emotional instability or psychotic tendencies may be aggravated by corticosteroids." FDA More "Neuro-Psychiatric: Convulsions, depression, emotional instability, euphoria, headaches, increased intracranial pressure with papilledema(pseudotumor cerebri) usually following discontinuation of treatment, insomnia, mood swings, neuritis, neuropathy, paresthesia, personality changes, psychic disorders, vertigo. Arachnoiditis, meningitis, paraparesis/paraplegia, and sensory disturbances have occurred after intrathecal administration."
I went to an Urgent Care Clinic for allergies. My skin was crawling every time I left the house so I was told the cause was environmental allergies. The Benadryl wasn't helping. The nurse noticed my skin was patchy and swollen. Another nurse returned to the room and said this shot would help with the reactions. I was not told what it was till it was done and she mumbled the word Kenalog. Three hours later I was anxious and talking irratically. Pressured speech, I could not stop talking. I called Nurse Advice line, then told to call a Pharmacy Help Line, who in turn said to go to the ER but to not drive myself in such a condition. I was talking as if I was on speed or manic. The ER said to go home it was just an anxiety attack. I took 2mg Clonzepam to calm down and sleep. In the morning, the symptoms returned. I called the hospital pharmacy and was told to go in immediately to see my doctor, that it is a steroid and causes psychic reactions. My regular doctor didnt have an opening so I saw a different doctor who wasn't familiar with my normal personality. She said she saw nothing wrong no matter that she couldn't get a word in unless I physically put my hand over my mouth. She sent me to a Nurse/psychiatrist next door to her. He said there was nothing wrong also. I had to keep repeating myself, speeding along, stuttering because I was talking so fast, telling him I was going 100 miles an hour in my head and out my mouth. I thankfully had an appointment with my psychologist a few minutes later in a different part of the hospital. I see her weekly. She immediately saw my change in mood and personality and called the clinic nurse/psychiatrist and told him to prescribe clonzepam. I did some reading about kenalog 40 injections. The clinic doctors didnt have the same list of side effects as their own pharmacy. I should never have been given the shot because I already have an emotional/mood problem and have epilepsy. I have to increase my anti-convulsants for at least two weeks and watch my mood very very closely. Some days I "fly" then "crash" now. This is all new, extreme symptoms of an already existing condition. This Urgent Care Clinic nurse was told all these things by me, repeatedly because of all my allergies to drugs, daily convulsions and counselling I already undergo for PTSD. I was never seen by a doctor that day or counselled. I will never take a steroid again based on the information I now have on its effects on psychiatric and seizure conditions. I am already disabled because of daily seizures and now I have even more daily seizures. These mood swings and seizures will be abnormally high for over 3 weeks I was told by the doctors but the more reading I do the longer I find that the steroid will cause side effects. Epileptics or those with a low seizure thresh hold, anyone with psychiatric conditions, emotional problems such as panic attacks or anxiety, PTSD, depression, Please use caution with kenalog. My friends are very helpful and supportive during this time. They can see the emotional impact the steroids are having on me. They will tell me I am speeding and I say "sorry, its the 'roids talking" Now, I will be watching my butt, too. Its been 7 days since the injection.

On December 10 of 07, my 4 y.o. son had a tonsillectomy and a intramuscular injection of Kenalog - 40 in to his turbinate of his nose. a week later my wife and I noticed a problem with his left eye. Went to opthamologist and he said he was blind in his left eye. It is not recommended to give Kenalog by route of interburinate due to severe cases of blindness.

I too had a Kenalog-40 shot in my glute January 2007, for hair loss related to Yasmin. I developed a large, indentation with pigment changes, as I am African American. I cured my own dent after my dermatologist and a few specialists at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where I work, told me there was nothing they could do to help me. I took chlorophyll supplements for 30 days and the dent disappeared. I used Nature's Way chlorophyll and apparently this stuff removes drug deposits from the body and fully cleared up the dent. Take a look online for info on chlorophyll and you will lots of positive reports.

Good Luck, ALL!!!

Kenalog can be great and it can be bad. I had a bad accident and have a HUGE encapuslated scar around my chin and jaw. It makes my face have NO character and looks masculine and square. For the scarring I was told to massage it at first and it would dissipate with time. For the scar under my chin, where they put my jaw back together, I had what are called "dog ear" scars which are hanging skin really. A NOT very smart doctor injected me TOO close to the surface and it caused the colored indentation you ALL have been discussing. IT IS reversible. Two years later and lots of daily applications of retin-a (tretinoin) you can barely see that it ever was an indent nor discolored.
I was disappointed that my scarring under ths skin around the chin/jaw never did go away and found another doctor. This doctor VERY cautiously started, to my horrid fear as I thought this was "flesh eating bacteria" to offer and proceed, with my permission to give me injections. SLOWLY the scarring is going down, and today I went for treatment THREE with Kenalog 40 which is a higher dose than he had previously given. I have very fibrous scar tissue and he is very careful to actually go INTO the scar and not the skin. I am a bit worried that with the higher dose it may actually do some harm, but lets see and so far this doctor seems to REALLY know how to use this stuff. I think it is a great option for certain conditions and when used properly. I am hoping that you guys discuss with local specialists who is recommended in your region because the provider and their experience is important. You would not get breast implants from a dentist would you?

I had a kenalog 40 shot on the 14th of august. For a rash on shoulder from a patch i as wearing for tendonitis. The rash went away but i am experiencing side effects. Heart beats hard sometimes when i lay down, wake up at night with sweat on back of head, i had internal tremours in arms and legs for a few days and left arm fells hot sometimes. I am experiencing anxiety like i have never know. I can't wait till this shot is completely out of my body.

I received a kenalog injection for coccyx pain March 2007. I have noticed the following side effects: nausea,heightened anxiety, insomnia, night sweats, loss of appetite, fatigue and severe generalized itching. It is now August and I am still experiencing these problems.
I have a question. Has anyone out there noticed their blood sugar
increasing? I am trying to see if this is separate or related to the injection.

Posted: Tue, 05 Sep 2006 12:31:18 -0700

where is the best injection site for kenalog-40? i was injected on the deltoid muscle and no indention noticed. i think it's the best site i recommend.

I am in reply to this statement. I received two shots in my deltoid muscle they said it was 10mg of Kenalog. So I do not know if that was the total. I did get two very pronouced indentions in that muscle. I was a little unhappy as that was in January and today is April 23rd? 2007

My 17 year old college bound 5'11 volleyball playing daughter recieved an intravertebral injection of kenalog 40, 3 1/2 weeks ago. That night she began intense headaches . Within 1 week her menstral cycle was off, spotting. Vomitting started 1 week following also. She now suffrs with intense migrane headaches(light sensitive), followed by vomitting on a daily basis. Her life has been turned upside down.

i recieved 3 kenalog epidural injections for herniated disc, 2 weeks apart, followed by a decompression nucleoplasty, also with Kenalog injection. after the first epidual. i began having extreme irritablity which i reported to the pain management doc. he said he couldn't prescribe anything but could refer me to a psychologist, which i declined , realizing i was having a reaction to something. after the 3rd epidural, my irritabilty had increased to the point where i was shouting and screaming, and had completely lost my patience. my face had blown up, and cheeks were hard to the touch, and my neck skin was swollen and hanging down. i described my appearance as "looking like a blowfish".

on the day of the nucleoplasty, i agreed that the doc should go ahead and use it again, since it was important for the procedure, and it was not a "true (anaphalctic) type reaction.

after this last injection of Kenalog, i had a terrible terrible reaction. my face became even larger, with big dark circles under my eyes, and my eyes partially closed, appeared like slits. i was frightened by my reflection in the mirror.

my feet, ankles and legs swelled up to the point where it was painful and difficult to walk.

i also i developed insomnia.

at the same time i was "off the wall" with irritability, anger, impatience, and could not stop crying.

during the day i had a general ill and sleepy feeling, and fell asleep driving, without notice.

throughout this period of Kenalog adminstration, i also had flu like symptoms every morning. sore throat, laryngitis, loose cough, muscle pains. i noticed black and blue marks on my extremities as well.

now i have a full blown flu and full blown bronchitis, and i feel so very very ill.

my feet and calves, hands and fingers are experiencing very painful cramping, intermittantly throughout the day and night. it's happening right now in my left hand, so i have to stop typing. i wait for one minute and try to continue typing, but that causes the painful spasm to return. i try again 2 more times, waiting a minute in between spasms. finally it stops and i can continue typing.

there are probably more symptoms, like the irregular heart beat, and these little bumps on the skin of my right cheek, but i need to rest now.

generally, i feel sicker probably than i can ever recall feeling in my life.

would appreciate hearing from anyone with similar symptoms, and especially how long before my face returns to normal. i live with the fear of what will i do if it does not?

I received a kenalog injection by fluoroscopy for lower back pain at L5/S1 disc. After the injection my period was a week and a half late, once it started it hasn't stopped I have been bleeding heavily for 20 days now. I have always had normal cycles every 25 days and lasting 4 to 5 days. This is not normal for me, even after the birth of my 3 children my cycles returned to normal and I bled lighter and for less time than what I am now. I called and spoke to the nurse at the pain management clinic where I received the injection and she told me that she had never heard of that happening. She then went on to say possibly every 1 in 100 can have that side effect. My gynecologists nurse also said she had never heard of this. I started researching kenalog on line and every
article I found about this list menstrual irregularities. I had the pharmacist at my pharmacy print me the patient insert for kenalog 40 and it to lists menstrual irregularities. If I can find this information our so easily and the pharmacists are aware of the side effects then why aren't the doctors informing their patients. My gynecologist put me on 200mg. of prometrium which is a progesterone to try to stop the bleeding. Thirty pills total which I had to double up on the first week but they did not work so he told me to stop taking them. I am scheduled to see him tomorrow to possible try a
premarin injection which is estrogen to see if this stops the bleeding. I called and spoke with Bristol Myers concerning my side effects, and the nurse I spoke with told me kenalog
suppresses your adrenal system which controls cortisol and hormone production and it can take several months to get out of your system. I can not go on bleeding like this for several months it's already been 3 weeks with no end in sight. My only other option right now is a d and c. I am afraid to put any more shots or hormones in my body as it is messed up enough already. I have also been extremely week and tired, very dizzy, irritable, mood swings. no energy, sweats at night, shaky, and heart palpitations. I never had any of this before the injection. My only problem was back pain from an auto accident otherwise I've always been healthy. I know kenalog caused. I wish I would have been informed of the side effects first. It helped my back pain but it is not worth it for all the other problems that it caused. I told bristol myers when I spoke with them that they need to make sure that the medical professionals using their drug are aware of their side effects and that they inform their patients especially females, and she made a notation to follow through with my request. No one should have to go through this. I am so glad I found this website as I do not feel so alone now. I will write again and let you know how I made out at the gynecologists office. Sue

Hey all, I have posted several times on here. I am devastated about my tissue loss in my forehead. I am trying to pursue a lawsuit against a plastic surgeon in Michigan. My doctor tried to cover it up by immediately injecting me with a filler at MY COST and telling me it would last 5 years. Well guess what, 11 months later it disappeared and I got my medical records and found it it was cause she injected me with KENALOG 40! I only have one more year to file a complaint and so far this is hard. We really need to figure out a way to start a class-action lawsuit against bristol-Meyers-Squibb. Keep calling them, every little complaint helps!

These doctors could care less about us! I have had to be put on anti-depressants because my situation is right in the middle of my forehead. I am disfigured from a small procedure.

One surgeon I went to mentioned how hard it was to utilize Kenalog 40. It has to be diluted PRECISELY or else it will most definitely 'cause atrophy. This has to stop!!!!

where is the best injection site for kenalog-40? i was injected on the deltoid muscle and no indention noticed. i think it's the best site i recommend.

I had a Kenalog 40 injection on January 12 2006. I missed my period in January. I finally started in Feb. It lasted 10 days. At the end of the month (2 weeks later) had another period that never stopped. Had a D&C March 31. I bleed 7 days after and then two weeks to the day from the bleeding stoping I started what I hope to be a normal period. It is a very heavy period. I was never told all the side effects. I had the injection in my right shoulder.I am so mad about this. I now have several thousand dollars in medical bills just from the side effects. After my insurance paid.I had a severe allergic reaction a few hours after the injection. Trouble swallowing, Shortness of breath, chest pain, lump in my throat that lasted for several weeks. Flare up of my GERDS. Unexplained high blood preasure. It was 3 months April 12 everything has returned to normal except my periods.

I received an injection of Kenalog (40 mg in my right buttocks ) in November 2004. I had some sort of of rash under my eyes. The shot worked. The rash came back in February 2005 and again I was given an injection of Kenalog (1cc in my right buttocks). It was after this second shot that everything changed for me. The first obvious side effect to be directly identified with Kenalog was the Huge hole in my butt. I had Many other side effect for weeks and months to come that I didn't realize was the Kenalog till just this past week. I have had terrible night sweats for months, I have had a chronic yeast infection that no matter how much diflucan I take it doesn't go away. But the worst side effect is that my resting heart beat has been about 15 beats per minute more that it ever was and shoud be. I feel like there has been as excess of adrenaline running through my body 24/ 7. Hard to be inside my own sking these days. I also recently started to lose my hair. I just last week finally couldn't take the way I feel so, I went to see an endocronologist who said it is the reaction of the Kenalog. And told me this could last a year.
Has any one else out there experienced a rapid heartbeat and unbearable anxiety?????

Paralyzed diaphragm after kenalog injection=January 2005 I woke up after sleeping crooked on my couch with a stiff neck.After 5 days the neck spasm was still there so I went to Urgent Care and got a Kenalog 40 with Marcaine shot at the base of my neck.My neck felt better but I noticed my breathing was labored.(I am a swim instructor and am VERY aware of my breathing)After seeing a Pulmonologist and having EVERY diagnostic test done, there was no other explanation for the paralysis.Pulmonologist blamed it on the shot also said could be "idiopathic". The phrenic nerve(which controls diaphragm) runs from the neck down to the diaphragm. Lawyer said he couldn't find enough cases/examples to justify this as a case. The uncanny timingAND location of the kenalog shot with my paralysis is very freaky.Has this happened to anyone? Thank you for reading this.

I was recently diagnosted with 2 bulging discs in my back after being in constant pain for 7 months. My doctor suggested tht I get a series (3 shots) of epidural steriod shots in my back to see if it would help. I had the first on 02APR05 and felt great after 3 days. I was basically pain free for 6 weeks and then the pain started again. I just had my second shot yesterday and I'm just waiting for the soreness at the injection site to go away. The only side effect that occurred is slight muscle cramps in my hamstrings occasionally. I've had two different doctors give the injection and neither talked about side effects of the steriod (Kenalog 40). They only generalized steriod side effects such as possible weight gain, fluid retention, increaded appetite, increased blood sugar and a few other symptoms. There was nothing about the actual medication itself.

I had a kenalog injection in my wrist and now I have fatty atrophy and no pigmentation in the area of the shot. I did a little legal research out of curiosity and found one case similar to my situation. The case was in Ohio in the late 1980's. The patient lost the case mainly because of the following: "The testimony of Dr. Bok's expert -- Dr. Denka -- if believed by the jury certainly supported the verdict reached by the jury. In response tot he hypothetical question quoted above, Dr. Denka stated that in his opinion 'Dr. Bok did not deviate at all from the standard medical practice in the ordering of the injection of Kenalog, 40 milligrams intramuscularly' (Tr. at 346), nor in the manner of injection, i.e., a one-inch needle. (Tr. at 355). Dr. Denka also testified that he did not think Dr. Bok 'deviated from an acceptable medical standard in not forewarning Mrs. Mercer of ', because it's not practical to tell patients all of the possible side effects of Kenalog, especially where the side effects are not likely to happen. (Tr. at 357-58). And finally, Dr. Denka testified that the atrophy would have eventually filled in and healed itself without treatment. (Tr. at 353), which is consistent with Dr. Bok's advice to leave the atrophy alone. (Tr. at 100)." This is just one case, but it doesn't bode well for those in Ohio who want to sue for this. This was just a quick search I did---there might be more cases out there.

I was injected with Kenalog 40 on Oct 4th 2004,i went to my doctor cause I thought my Kidneys were infected. Dr. tested my urine and came back negitve my Dr. told me that I may have a musle spasm in my lower back causing me extreme pain. He told me that he was going to inject me with an anti-inflamatory and I should feel better witin 2 hours. That day I went home to nap and felll asleep for 12 hours. Apx. 2-3 weeks after the injections, I noticed a quarter sized red, black and blue spot on the injection site. My minstrul cycle lasted for 4 weeks and i spot evey now and then till this day Nov. 24, 2004. I am also experencing extreem acne on my neck back and shoulders, I have caught a cold and have had it for 3-4 weeks and nothing is helping it go away, My hands have a rino hide texture and dicoloration all on them, I have had severe chest pain and 1 episode of a serious panic attack causeing me to black out and I could not breath.
I went back to the doctor who injected me on Nov. 19th 2004 to let him know of all the problems I am having and he acted like he never seen anything like what I was going thru before. His soultion was to recomend a gynocologist and a dermatologist to take care of my skin a minstal problems and told me that he could not do anything about the reaction I was having from the injection site. After my visit I decided to do a little investigation of my own and descovered that Kenalog 40 was never tested for musle spasms. I called the maufator of this drug and they said that the side effects I was experencing were never reported and I should have not been injected with this drug for my lower back spasms. I have called my doctor several times and he will not return my phone calls. I don't know what to do. I am 24 and am in good health other than the side effects of this drug. Anyone using this injection for musle spasms ? What should I do ? Nov 24th 2004.

PS: Happy Thanksgiving !

Kenalog 40% 2cc in shoulder. Depressed pituitary/adrenal function- cortisol levels went to nonexistent. ACTH levels non-existent. Neither adrenal nor pituitary funtioning- had to take small dose of prednisone (2 mg) for ten days to keep from going into adrenal crisis- never felt so exhausted, so weak in my life- and I have fibromyalgia. Moon face, FACIAL HAIR on the sides of my face (and loss of hair on scalp, under arms, legs)- and I am a very fair Caucasian FEMALE- will this hair GO AWAY- one endocrinologist says yes- in 1.5 years, another says no, the dermatologist has never heard of it, and the orthopedic surgeon who administered the shot into shoulder says he has never seen this reaction. MD'S ARE PATHETIC- 35% OF MEDICAL DIAGNOSES ARE INCORRECT.
Yes- it relieved the pain in my shoulder- torn labrum- temporarily, and it cleared up my facial eczema- temporarily- but at what COST. I have been an invalid for the three months since the injection, although my cortisol levels are starting to rise again. Also- had ALLERGIC reaction at time of injection- about two minutes after the shot, I had problems focusing my eyes, was nauseated, disoriented, had diarrhea- was told this was an ANXIETY reaction- even though I went to the ER later, they also told me "everything was fine."
ANY EXPERIENCE WITH FACIAL HAIR- is it reversible with time? In despair....