Kenalog and stop the bleeding

update to June 14th. For everyone who has just gotten the shot and think they don't have atrophy. My daughter's didn't start to appear until a few weeks after. It just looked bruised at the begining. Doctors don't want to beleive the Kenalog has done this. Gyn doctor did ultrasound and said everything looked normal, so no reason for the bleeding other than the Kenalog. It has started to get better after 4 months. Now there is a 5-7 day break between her periods. I have refused to put her on birth control to stop the bleeding. I couldn't stand for her to suffer any more side effects. The atrophy looks awful. It is such a bright purple. Doctor said it should not get any worse, but I don't think they really know. Doctor did say it would fade in color, but will never get better without plastic surgery. I can't even find a doctor who is familiar with Kenalog or the side effects. I also just found out that the Kenalog stays in your system for 3 months. Of course another thing I was never informed of. I have been taking pictures and keeping all Doctor visit paperwork. I suggest everyone do the same. It has got to be a matter of time before a lawsuit is brought against them.

If you are a woman or have a daughter PLEASE READ.......

Please be very careful before getting a Kenalog injection especially if you are a woman or for your daughter. In March my 13 year old daughter received one Kenalog injection for hay fever. Now almost 4 MONTHS later it is a 2 inch indentation with dark bruising all around it. She has also had her period the entire time with maybe a 1-2 day break between them. It has taken this long for the doctors to say the bleeding is from the Kenalog injection. I never would have allowed them to give this to her if I had known of these side effects. She has been put through test after test and no end in site. Now my 13 year old will have to go on birth control to stop the bleeding and there will prob. be side effects from that as well. I was shocked to find this site and now how many lives this drug is hurting. Now my daughter is suffering, all from 1 SHOT.

I had a kenalog injection in my shoulder at the end of October during my period, my next period was 4 days late and appeared to be normal, 18 days later I started bleeding again which went on for 13 days, I had 5 days off and am now bleeding yet again. I have an added complication of being on warfarin for life for recurrent PEs so Drs are unable to give me anything to stop the bleeding. I was referred for a pelvic scan and am now waiting to see a gynaecologist. No medics seem willing to admit kenalog may be the cause. As my blood has to be kept thinner & I bleed easily, I am very concerned at the amount of blood I am losing. When I had the initial jab the consultant did warn me I may have menstrual irregularities which I interpreted to be a few days early or late, certainly not non-stop bleeding.
I couldn't believe what I was reading when I found this site, so many of us are suffering, why weren't we warned of the side effects. I certainly wouldn't have had the first injection if I had known and I will not have any further ones.

.Hi this is Sue again guest#33546. I am writing to follow up on my previous article, posted on 11/29/06. I saw my gynecologist on 12/1/06, after the prometrium he had me on failed to stop the bleeding. On December 4th I had surgery to stop extremely heavy bleeding and clots the size of a quarter that lasted 24 days. After speaking with Bristol Myers about my side effects, and them informing me this could continue until the drug was out of my system I decided a premarin injection probably would not work either, since the prometrium did not. I could not go on bleeding the way I was for several more months until this drug ran it's course and was out of my system. I was extremely tired, weak, and dizzy due to blood loss. I had a hysteroscopy, D and C , and an endometrial ablation also known as , performed to stop the bleeding. I was dehydrated and was given 5 bags of fluid in the hospital probably due to blood loss. During my pre op testing my blood pressure was elevated to 162 over 90. I have always had low blood pressure. They did an ekg and my heart rate was also elevated. Another side effect I failed to mention in my previous article was severe charley horse type cramping in my calves and feet while sleeping at night. The bleeding has lightened up to a brownish discharge now which is normal and can last for up to 2 weeks post-op. Besides informing Bristol Myers of my side effects I also contacted the FDA.

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

I had the shot for my hayfever in June this year. I week later i started menstrual bleeding and haven't really stopped since. Combined with this i have felt weak, lethargic and depressed.

I saw a guyno and told her about the kenalog. she looked it up in the book and it didn't say that disruption of menstual cycles was a side effect. She then asked a reumatoid specialist who said it was abolsutely a very common side effect of Kenalog and that either heavy / irregular bleeding could occur or no bleeding at all. It is a very strong dose of steroids that they use for severe relief of pain. The bleeding should pass one the steroid injection wears off (3 months) and i have been given some medication to stop the bleeding until then (tranexamic Acid Tabs igm?)

I told the consultants about websites such as this and she said that she would write to the drug company as they would then have to include it as a side effect legally. I hope this is the case.

I can't believe i've been through all this - i would prefer to have my allergies frankly!

I feel so much from all of you guys. I am 20 Year old female in Los Angeles. 3 weeks ago I had a Kenalog shot for my C-Section scar/keloid. The point is this, I have had my periods ever since. It doesnt stop. The bleeding is getting heaver each day, and darker. I asked my doctor before the shot, he said absolutely NO side effects from Kenalog. I agree with a class action lawsuit. I am an emotional wreck too.

I would never have agreed to this shot had I known of the side effects.

I got a shot of Kenalog by my dermatologist on 3/9. The next week I had a severe case of constipation, followed by hemorrhoids. Once those cleared up, I started my period (an unusual thing for me as I have an underactive thyroid and am taking synthroid for that and to help regulate my periods). As of this writing, it has been 28 days and counting of non-stop bleeding. My OBGYN has even put me on birth control pills to try to control the bleeding. Does anyone know if birth control pills will help stop the bleeding or does it need to run its course? How long before this stuff gets out of your system?

Two years ago I received a shot of Kenalog in my shoulder (40 mg) to relieve calcified tendinitis. It worked wonderfully--all pain disappeared for more than a month (even my migraines). However, my period went berzerk: I bled for weeks on end. It finally stopped, then a week later it started again. I suspected the Kenalog was the cause since the period problems started at the same time as the injection, but 2 different doctors (family physician and gynecologist) both told me that "no way" could Kenalog cause excessive menstrual bleeding. My orthopedic doctor, who gave the injection, said "well, maybe." My periods went back to normal after a few months and I had no other side effects.
Now it's 2 years later and my shoulder was hurting a lot again, so I went for another Kenalog shot. I was hoping that it was just a fluke the first time. Also, this time I received much less: only 10 mg of Kenalog vs. 40 mg. last time. Well, the shot relieved about half of the pain, which was still enough to allow me to do physical therapy, which will provide a long-lasting solution to the pain. But once again my periods are all messed up! I have been bleeding for 6 weeks now, with no end in sight! I was prescribed progesterone (10 mg, once per day for 10 days) several days ago to stop the bleeding and re-set my cycle, but so far, the bleeding hasn't even slowed down. I take Tylenol and naproxen for the very painful cramps. This time my gynecologist DOES think the bleeding is from the Kenalog, but he is also checking out other possibilities. They did an ultrasound and found a small fibroid, but they don't think that's the cause. I have to go back in 6 weeks for a follow-up. No matter what, I will never take Kenalog again!!