Steroid Injection's?

sailrib
sailrib Member Posts: 327
edited 28. May 2014, 15:36 in Living with Arthritis archive
I had an appointment with my surgeon earlier this week and he said he wants to whole off with fusing my mid-foot now as he feels the 50% success rate and how mobile I'll be afterwards is too greater risk at my age.

Not too sure how I feel about that but he's the expert so I'll go from there.

He did say I could come back to him in 10 weeks or 10 years asking him to do the operation but we will see.

Anyway, he said I could have steroid injections again even tho my last one was extremely painful and I was unable to walk on my foot for 3 days afterwards :(

How many steroid injections are we allowed per year? My surgeon said 3 or 4 but he wasn't sure.

Thank you.

Comments

  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    More to the point how were things after the initial pain? Ideally it is three or four because they are supposed to last for three months or so. Of course it was initially painful, a steroid injection is done into a very small space which was never designed to be 'pressure washed' in this way - even now I can exactly recall the particular pain in my knees that they caused. I only ever gained three days or so of slightly reduced pain so won't bother having them again but if they helped you before . . . . . . DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • sailrib
    sailrib Member Posts: 327
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    They have helped me before but my last injection was so painful. I asked why this was the case and he said that sometimes they are. I only seem to get about a week of less pain and that's it :(

    When you say, our joints are not meant to be pressure washed in this way. Does this mean every time we have an injection, are we actually doing more damage to our joints?
  • sailrib
    sailrib Member Posts: 327
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Oh after the initial pain, the pain didn't get any better then what is has been for the last 3 years. In fact, I would say, it's made it permeantly (spelling) more powerful since the injection.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I doubt that a small squirt of steroid is going to damage joints, I was using that as a metaphor to explain the stress the joint space undergoes. Medicos can do many weird and wonderful things to the body which the body was never designed to undergo whilst it's doing many weird and 'un-wonderful' things to us which require these interventions. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • trepolpen
    trepolpen Member Posts: 504
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hi sailrib , what joint they intend to inject ? never found it worked will in my ankles but in other joints worked very well

    as for fusing your mid foot , I am not sure how much it would help but your consultant could arrange a anesthetic into the joints under xray & that would tell you how much benifit you would get out of the opperation , had this done when I had triple fusion on my ankle to decide if I needed the main ankle joint fused at the same time , if they done this you would know for yourself how much it will help you ,
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Sailrib

    To answer your question this is a good link:

    http://www.bupa.co.uk/individuals/health-information/directory/s/joint-injections?tab=FAQs

    It also tells why it is not good to have too many of steroid injections as damage can be done.

    Elna x
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • dachshund
    dachshund Member Posts: 8,898
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Sailrib
    i had a mid foot triple fusion 3 years ago i was 70 then i was not offered a steroid injection. i cannot bend my foot now but i have not got any pain there now. i wish you all the best.
    have you got a dachshund.
    take care
    joan xx
    take care
    joan xx