Manage Your Allergy Symptoms With A Kenalog Steroid Injection
If youre one of the millions of people in the United States who greets spring with mixed feelings, thanks to hay fever, theres good news. We offer a steroid injection called Kenalog that takes the teeth out of spring allergies, allowing you to get out and enjoy this season of renewal.
At Express Lane Urgent Care, we see our fair share of patients from the Turlock, California, area who come to us each spring with symptoms that range from sneezing and watery eyes to body aches and sinus problems. To help keep these symptoms at bay, we offer a steroid injection Kenalog that can provide months of relief.
Heres a look at how we can manage your seasonal allergy symptoms with Kenalog.
Side Effects Of Steroid Injections
Possible side effects of steroid injections depend on where the injection is given.
Side effects of injections into the joints, muscles or spine can include:
- pain and discomfort for a few days paracetamol may help with this
- temporary bruising or a collection of blood under the skin
- flushing of the face for a few hours
- an infection, causing redness, swelling and pain get medical advice as soon as possible if you have these symptoms
- a loss of fat where the injection was given this can cause dimples in the skin and may be permanent
- paler skin around the site of the injection this may be permanent
- if you have diabetes, your blood sugar level may go up for a few days
- if you have high blood pressure, your blood pressure may go up for a few days
Epidural injections can also occasionally give you a very painful headache that’s only relieved by lying down. This should get better on its own, but tell your specialist if you get it.
Side effects of injections given into the blood tend to be similar to side effects of steroid tablets, such as increased appetite, mood changes and difficulty sleeping.
You can report any suspected side effect to a UK safety scheme.
Corticosteroid Injections Can Help Relieve Both Inflammatory Arthritis And Osteoarthritis Find Out More If Theyre A Good Pain Relief Option For You
Remember the Carly Simon song I Havent Got Time for the Pain? She may have been talking about heartbreak, but arthritis pain is something you dont want to make time for either. When you have osteoarthritis or a type of inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout, you may get used to living with daily chronic pain, but when an acute arthritis flare occurs, it can really throw you off your daily routine and ability to work, be active, run errands, etc. Thats where corticosteroid injections come in a treatment option for acute bouts of pain.
Before Cheryl Ackerman was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, she was experiencing pain so excruciating that she could barely walk, sit, or stand for any length of time. Per a doctors recommendation, she received corticosteroid shots in both of her knees, neck, and back. After about three weeks I finally felt the full effect by the inflammation going down and this gave me great relief, says Ackerman, who is from Florida. Even with the maintenance and pain, Ackerman says getting the injections is worth it. They have improved my quality of life living with rheumatoid arthritis immensely.
Steroid injections can relieve pain and improve mobility for many people, but they dont work equally well for all types of arthritis. There are also important precautions about how frequently you can safely receive them. Heres what you need to know before you face the needle.
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What Is A Cortisone Shot
If you have arthritis, you might have considered a cortisone shot as part of your treatment plan. Also called âcorticosteroid,â âsteroid shot,â and a human-made version of the hormone cortisol, these shots aren’t pain relievers. Cortisone is a type of steroid, a drug that lowers inflammation, which is something that can lead to less pain.
Is There A Single Shot That Can Cure Seasonal Allergies
Hey, doc, I need an allergy shot. My brother-in-law’s doctor gave him one, and he’s completely cured. Can I get one?”
I could see that Max was suffering: his eyes were watery, red and swollen, he kept clearing his throat, and his nose was red from so much wiping.
May and June are allergy season in Contra Costa County, especially in Central and East county.
Max’s desire to get a shot and have his symptoms be gone for the rest of the allergy season was certainly understandable.
There are so many treatments for seasonal allergies, from over-the-counter medicines and sprays, to pills, syrups, sprays and shots that need a doctor’s prescription. What treatment is best?
In my experience, the treatments that work best for most people with the fewest serious side effects are prescription steroid sprays for the nose, such as Nasarel, Nasonex and Vancenase AQ, and a variety of prescription eye drops, including Cromolyn and Patanol, for allergic eye symptoms.
These put the medicine directly on the problem, and the side effects are minimal, even if used continuously for months or years on end. But these are often expensive, and require daily or more frequent use.
So, what about “the shot” that Max wanted? This refers to a long-acting glucocorticoid shot such as Depomedrol. It’s cheap, convenient, and I’ve never seen it fail to alleviate, or at least improve, allergy symptoms.
Some doctors think that the shot is too potentially dangerous for an illness that is “only” unpleasant.
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What Does Cortisone Do
Cortisone, also known as a corticosteroid or a steroid, is a hormone your body naturally produces via the adrenal glands. When delivered as a medication, corticosteroids reduce the activity of your immune system, which relieves inflammation and pain for people with different kinds of arthritis .
Corticosteroids comes in many different forms, which vary by how long they stay in your body, how easily they dissolve, and how quickly they take effect. They can either be delivered locally , or systemically . Systemic corticosteroids are usually taken orally or as injections into a vein or muscle. Local corticosteroids for arthritis can be given as an injection into a joint for other types of health issues, they can also be delivered as skin creams, eye drops, or ear drops.
How Long Do The Effects Last
A cortisone injection will usually take a few days to start working, although sometimes they work within a few hours.
People who have had injections with a local anesthetic will experience pain relief immediately or within a few minutes, but this will wear off after around half an hour unless the anesthetic is particularly long-lasting.
The pain relief a cortisone injection provides does not last forever. It is estimated that the duration of pain relief will be no longer than 2 months, on average.
For people with OA, a cortisone injection may improve pain for several weeks, months, or even longer, especially for OA of the knee or thumb.
Anyone receiving repeat injections may notice that their pain relief lasts less and less time. This is not because they have built up a tolerance to the cortisone, but because their joint is getting worse.
For people with OA, there are several management tips that can make living with OA easier:
- following a healthful and balanced diet
- getting regular exercise
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Why Are Steroid Injections Used
A local steroid injection may be given to reduce inflammation and pain in a joint. Steroid injections may be used for people with rheumatoid arthritis or other causes of joint pain and swelling such as osteoarthritis, gout or frozen shoulder. Steroid injections may also be used for inflammation of soft tissues, such as:
- Foot problems – eg, plantar fasciitis.
The main purpose of the steroid injection is to decrease pain and increase movement and use of the affected area. Steroid injections are usually well tolerated and much less likely than steroid tablets to cause serious side-effects. See the separate leaflet called Oral Steroids.
How Should Dexamethasone Be Taken
Dexamethasone Tablets are available in 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2, 4 and 6 mg strengths. The initial dosage for Dexamethasone varies from .75 to 9 mg a day depending on the disease being treated. Infants born to mothers who have received substantial doses of corticosteroids during pregnancy should be carefully observed for signs of hypoadrenalism. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from corticosteroids, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother. Use in pediatric patients is recommended to be done in consultation with a pediatric specialist.
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Does Getting A Cortisone Shot For Arthritis Hurt
No doubt youve heard stories or have been warned that cortisone shots can be painful. Steroid shots are usually either mixed with a local anesthetic to help relieve pain or patients are given a local anesthetic first before the steroid shot is given. Some people feel minimal discomfort, while others feel intense pain its hard to explain why injections hurt some and not others, says Dr. Sufka. One thing is certain: being anxious doesnt help. Many times pain comes from tensing up muscles around the needle, he says. Dr. Sufka helps his patients his patients completely relax the area before the injection.
When Peggy Meyer, an osteoarthritis patient from North Carolina, was exploring her pain management options, she heard good and bad things about steroid shots but decided to go for it. I recall how I dreaded those shots initially, but the few seconds of discomfort is worth the relief it brings, Meyer says. Now, when my knee tells me its time for another shot, and I actually look forward to it.
Immediately icing the area after the injection can help relieve swelling and pain. You may feel fine right after the injection while the anesthetic is still effective, but as it wears off, you may actually feel pain that is worse than what you experienced before the procedure. This increased level of pain remember, a needle was just injected into your body should only last up to two days before things start to improve.
Carrying A Steroid Card
If you’ve had a steroid injection into a joint or muscle, your healthcare professional may give you a steroid card for you to carry around. This will have details of the treatment you’ve had.
Steroid injections can stop the body producing natural hormones, which can be dangerous if you get ill, have an accident or need an operation. There is evidence that this can be a risk for up to one month after just one steroid injection. If you’ve had three steroid injections over the course of 12 months, this risk could last for a further 12 months.
Keeping the card with you will help any other doctor who treats you to manage your care correctly.
If you have any questions or concerns about this, talk to the healthcare professional who prescribed your steroids.
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What Types Of Doctors Administer Cortisone Injections
Many different health care professionals administer cortisone shots. The specialty administering the cortisone depends on the condition being treated. For example, a primary care doctor or nurse practitioner may administer a systemic cortisone injection in the gluteus muscle to treat an allergic reaction. Orthopedic surgeons commonly give cortisone injections into a joint, such as a cortisone injection into the knee to treat knee osteoarthritis. Dermatologists treat some skin conditions with special preparations of cortisone . Rheumatologists administer cortisone injections into joints to treat joint inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis or other forms of arthritis.
Who Can Have Steroid Injections
Most people can have steroid injections.
Tell the doctor before having treatment if you:
- have had a steroid injection in the last few weeks you usually need to wait at least 6 weeks between injections
- you’ve had 3 steroid injections in the last year doctors usually recommend no more than 3 injections in the same area in the space of 12 months
- have had an allergic reaction to steroids in the past
- have an infection
- have recently had, or are about to have, any vaccinations
- are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying for a baby
- have any other conditions, such as diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure, or problems with your liver, heart or kidneys
- are taking other medicines, such as anticoagulants
Steroid injections may not always be suitable in these cases, although the doctor may recommend them if they think the benefits outweigh any risks.
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Steroid Injection Timing If You Have Already Received The Covid
We want our immune system to function well after we receive the vaccine. That will enable our body to produce antibodies and the cellular components of immunity that we require to minimize our risk of becoming infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
According to the manufacturers, they suggest the following :
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Theoretically, it is unlikely for a corticosteroid injection to diminish the immunogenicity expected to be achieved by around day 28 or seven days after dose 2, and we would recommend proceeding with corticosteroid injections after this point in time.
- Moderna COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Based on the data that are provided in two-week intervals, we would recommend timing corticosteroid injections at around day 42 or 14 days after dose 2.
Keep in mind, for certain patients, such as those receiving neuraxial injections for pain relief, these injections improve pain and therefore decrease the stress associated with pain and improve sleep. Both reduced stresses due to pain and an increase in sleep improve your immune function. If the effect of these injections on your response to the COVID-19 vaccination is small, then it may very well be worth it for you to proceed with the injection. These are important considerations that you and your doctor should explore when considering how to time your cortisone injection around a COVID vaccination .
How Often Do You Get Allergy Shots
At first, youâll go to your doctor once or twice a week for several months. Youâll get the shot in your upper arm. It’ll contain a tiny amount of the thing youâre allergic to — pollen, pet dander, mold, dust mites, or bee venom, for example.
The dose will go up gradually until you get to whatâs called a maintenance dose. After that, youâll usually get a shot every 2-4 weeks for 4-5 months. Then your doctor will gradually increase the time between shots until youâre getting them about once a month for 3-5 years. During that time, your allergy symptoms will get better and may even go away.
If your symptoms donât improve after a year of shots, talk with your doctor about other treatment options.
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My Cortisone Shot Didnt Work What Does This Mean
Failure of a cortisone shot may occur for a number of reasons. Firstly, the correct diagnosis is important. If the wrong site is injected, then a cortisone shot will not have a positive effect. Secondly, correct needle placement is essential. Using ultrasound improves the accuracy and therefore effectiveness of a cortisone shot. Finally, failure of proper rehabilitation after a cortisone shot is another important reason.
How Should I Prepare For Allergy Shots
You may want to avoid exercise or doing anything strenuous for 2 hours before and after your appointment. Thatâs because exercise boosts blood flow to the tissues and may cause the allergens to spread throughout your body faster. Itâs not likely to cause a serious problem, but itâs best to be safe.
Tell your doctor about any other medicines or herbs and supplements you take. Some medications interfere with the treatment or raise the risk of side effects. You may need to stop allergy shots if you take these medications.
If youâre pregnant or planning to get pregnant, ask your doctor whether you should continue to get allergy shots.
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How Cortisone Shots Work
Steroid injections contain various formulations of medications. A common combination is a numbing drug similar to procaine mixed with the anti-inflammatory drug cortisone.
Once the cortisone injection finds its target, the numbing effect will start to wear off within hours. “As the numbing agent wears off, the pain may temporarily come back,” Dr. Shmerling says. “Then 24 to 48 hours after the injection, you can begin to expect whatever benefit you’re going to get.”
Are Cortisone Injections Painful
In an expert’s hands, the opposite is more often the case. That is, minimal pain from the procedure is noted while relief from the pain of the inflammation occurs rapidly. Occasionally, cortisone injections of joints that have degenerated or that are particularly small can be associated with temporary minor pain at the time of the injection. This is not generally expected. Less frequently, nerves can be irritated, either directly by the needle during the injection or by the corticosteroid medication. Again, pain after the injection is not common or anticipated.
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What Role Do Steroid Injections Play In An Overall Treatment Plan
Depending on your case, your doctor may give you steroid injections along with pain medications, anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or devices such as canes and braces.
For example, if you donât have any other health problems, a local steroid injection might be all you need for tendinitis. But if you have a condition like rheumatoid arthritis, injections will be only one part of your treatment plan.
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