Hi, Within approx two weeks of my signifigant other having had his 3rd injection he became terribly ill -- joints all seemed to?feel like they "dried up" in shoulders, groin, hips, hands. He can't sleep, has lost his muscle tone and is on large amounts of prenazone just to function. We've been to Rheumatology dr, infectious disease etc etc with 30+ blood workups. No one can find anything but I feel there is some connection to the Orthovisc shot. Ironically, his knee is better but his body is falling apart. Has anyone ever heard of something like this happening? We are desperate - he is in incredible pain and doctors just keep sending us in circles.
We are desperate for more information about side effects of orthovisc - can anyone help?
- Posted:
- 15 Sep 2011 by Edithdr
- Topics:
- orthovisc, side effect, systemic lupus erythematosus, injection
Details:
Responses (1)
DzooBaby15 Sep 2011
Side Effects by Body System - for Healthcare Professionals
Local
Local side effects have included erythema, edema, pain, and other injection site reactions in 0.2% to 2.5% of patients.
Musculoskeletal
Musculoskeletal side effects have included arthralgia, arthritis, arthropathy, Baker's cyst, bursitis, joint disorder, joint effusion, joint stiffness, joint swelling, pseudosepsis, localized osteoarthritis, aggravated osteoarthritis, ecchymosis, and knee arthroplasty.
Pseudosepsis has been characterized as severe joint inflammation with pain and effusion occurring 24 to 72 hours after injection and it may be more likely to occur after the second or third injection or with repeated courses. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, intra-articular steroids, and/or arthrocentesis are often required to treat pseudosepsis.
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Thank you so much for your response!! I truly, truly appreciate your help.
If this is a side effect is there anyway of determining that through a blood test etc or is it really just process of elimination of everything else? Is there anyway of knowing how rare it is or finding a doctor that has ever dealt with this?
Can musculoskeletal arthralgia be "fixed" so to speak? Is there a steroid that would do what prenazone does but without all the side effects?
and I meant to add... is there a chance these symptoms will go away when the drug gets out of his system?
How long does Orthovisc stay in your body?
It is possible that they will resolve on their own. Most side effects do once the substance is gone from the body. I'm not absolutely sure how long this substance stays in the body but I do know that they usually need to be repeated so it stands to reason that it doesnt last for always once it is there. The literature does state that adverse occurances do resolve but it did not indicate a time factor. Steroids are used to supress symptoms and it is probably going to be your best bet for reducing this inflammation right now. unfortunately steroids do have their rough side effects too. This treatment has only been around since 1987 so it is a relatively new treatment. Most people have localized reactions only. His reaction is unusual. The best he can do is to just hang in there and wait for his body to eliminate this medication from his system and treat the symptoms.
Another thing you might do is to contact the manufacturer to see what info you can get from them. there is always the possibility that it could be another condition as well, totally unrelated to the hyaluronate. I would recommend you consult a Rheumatologist if you have not already.
Sorry-now that I reread your question I see you have seen a Rheumatologist. If they have ruled out other illnesses then it is likely, as a proces of elimination, side effects from the drug. Try contacting the manufacturer. You should be able to get that info from the Dr who did the injection.
thank you so much!