I received shot in my hip on 8/29 and have slept only 2 hrs, a nite since then. I cannot even work now, job is very physical. Am nervous, shaky,whole body twitches. Finally decided to take Dr. advice and take Xanax last nite ( only 1/2 pill) It did calm me down and help me rest, but now feel out of it, and still shaky. How long does this anxiety, nervousness last? This was my 1st shot. Also am afraid to drive much. Never really took any med but aleve. Just want to know how long these effects typically last.Also, don't have much appetite, just nervous eating. All my doctors tell me they have never seen this happen before. ( I really don't believe them) Also, should I go to cardiologist or neurologist ? ( having some chest pain and numbness in left arm) I don't want to take much of the Xanax, says it may be addictive, and don't need more side effects. Help
Corisone shot injection side effects, how long do they last? 9 days now?
Question posted by eice on 7 Sep 2011
Last updated on 31 August 2024
137 Answers Page 3
I know this forum is dated, but it has truly saved my life. I have read it more times than I would like to admit. I had an injection done on May 15, I'm now a little over 2 months out. The doctor also gave me azithromycin for 5 days after the shot. I had one for a sinus infection. And about 2 weeks out from getting the injection I went in a full downward spiral mentally. It sent me straight into depression in which I've never dealt with in my life. But I also had alot happen before seeing the doctor, I lost a loved one, on top of everything happening with covid last year. I had derealization/depersonalization, full body shakes, uncontrollable crying, vision was foggy, nothing around me looked real. Total negative ruminations, especially about my own relationship which I've been in for 13 years and I have never doubted or wanted to walk away from my loved ones, but my brain was telling me to.
I couldn't drink caffeine (I'm a caffeine addict) it made everything worse. Now, I'm over 2 months out, the thoughts have stopped, but my sex drive is still gone, I'm still getting my emotions back (after being numb) I'm having muscle spasms in my mid stomach, loss of appetite, throwing up, headaches and muscle aches and weakness in the body. Insomnia didn't hit me until about a week ago I take melatonin to help with that. This is all caused by that shot. My anxiety which I live with on a daily basis anyways was magnified 100x. Everyone around me looked like a stranger I was a stranger to myself. I believe I had full on steroid induced psychosis, depression. Never in my life have I been through something like this and drs and pharmacists denied all of it. It's a ride but I do feel like I'm improving. I feel guilty for the thoughts it made it have even though I had no control over it. I'm finally starting to get excited about my wife and I Florida trip coming up in a little less than a month and I didn't want to be like this there with her. I know I love her and want to be with her forever. This isn't you, its the drug and I'm happy I can finally say that for myself as well. This shot made me miserable and my prayers are with anyone going through this. I'm so sorry. It's a poison. And I can't wait til it's fully out of my system.
Yes I had my injection in April it still made some of my nerves still tingle and pain in my feet, neck, hands. I am going for physical therapy trying to get stronger! Glad your feeling better
Yes I had my injection in April it still made some of my nerves still tingle and pain in my feet, neck, hands. I am going for physical therapy trying to get stronger! Glad your feeling better
Thank you. I'm still fighting it and waiting on it to get out of my system, but I'm def better than I was month ago. I will never put that stuff in my body again. I never had the tingle feelings but I do get muscle spasms. And the psychosis subsides a little everyday. I can't wait until this is gone and never spoke of again. I'm traumatized by this.
Hi all its me Lost in Az,hope we are all doing the best we can ,almost 6 years post shot,Hugs to the newbies ,just hang on tight, it will get better,lots of good advise from those that have came out on the other side ,Make sure all your medical files say NO STEROIDS OF ANY KIND ,I still have the anxiety but not taking any meds for it ,Remember you will heal ,Prayers for healing ,Lost in Az
I am have similar effects central nervous system can’t sleep, anxiety, headache,. my nerves are tingling in my feet and hands. I just wanted to know how long this last? I am not feeling right.
Unfortunately it takes time, and how much time is a mystery :( I’ve been on these forums for years now. I’ve seen anywhere from just a few months, to as long as 4+ years (I’m at 4+ years) but I’m the longest case I’ve seen. Seems most people are feeling back to normal within a year or two at most. My advice to you is... take it easy on yourself. Don’t starve yourself, it makes it worse. Don’t eat too little but don’t eat too much. Try to focus on eating healthy foods that nourish your body. Don’t do cardio or hard exercise, stick to yoga or even Pilates. I wish I had these tips when I first had all this happening because I accidentally made it worse by doing all the wrong things, like working out too hard and eating too little to lose the weight it caused. I was actually gaining more weight that way. Yoga saved my life, I can’t recommend that enough. Also it might be helpful to talk to a therapist.
My therapist helped a lot and actually believed me that the shots messed me up so badly. She said she’s known people who got those shots and had awful side effects. You’re not alone and it does get better. Just remember to take it a day at a time and take it easy on yourself. And drink lots of water!
Thorne94 Have you tried donating blood? I'm at almost 3 years and have donated whole blood twice now recently, it makes somewhat of a difference. I presume because it directly removes some of the drug from the body in the blood.
Interesting I went to the emergency room for heart palpitations it’s was causing my nervousness and anxiety! They said my heart was ok but they could not get the Steroid out of my body!
I’ve finally had the results of my mri back on my brain and all ok thank goodness, I still have muscle twitches and the internal tremor but it’s getting better all the time and I’m around 19 months out from my steroid injection. Just feel better knowing neurologically I am all ok, I’m hoping one day this tremor and twitches will be gone.
I am not able to get this cortisone type again the Dr told me I am allergic to this by getting the side effects! I have pinched nerves C5-6 and have to live with it I am exercising and going do physical therapy to help it. Very disappointing not to be able to get get the nerve block done! But I don’t want to go through those side effects again it took almost 4 months to stop the medication reaction
I am not able to get this cortisone type again the Dr told me I am allergic to this by getting the side effects! I have pinched nerves C5-6 and have to live with it I am exercising and going do physical therapy to help it. Very disappointing not to be able to get get the nerve block done! But I don’t want to go through those side effects again it took almost 4 months to stop the medication reaction
I am not able to get this cortisone type again the Dr told me I am allergic to this by getting the side effects! I have pinched nerves C5-6 and have to live with it I am exercising and going do physical therapy to help it. Very disappointing not to be able to get get the nerve block done! But I don’t want to go through those side effects again it took almost 4 months to stop the medication reaction
Just take it easy - this hell will be over ! Try to avoid any additional stimulants like coffee and sugar . Rest and wait and if you can meditate :)
Thank you si much for your help and guidance! I’m 11 days in . My doctor said he gave me a longer lasting shot / would you suspect this is what is causing the side effects - especially the random muscle twitches ( have you heard of this ?) do I just need to continue to ride it out until effects are out if system and all this will be over . Thank you !
Thank you si much for your help and guidance! I’m 11 days in . My doctor said he gave me a longer lasting shot / would you suspect this is what is causing the side effects - especially the random muscle twitches ( have you heard of this ?) do I just need to continue to ride it out until effects are out if system and all this will be over . Thank you !
Hi Steve. Yeah the muscle twitches are from the anxiety the shots are causing. I had them a bit too. Be prepared for your body to do a whole range of weird things that have never happened before. My neck muscles would tense up like crazy and make my neck sore, in addition to things like panic attacks, acid reflux, etc etc.
It will pass with time. Depending on the severity of your side effects, you'll recover sooner or later, but you will recover. My shots were 2 1/2 years ago and it took maybe a year and a half for me. Most of the effects were gone after 10-ish months but I had elevated anxiety for a while after that.
Hi bs617z
Thanks for the reply and help. Looks like I may have a rough road ahead as I’m only week 3! I glad you made it thru and that in time I can too . Good to hear about the symptoms going away gradually . Man , the anxiety and the twitches are the worst - did your twitches resolve completely and did it take 10 months ? Just worried about this the most and didn’t realize it was from anxiety due to the cortisone . Thanks again for information and your help. Sounds like it’s one day at a time hanging in there !
Hi Steve12,
Wondering if your muscle twitches/spasms subsided at all? I'm on week 3 post injection and have experienced muscle spasming and twitching since day 3 of the injection. My spasms ebb and flow. Some days will be worse than others. It started in my legs/feet and are now in my hands, arms, and face. When did your twitches start to go away? I'm extremely worried it's ALS, however, I didn't experience this before the injection, so I'm hoping it's just a side effect. I don't believe the twitches are from anxiety, it seems to be from the drug itself running throughout the whole body. Thanks!
Hey hope you are doing well! I read your post and can relate to all your side effects ! had an epidural should in my back 4 days ago . It was my 3rd shot in 5 weeks. The first two were relatively easy . But , man this time I feel extremely anxious , weak legs and muscles , headache , stomach upset , full body twitches - which is the strangest and irritating as all . My doctor said to give it couple weeks . I’m just hoping and praying to make it through and all the side effects go away. I was wondering if all your bad side effects resolved (especially the twitches !)how long does this last? not sure if youll see this post - but hope all is well and best wishes. Steve
I’m 22 months in and almost back to normal. Everyone is different so the amount of time it takes to get back to normal will differ. The main thing to do is realize it will get better. This can play games with your mental health but the quicker you take steps to relax, calm down, and realize it won’t last forever the better you’ll be. Drink water, exercise, eat clean and cutting out caffeine, sugar and alcohol helps tremendously.
Thank you for advice and encouragement . It’s nice to know people on here can relate and made it through . It’s very helpful and good to know there’s light at the end of the tunnel! Best wishes
You will make it through for sure ! It doesn’t feel like it at the moment but you will be fine :) our bodies are amazing at healing . Stay strong , rest , and take charge of your health .
You will make it through for sure ! It doesn’t feel like it at the moment but you will be fine :) our bodies are amazing at healing . Stay strong , rest , and take charge of your health .
Thank you EwaM54! You’re right -This is good to know . I will take your advice -rest and definitely take charge of my health /body. The human body is amazing ! Thank you so much fir your kindness and encouragement . - I will get through this and never again a cortisone shot .take good care! Steve
Hi , I’m 17 months in now and still get the muscle twitches, they are nowhere near as bad as they used to be but still hanging around, the tremor on my left side has nearly gone too, I agree with what a lot of the others say, try and eat a healthy diet as sugar and alcohol do make them worse for me anyway, meditation has helped me too as stress and worrying can also make the twitches worse, I’m still under the doctor and finally getting an mri scan of my brain this Saturday , I’m hoping all will come back clear which will reduce my anxiety even more , hopefully your symptoms won’t hang around as long as some of us, best wishes.
Also meant to add, I saw a neurologist back in October and he did a range of fine motor tests which he said confirmed that my nervous system is all fine, he is only doing the mri to give me piece of mind to try and stop me worrying about it, when I asked what could have caused the symptoms (he doesn’t believe it was the steroid injection) he said it could be stress or just one of those things which is very frustrating to say the least.
Hey. Thanks for reply and update . I am so glad to hear the tremor on the left side is gone and twitches aren’t as bad - also sorry that you’ve had to deal with symptoms this long and hope each day is better until fully recovered ( for all of us!!! ) let me know how the MRI goes - I will be hoping and praying it’s all fine and gives you peace of mind . Man this steroid side effects are awful and like you said the doctors play it off - so frustrating ! But I appreciate your you sharing your journey and for me it’s helpful to know I’m not alone - I just hope these twitches ( which are the most irritating ) will go away or get better soon in time . Same with the anxiety depression weakness soreness weird feelings/ sensations exhaustion etc... I’ve gotten hope from all these posts of others struggling with the bad side effects of this injection that it takes time - to hang in there and we all will recover . That has been so helpful and encouraging - just hard when you’re going thru it ! Thanks again and wishing the best of health - Steve
I am just 2 weeks away from 2 years since my shot, May 31, 2019. It has been a tough road with anxiety, depression, trouble sleeping, etc - mainly mental health issues were my lasting problems. I am slowly getting better though and got my doctors OK to taper down to the lowest dose of my antidepressant starting tomorrow. Joduds, I agree with you about donating blood. I've been doing it too, for almost a year now and I swear, every time I donate, I think I feel more back to normal in the weeks afterward. Let's keep our fingers crossed this will do the trick! :)
I donated whole blood for a second time last week and I'm feeling some improvement. It's not an overnight cure, but it does make a difference.
I still have side effects at 30 months although it gradually gets weaker. I just came up with a new idea though; blood donation. Each time they remove 10% of total blood, which is bound to remove a significant amount of the drug. I'm doing it this week. I don't plan to say anything about my side effects from the cortisone injection because the chance a receiver of my blood has the same hypersensitivity to cortisone is probably 1 in a million.
Update: It's been 10 days since I donated blood for the first time and I'm feeling a significant improvement. I don't think it's a coincidence.
Please keep us updated on this! I will gladly donate blood all the time if it means going completely back to normal. I used to weigh 130 before these shots, and I just haven’t been able to lose the weight. It’s been over 4 years since the shots now.
I donated blood for the second time 2 days ago. I'm definitely feeling a bit more relief. I plan to keep doing this again and again to get the drug out of my body. Doctors will claim this drug leaves the body after a few days, but all of us who are hypersensitive know it stays active in the body for months to years.
How much better do you feel since donating the blood? What symptoms have gotten better from it? I’m supposed to donate blood around a week from now!
I donated whole blood. It only takes out 10% of total blood each time so it's not an overnight cure, but it does make a difference. I just feel a somewhat closer back to feeling normal, based on these side effects (adrenaline, pacing, bloating, pressure in bones, thin skin, tightness in chest).
Skiath399, I donated blood today! I’ll keep everyone updated on how I end up feeling!
Skiath399. It’s been a few days since the blood donation. So far I don’t feel better, I’m actually more bloated than usual it feels like :( Hopefully it’s just too soon to tell and it’ll get better.
I also feel worse for the first 1 to 2 weeks after each blood donation. My theory is that it's because the body tries to maintain balance of the drug in all the cells of the body, so when you lose blood you lose some of the cortisone so you're body is rapidly regenerating blood cells and this is causing a lot of redistribution and movement of the drug through the body which makes the side effects worse. I felt more improvement after the second blood donation than the first.
The injection also made me gain a lot of weight over the past 3 years. Another thing I've noticed since early on, as soon as I start eating less the side effects get much worse. I learned that this is because corticosteroids are lipid soluble meaning they're stored in fat cells, so as soon as I start eating less and burning fat the particles of the drug are released from my fat cells back into the blood stream. Ironically this means that whenever I start eating less I look even more bloated because the drug is released from fat cells.
Dang, well I feel bad enough and my arm still hurts to the point it’s making it hard to sleep so I don’t think I’m donating blood again and now I’m upset I’m this bloated </3 Hopefully it did help in the long run though and got at least some of it out so I’ll be closer to freedom. Can’t believe it’s been over 4 years and I’m still struggling. But if I would’ve known it’d make it worse even temporarily I wouldn’t have donated in the first place. I have engagement pictures coming up soonish and a wedding in October and I just hope the bloating is gone by then. My stomach looks insanely swollen right now. Ugh I just wish these shots didn’t exist. It’s so depressing.
Dang, well I feel bad enough and my arm still hurts to the point it’s making it hard to sleep so I don’t think I’m donating blood again and now I’m upset I’m this bloated </3 Hopefully it did help in the long run though and got at least some of it out so I’ll be closer to freedom. Can’t believe it’s been over 4 years and I’m still struggling. But if I would’ve known it’d make it worse even temporarily I wouldn’t have donated in the first place. I have engagement pictures coming up soonish and a wedding in October and I just hope the bloating is gone by then. My stomach looks insanely swollen right now. Ugh I just wish these shots didn’t exist. It’s so depressing.
Dang, well I feel bad enough and my arm still hurts to the point it’s making it hard to sleep so I don’t think I’m donating blood again and now I’m upset I’m this bloated </3 Hopefully it did help in the long run though and got at least some of it out so I’ll be closer to freedom. Can’t believe it’s been over 4 years and I’m still struggling. But if I would’ve known it’d make it worse even temporarily I wouldn’t have donated in the first place. I have engagement pictures coming up soonish and a wedding in October and I just hope the bloating is gone by then. My stomach looks insanely swollen right now. Ugh I just wish these shots didn’t exist. It’s so depressing.
Dang, well I feel bad enough and my arm still hurts to the point it’s making it hard to sleep so I don’t think I’m donating blood again and now I’m upset I’m this bloated </3 Hopefully it did help in the long run though and got at least some of it out so I’ll be closer to freedom. Can’t believe it’s been over 4 years and I’m still struggling. But if I would’ve known it’d make it worse even temporarily I wouldn’t have donated in the first place. I have engagement pictures coming up soonish and a wedding in October and I just hope the bloating is gone by then. My stomach looks insanely swollen right now. Ugh I just wish these shots didn’t exist. It’s so depressing.
Dang, well I feel bad enough and my arm still hurts to the point it’s making it hard to sleep so I don’t think I’m donating blood again and now I’m upset I’m this bloated </3 Hopefully it did help in the long run though and got at least some of it out so I’ll be closer to freedom. Can’t believe it’s been over 4 years and I’m still struggling. But if I would’ve known it’d make it worse even temporarily I wouldn’t have donated in the first place. I have engagement pictures coming up soonish and a wedding in October and I just hope the bloating is gone by then. My stomach looks insanely swollen right now. Ugh I just wish these shots didn’t exist. It’s so depressing.
When you donate blood it's removing some of the drug each time, so you have less total cortisone in your body. It's short term pain for long term gain. I recommend taking vitamin C and zinc to help the puncture wound heal, and an iron supplement if you plan to donate again. I will update after my next blood donation.
The injection gave me a lot of physical effects, the worst is non-stop pressure in my bones especially jaw and teeth because it caused me to constantly lose bone density. Now over the past few days for the first time in 3 years I don't have insane pressure in my jaw and teeth anymore. It's not totally gone, still some slight pressure, but this is after only 2 blood donations so I know it's doing something.
And that's even though I've been eating less the past few days. Before the blood donations I would get insane bloating and side effects including pressure in bones from eating less for just 1 or 2 days. Thanks to donating blood I'm nearly at the point where I can go on a serious diet to start losing the 70 pounds I gained, so I really don't think you should give up on donating blood so quick because it's the most effect treatment there is to physically remove the cortisone from the body.
Thanks for the response Skiath399! I’m just so scared to donate blood again, I haven’t been well mentally since I did it and now it’s been over a month since I did. Donating blood is the only thing I can think of as to why I have been more depressed lately and also I’ve had terrible insomnia since I did it and haven’t been able to sleep at night. I keep not falling asleep until around 8am. I have an extremely sensitive body in general, which is probably why over 4 years in and I still have side effects from the cortisone injections :( Donating blood was a bad enough experience for me that I think I’ll just let the rest of the cortisone exit on its own. I will keep you and everyone else updated on if anything changes though or if I find a way to be completely back to normal! I’m glad to hear donating blood has been working for you and I hope you feel 100 percent better soon!
Ok but you should know that I didn't feel huge improvement until after my third donation. A blood donation definitely changes the distribution of the drug in the body, so I believe the reason it makes the side effects stronger in the short term is because it's going frantic to rebalance itself throughout the entire body as your body is regenerating new blood cells. This is why you should take iron and extra protein after a blood donation to speed that process up. For me it's like this for 2 weeks after each blood donation, but it's probably different for everyone. The only thing that's certain is that each blood donation reduces the amount of cortisone left in the body.
Just an update, I donated last week just 3 weeks after my previous donation at a different hospital, and my cortisone side effects are definitely worse now. It's something I've learned as you have that donating blood does make the side effects worse in the short term, and as I said my theory is that it messes up the balance of cortisone throughout the body as the blood starts regenerating. I still don't regret it and will continue to do it the short-term price is worth it in my opinion to speed up the removal of the drug from my body in the long term.
I was given cortisone injection on 7/31/2020. I had anxiety and couldn't sleep for almost 2 weeks and had chest pain and stomach pain in my upper abdomen. My doctor friend asked me to take benadryl and famotidine and I started sleeping and got some relief from the pain. After 5 days, I started having muscle spasms on the left side of my chest. The doctor who gave me the shot said I should see a PCP, that he's an orthopedic surgeon and can't prescribe anything. Please has anyone had these symptoms? What did you do if you did? Please help me. Thank you
Buy activated charcoal in powder form. Take 30 grams of it mixed in a glass of water once a day on an empty stomach. Do that for a few weeks and see if you notice a difference.
Cut our coffee and sugar from your died completely. Your body is flooded with cortisol after injection and it will take time to get it out of your system .Drink water , try to get sleep, eat high protein died and be very patient . My symptoms disappeared after 18 months completely. Doctors will tell you that it’s all in your head and there is no such thing as adverse reaction to cortisone ( it’s all natural blah blah ) don’t take it to heart ! You know how you feel and we ALL had exact same reaction . Stay strong and safe
EwaM54 Did your symptoms disappear suddenly at 18 months or was it very gradual?
It was gradual , but at 18 months I realized all side effects were gone for good . Good luck
I'm taking activated charcoal which is speeding up the progress, but I'm still having non-stop side effects all day and pain in my bones at 25 months. I hope it will be out of my body within the next year.
Please for the women in this group, did anyone experience irregular menstrual periods? I have been on period since September 1st. I was given the shot on July 31st. Please let me know of anyone did and how it got rectified. Thank you
Please did any of the women here have
irregular menstrual periods especially more days and heavy flow as a result of the injection? If so, what did you do to stop it?+
Boe12, yes, I’m a woman and the shots made my period very irregular and worse for awhile! I even skipped a few periods which never happens for me, and I had random bleeding which I had never had before. When I would have the irregular bleeding, I’d also have kidney infection like pain and awful burning nerve pains throughout my body and my legs and I even went to the ER for it because I thought I had a kidney infection or something but they couldn’t find anything wrong with me. This was before I found out it was the shots causing all these weird and awful symptoms. It’s been 4 and a half years since my injections and my periods went back to normal at around the 3 year mark I believe, maybe sooner than that.
Boe12, yes, I’m a woman and the shots made my period very irregular and worse for awhile! I even skipped a few periods which never happens for me, and I had random bleeding which I had never had before. When I would have the irregular bleeding, I’d also have kidney infection like pain and awful burning nerve pains throughout my body and my legs and I even went to the ER for it because I thought I had a kidney infection or something but they couldn’t find anything wrong with me. This was before I found out it was the shots causing all these weird and awful symptoms. It’s been 4 and a half years since my injections and my periods went back to normal at around the 3 year mark I believe, maybe sooner than that.
Does anyone think the amount mg or area plays a part on how long we will recover or how long it will take for the garbage to be out of our system ? I was told I was given 0.5cc in each foot so its such a small amount for me to to be having side effects
Does anyone think the amount mg or area plays a part on how long we will recover or how long it will take for the garbage to be out of our system ? I was told I was given 0.5cc in each foot so its such a small amount for me to to be having side effects
Very glad to have to come across this forum. I, too, had an extremely adverse reaction to an epidural steroid injection in January 2019. I found myself visiting the ER just a few hours after receiving the injection with the following symptoms: rapid and irregular heart rate, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, pain and tingling in my arms, intense chest pain, shortness of breath, and dizziness/lightheadedness. I informed the ER doctor of the injection and he said it was just a bad reaction and sent me on my way. What transpired over the next few months after the injection completely blew my mind. For approximately 3 months following the injection, I made 8 trips to the ER with the same symptoms mentioned above. I was eventually admitted and hospitalized on the cardiac floor for one week because the doctors thought my intense chest pain and irregular heart rate was cardiac related.
During this process, I continued telling the doctors about the injection but they refused to acknowledge that my symptoms were related to it. I kept being told "steroids don't cause these symptoms this long after the injection." They thought I was crazy and couldn't pinpoint anything. As a matter of fact, I saw specialist after specialist. I went to a cardiologist; a pulmonologist; a psychologist; an otolaryngologist; etc... they couldn't find anything. For the first few ER trips, I was told over and over again that I was having panic/anxiety attacks. I have never been an anxious person. As a matter of fact, in my profession, I receive yearly mental, psychological and physical evaluations. The psychological evaluations are performed to specifically rule out any kind of anxiety issues, among other things. I never once had a problem with these evaluations and I refused to believe that I was having panic attacks. During my stay on the cardiac floor, the doctors conducted daily EKGs, a stress test, an ultrasound of my heart, and an angio CT scan. All tests came back negative. I remained in the hospital for the doctors to continue monitoring my abnormal heart rate. I was eventually diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and the doctors sent me to a specialist (a cardiologist/electrophysiologist at a very reputable medical center) for a second opinion. The specialist reversed the diagnosis of POTS and diagnosed me with a general arrhythmia as well as Supraventricular Tachycardia, commonly referred to as SVT. After the SVT diagnosis, I was told that all the constant recurring symptoms I was having were known as SVT episodes, which is often mistaken for panic attacks because the symptoms mimic each other. That made sense on why the doctors were adamant about diagnosing me with a panic disorder... but it was reassuring to hear that they were wrong. The first sigh of relief was to finally have an official diagnosis and to learn that it was a completely benign condition. The specialist said that steroid injections are known for causing these symptoms and are also known for exposing and causing cardiac arrhythmia's. So, I either had the arrhythmia before the injection and the steroid exposed it. Or, the injection caused me to develop the arrhythmia. Either way, the specialist informed me of one other important item that became my second sigh of relief: that the effects of the steroid injection will eventually cease and the body will eventually stabilize and return to its normal state. After reading through a lot of the responses on here, I have seen everything from 6 months to 24 months. I had an aunt that experienced the exact same thing that I did after a steroid injection and it took her about 2 years to recover. I just hit the 18-month mark and I can officially say that I am back to normal. This has been the most bizarre experience I ever had. Someone mentioned it was a "roller coaster ride" in one post. I couldn't say it any better than that. For those of you that are now experiencing this; for those of you that can't sleep; for those of you living in a state of worry because your body is all out of wack... please know that you will be okay. Your body will recover and this will one day be a distant memory.
Many have experienced the same symptoms, it's called "glucocorticoid hypersensitivity syndrome" and most doctors don't even know it exists. Some people are hypersensitive so the effects from one injection are much stronger. I had probably one of the most severe reactions of all time, even lost a lot of bone density in my whole body, and now at 2 years I feel much better but I still think it's going to be another 6-18 months for the side effects to fully stop.
Hello everyone,
This is a very old post but as i'm having the same trouble as you guys, i just wanted to share my own experience and feelings.
I got an epidural steroid injection to my L5-S1 nerve last Thursday(4 days ago). I have persistent sciatica and tried every other option before did the injection and there was a long thought process behind it.
My symptoms improved little bit but since then i've developed anxiety and sleep disorder. I can't sleep and i can't stop worrying about the bad outcomes of this injection. I've lost my appetite as well. I already had an anxiety disorder few years back which is subsided by SSRI's and therapy sessions but i guess steroid brought back the monster. Additionally now i have face flushes, chills and getting very stressed when i go to bed because i fear that i can't go to sleep. What a nightmare is this!
Can someone advise any tips?
Thanks and i wish everyone a fast recovery!
So sorry to hear you are having such a bad time.
Read all the posts and comments on this thread. Some useful information.
2.5 years ago I had no idea that a steroid/cortisone injection could cause such a stress reaction in the body when I had one into my shoulder. But after reading this thread and comments and thinking about I do tend to suffer from anxiety and I realised it put my stress hormones (cortisol) to maximum in my body. So my understanding is that it takes time for this level of stress (cortisol) to lower itself in ones body. Some people can take tranquilizers to calm themselves down but I cannot so my psychologist said I have to learn to lower my cortisol levels myself which means learning techniques like mindfulness, breathing mindfully, going for a walk, yoga. And try reduce any other stresses in your life if you can so you can give your nervous/endocrine (hormone) system a chance to heal.
Most importantly you will improve just hang in there.
And do seek professional help if you need it eg your GP/psychologist
So sorry you are dealing with all this! I had a steroid shot back in September of 2019 and two days after the shot I experienced the insomnia, extreme anxiousness and anxiety, nausea, dizziness and swimmy vision. It was one of the most awful experiences I’ve ever been through. I do have to say even though right now it feels like it’s never going to get better, it will. You just have to hang in there and know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I ended up seeing a counselor who helped with Mindfulness therapy and coping mechanisms and it was very helpful. I also made sure to make myself busy and do things even though I didnt want to move from the couch most times. I am 10 months out from my shot today and I can say that I feel dramatically better. It just has to work itself out. I will say you also will feel more better once you get more sleep. I was only getting about 2 hours here and there when I was going through my experience. Melatonin may help you with that.
I wish you a fast recovery and hope things level out for you.
I feel so bad for you. I know what you are going through. I went through it for 4 months. Take lorazepam. Take your SSRI's. If you don't have any try and get some. Do not and I repeat do not let people in the medical profession tell you that you have anything else besides a reaction to the shot. They will tell you you're crazy. They will tell you these shots can't do that. They will tell you the shots are out of your system in just a few days. And while that may be true for some individuals there are people like us that have crazy reactions to this junk they pump into our bodies. When you are having bad days you have to keep telling yourself there will be a light at the end of the tunnel and that you're not crazy and there is plenty of people like you that have gone through this out there. It will get better. I promise you that. Like I said get lorazepam it is absolutely essential to getting through this crap that you're going through. Good luck to you. Hold tight it's going to get better.
Thank you for your answers. I'm already a bit hipochondriac person and now it's flared up so much i worry like hell if i get serious complication from the shot. It adds up to my anxiety and stress resulting in insomnia, less appetite and paranoia.
Oh God, i'm so regretful!
It's called "'glucocorticoid hypersensitivity syndrome". Cortisol is a stress hormone that plays a major role in your whole body, so almost all the cells in your body have corticosteroid receptors. Too much of it though is destructive. I've read research that says there is a huge range of sensitivity to corticosteroids among humans due to genetics and mutations. This means that while some people have high resistance and get no side effects, others get insane side effects like us which can last for a long time.
The main thing that matters is time, the drug will slowly leave your body as the months pass by. I had one of the most severe reactions ever after a single cortisone injection, and now at 2 years I feel almost normal again. You can read my previous post about trying activated charcoal to speed up the removal of the drug from the body.
For the sleep, I took benadryl and followed the dosage on the pack for 1 day and for 5 days now, I've been sleeping. Try that, to see if you can sleep
@skiath text me I’ve been on the charcoal as well for about two days but mine is in mg I have a few questions!
980-251-3989
I think I sent you a message on Facebook.
Cooper please can we communicate? It will be good to share real life experience with someone. I just saw the doctor who referred me to the specialist who gave me the shot this morning and he said, like the specialist, he can't do anything. He even denied it's the shot causing my symptoms. If not that I had found this page before seeing him, I would have been more scared. He did EKG and said my heart is ok
Hey you might be better by now but I found something that works much better than activated charcoal; donating blood. As I said in another post I realized that if the drug is active in the body, then by removing blood it's removing some of the drug. I donated blood for the second time a few days ago and I'm feeling more improvement.
Danels, Thanx for the encouragement wish you'd been around when I was dealing. At the time it seemed most members were still in the middle and dealing with side effects you didn't hear about making it to the other side or seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Well I'm happy to announce there is and I made it. I'm back to normal. And to all of you that's in the middle and still dealing let me assure you it's not m.s. or Parkinson's, a heart episodeor a brain tumor like I was so sure of it was that Dang steroid shot. It's poison after 19 er visits cardio tests, neurologist CT scans. All showing nothing. If I can make it u can too I'm even back to playing the piano in church. God bless u all and I pray nightly for this group though my recovery took nearly 22 months life is good again
That's good you made it to the other side. Which side effects did you have?
My reactions and detailed symptoms are better detailed in this chat around January 2018 posted by hickory 1304
January 2018 pages 4-5 are my comments and side effects.
Hickory1304,
Thank you for this comment. It is reassuring. I am 4 weeks post shot (got one at the end of Aug 2023) and I have been SO convinced that I am developing M.S. or ALS or another type of neurodegenerative disorder. Three days after my shot I began experiencing horrible muscle spasms and twitching in my legs, feet, and butt specifically. It's recently moved to my hands, arms, and face slightly. I am now also experiencing trembling/shakiness in my legs and hands. Oh, and excessive tingling and almost like a radiating buzzing sensation in my legs--I believe this may be nerve related. I also wake up each morning with numbness in my fingers, which started recently as well. Anyways, I have pretty much convinced myself I have ALS, Parkinson's, or M.S because of these symptoms.
So, to read your comment was helpful because I'm so convinced it's one of these diseases and not the shot (even though I was healthy before and all of this started 3 days after my Kenalog injection). So, thank you for the reassurance. I pray someday I will recover and feel like myself again.
I felt nervous and shaky from my cortisone shot in neck a year ago. It was the strongest for two weeks, then tapered on and off for another two weeks, then it was done. I take Ativan for my anxiety, it is not as strong as Xanax so you may try low dose for a little while as the anxiety persists. ..I found that gabapentin really alleviates my neuropathy and helps calm the nervous system, pain, and gives numbness relief.
I have two weakened cervical discs c5-6 & c6-7.
Ambien added in there too will help the sleep, but no more than one or could get sleep-walky. They all work together like a medicinal cocktail... as far as the chest pains go..it is normal for me - and other experiencers have told me - to get chest tightness, pain and can feel like something heart related but it is most likely the anxiety tightening up that area. Relaxation and deep breathing helps when it gets to that point. listen to your body. It will tell you what it needs. Don't hesitate if you need to see a heart specialist, you know yourself best..Hope this helps. Best of luck to you
I have huge news for everyone here. I may have found an actual cure. I found a study showing that Activated Charcoal can remove corticosteroids from the body, and it's even used in hospitals for poisoning and drug overdose. I've only been using it a few days but already notice a big difference. This feels almost too goo to be true.
Hi skiath29, that's really interesting. I would like to find out more about this. Can you direct me to where I could find the study? And keep us updated on how you're doing as time goes on!
I have been feeling better also but I think in my case, taking an antidepressant has been a lifesaver. I had my cortisone shot almost a year ago now, May 31, 2019. I was struggling with horrible anxiety for months after and then awful depression like I've never had before. And just feeling really weird, agitated and so many negative thoughts that scared me. Life was a struggle for many months. I didn't know whether I would get through it or end up doing myself in. I have never been like this in my life. I just want to let others know to just hang in there. You WILL be yourself again. I am now tapering off my antidepressant and am pretty much back to myself again.
I probably have some PTSD from this horrible experience and still worry sometimes that I may slip back into that awful reality. But I'm pretty sure that won't happen now. But if it does, I will handle it. I have been through the worst of it for sure. So if I have setbacks here and there, that's ok. I can deal with it. This too shall pass and a positive attitude is huge. Even when you're scared to death and don't know if you'll ever be normal again, just keep telling yourself you'll get through it and that you'll be better and stronger than ever when you you come out on the other side of this. Because you will. Don't EVER give up! It has been a couple of months now that I have felt normal again. It took me about 9-10 months and it may be the same for some of you, or more or less time than me.
One silver lining in all of this is that going through this horrible ordeal has made me realize how fortunate I actually am in many ways. And now that I have my mental health back, I am so grateful for every normal day and for the wonderful people in my life. Life is good...
Just lean on others and seek mental health support if you feel like you need it. It's so important to reach out for help. I am always here if anyone needs support. We should all start a support group on Facebook or something. :)
The study is "Systemic activity of inhaled and swallowed beclomethasone dipropionate and the effect of different inhaler devices". It showed that not only did activated charcoal reduce the side effects of swallowed corticosteroids by over 90%, but it even reduced the side effects of inhaled steroids by 60% which means it helps remove the drug from the body even after it's in the bloodstream.
The mild cases only have mental side effects, but I'm in the group that got physical side effects in the entire body as well which I explained in a previous post last year. The worst side effect is that I started losing bone density in my entire body, even my face. The doctors were no help and treated me like I was crazy until an osteopath found nearly 20% loss of bone mass in my spine within 10 months.
The side effects got weaker over time but it's such a slow process. I'm at 21 months and was still having side effects all day long, including bone loss. I found out the drug stays in the body so long because it's spread everywhere and it goes through enterohepatic circulation. This means it goes from the blood to the liver to the intestine, but unlike most drugs it's still active so it can be reabsorbed into the blood from the stomach before being removed from the body. This is why the side effects can last months to years. The activated charcoal blocks that process by soaking up everything in the stomach before it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. I start feeling the difference within an hour of taking it, and I take a dose every few hours, 5g total per day.
It should be taken on an empty stomach with lots of water and no food for a few hours. Be careful though because too much can cause dehydration, constipation, and mess up electrolyte balance. Take a multivitamin with the first meal because the charcoal can also bind to vitamins and minerals in the body.
I think I’ll be giving this a go then, my symptoms are still ongoing 6 months out, they are milder but I just want to get back to my normal self.
I've been experimenting with different doses and frequency, because the cortisone is constantly circulating from the blood to the liver to the small intestine a little bit at a time. I'm taking activated charcoal in capsule form. You're also going to need oats or oat-based high fiber cereal. It's high in soluble fiber, prevents diarrhea and constipation from the charcoal, and it acts as a sponge to soak up both the charcoal and cortisone so the drug can be neutralized.
This is the regimen:
-When you wake up take 1g of activated charcoal. Immediately eat a very small bowl of oats or oat cereal. Do this every hour for the next 6-8 hours.
-You need to drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration and constipation from the charcoal.
-Take a multivitamin at night because the charcoal also depletes vitamins from the body. If you take any medication take it at night also as far away from the charcoal because it also interferes with it.
-Start with a smaller dose to see how much your body can handle. I may increase the dose of charcoal in the future.
-I also experimented taking the charcoal on an empty stomach every hour. It worked quite well except this causes diarrhea.
Don't expect an overnight cure. The cortisone is spread throughout all the fat tissue and blood in your body. It takes time for it all to circulate through the liver and small intestine where the charcoal can bind to it before it's reabsorbed into the blood.
Also, please report back on how it worked for you. I'm seeing huge improvement.
Last point, either use water or a very small amount of milk with the oats. I read that milk can reduce the effectiveness of the activated charcoal.
That sounds great. Did you get this regimen from a certain type of doctor, like a naturalpath or alternative medicine doc? I doubt any regular practitioner would prescribe this stuff. I would want to be monitored by someone who knows what they're doing before starting.
No doctor had any treatment because they don't even acknowledge that long-term side effects from a single corticosteroid injection is even possible. I came up with this regimen after learning that it's used against drug overdose and poisoning and I'm still experimenting. The main side effects to worry about are dehydration, constipation, and diarrhea, but so far taking it with a very small bowl of oats every hour is solving that.
Also hours after the last charcoal dose take a multivitamin supplement along with potassium because the charcoal depletes vitamin and potassium from the body.
Also the activated charcoal is not prescription, you can buy it as a natural supplement.
Also a warning I forgot to add, the activated charcoal can reduce the effectiveness of any medication you're taking. It's best to take medication as far away from the charcoal as possible, either a few hours before first dose before or 5 hours after last dose.
Update: still noticing improvement. Also you don't need to eat oats every hour to get the benefit, just don't take the activated charcoal on an empty stomach and also not on a very full stomach. Fiber like oats is extremely important though to prevent digestive issues.
Honestly I don't know if taking it with oats every hour reduces the effectiveness. In hospitals it's given on an empty stomach. I eat oats throughout the day to prevent digestive issues though. I've also increased the dose to between 3-9 grams every hour.
@danels send me a friends request on fb man your story sounds a lot like mine to a t my names Curtis cooper you’ll see my fb I have big gauges
I'm not taking a much higher dose once per day in addition to the pills every hour, 40 grams powder form mixed with water. This is the clinical dose and I recommend it.
*now
I have an update as well. December 6th was my injection and today is March 28th. I finally feel like myself again. I did end up taking 50mg of Zoloft everyday. So between that and lorazepam for the anxiety attacks I finally came out on the other side. There are some days still where I feel kind of iffy. But to those of you reading this please don't ever give up there's seriously is an end to the way you are feeling. And please remember it is not you it is that damn poisonous steroid shot they injected you with. Good luck and keep the faith.
If it only took a few months you are one of the lucky ones. I was feeling better recently but a few days ago I had another intense reaction and now it feels as strong as it was a year ago. Difficulty breathing, pounding heart beat, aching bones, adrenaline etc. Almost at 21 months since injection. I think it will take another year at least for it to stop.
Huge update for everyone here. After doing a lot of research I found out that Activated Charcoal removes corticosteroids from the body. My first dose was 24 hours ago and the cortisone side effects literally feel half as strong now. I don't want to get to optimistic because this seems too good to be true.
Hello
which steroid did you receive and do you know how many mg
thanks)
I'm back with an update. I'm almost at 20 months and I still have side effects every day but much weaker than in the beginning, I feel like myself again. Slow but ongoing improvement each month. I had one of the most severe reactions here so realize my case isn't the norm. Most of us have heard the doctors tell us that these long-lasting symptoms from a single injection aren't possible, because "it left our body within a few hours". I did some searching to see if there's anything in the medical literature, and there are 9 documented cases of people who developed Cushingoid symptoms for months following a single injection. It's from a study titled "Cushing Syndrome Following Single Steroid Injection: A Case Report and Review of the Literature", so I'll share some text from it for anyone interested:
"The development of Iatrogenic Cushing’s syndrome after a single corticosteroid injection is an unusual event with only nine case reports been found in both children and adults.
The clinical manifestations of ICS as a result of single corticosteroid injection use vary greatly. The symptoms may be as subtle as change in weight distribution/weight gain [17]. The severe presentations reported hot flushes, hyperhidrosis, tachycardia, palpitations, nervousness, amenorrhea, facial hirsutism, hypertension, moon face and depression with anxiety [16]. The more severe presentations reported were not associated with single corticosteroid injection alone but with concurrent use of ritonavir (protease inhibitor that inhibit cytochrome p450), glucose intolerance to the point of hyperglycemic hyperosmotic state, metabolic syndrome, and avascular necrosis [17-27]. Other severe presentations reported include steroid induced myopathy and herpes zoster reactivation due to secondary immune deficiency [26].
Most patients in the literature had spontaneous improvement of symptoms with recovery of adrenal axis within months, ranging from two to eight months depending on the dose of the corticosteroid used and the severity of the initial presentation [8]."
I should add that while I can function again, at this rate I still think it's going to be another year before the side effects are completely gone.
I got another rush of side effects a few days ago. Much less than before, but the side effects are still there; aching bones, shallow breathing, tight feeling in chest, bloating, adrenaline. Blows my mind and also makes me angry that I'm still experiencing this at 20 months. I'll come back for another update when this poison is finally out of my body, even if it takes years.
Huge update for everyone here. After doing a lot of research I found out that Activated Charcoal removes corticosteroids from the body. My first dose was 24 hours ago and the cortisone side effects literally feel half as strong now. I don't want to get to optimistic because this seems too good to be true..
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