Hey check out my post "shoulder/arm pain", I know it's a different situation but beside's all of the research i've done on cortisone this is my experience with the actual shot's. Steevo

Ty for your knowledge! We just found out that he is out of work indefinitely :cry: he had an mri done in dec and nobody told us but because the injury was left untreated for so long, he now has arthritis in his back.In the place of injury I assume) so now his Dr. Cut back his pt to once a week. He also is being referred to a specialist. Of which he cant get in till may 11!!!!!! Wow so far away with no relief in the near future. Dr also told him that he sees no possibility of going back to same work(dirt construction) so we are in the beginning process of getting him retrained. Course that could take forever knowing l&i :lol: if anyone has any helpful tips bout his condition we would greatly appreciate it!

can you tell me about cortizone ?

Cortizone is for inflammation. But it is a dangerous poison and causes side-effects.

From Ross Hauser, M.D.
Cortisone Accelerates the Degenerative Process
Cortisone Shots Mask the Pain and Injury
Cortisone Shots Cause People to Need Joint Replacements
Cortisone Shots Cause People to Need Surgeries by the Same People That Gave the Shot!

Hello Paininacme and Patty,

First I must respectfully disagree with Expatient. Cortisone is NOT a "dangerous poison". It is a superb anti-inflammatory medication. It has been used by doctors for many years. If it were a "dangerous poison" the Food and Drug Administration would have banned it long ago.

Now to go on - I had read and heard from people I know that eipidural injections (with cortisone) don't work, at least not for very long. When my Pain management doctor recommended an epidural injection containing cortisone I was very skeptical and frankly didn't want to try it. He convinced me to try it. He also said that HE would be giving me the injection.

I had the epidural injection the end of April. It has helped me for these past seven months. Totally pain free? NO, but I can do things I could not do before, AND I don't need any pain medication. The injection cured the pain and tingling sensation in my leg and is still doing so.

I have a number of problems with my back, and now have some additional pain in my lower back. I am scheduled for a steroid injection in a few weeks.

As a side note - I had a cortisone injection in Januiary given by a physican's assistant I(PA). Two days later I felt like I was 10 years younger and chopped wood for several hours one day. Well, the injection worked for a week and then the effect started to wear off. Before we went on a trip to AZ I had a second injection by a PA ion February. It helped, but again only for a few weeks.

My point - I firmly believe that a very important part of the "equation" is the person giving you the injection. My PM doc used a flouroscope to help himn guide the needle to the exact spot it needed to be so that the cortisone could do its job to reduce the inflammation. He also carefully reviewed the MRI images before my injection.

Paininacme, I would highly recommend that your husband follow your doctor's suggection that he have an epidural injection. Just make sure the doctor reviews the MRI images well, and that he/she use a fluoroscope. I pray for his success.

Oh yes, an epidural injection is not a "cure" for what is wrong, but it does reduce the inflammation to greatly help the situation.

Patty I hope the above gives you a better understanding of the positive effect cortisone can have in helping to reduce inflammation and the pain associated with the inflammation. Don't hesitate to ask more questions.

Take care.

RichT

They have agreed on using many poisons during the history.
Everyone knows you should not play with cortizone... it is the last treatment to be used.

Hello Expatient,

That is your opinion, and you are welcome to your opinion, however, you are not correct.

It is unfortunate that you do not understand the importance that cortisone has had and is having in medicine.

Please do not mislead people.

RichT

It is not my opinion. It is the opinion of many medical doctors. Here one of many:
"When asked about cortisone, he (Dr. Robert G. Klein, an orthopedist, Santa Barbara, California) said he did not favor it because it was lytic of collagen and could even provoke inflammation"

So who is "correct" or misleading? I don't know but I know I am not misleading. Patients are entitled to hear "second opinions".

I got help from a cortisone shot. At least I think I did. It was the last possibility I tried to my problem. Other methods didn't help. Perhaps because I was too late to try them.

But because cortisone is used on inflammation that is usually just a symptom, not a cause, it would be more effective to first correct the cause of that inflammation...

Arthritis & Chronic Pain Research Institute
"Injections of liquid cortisone directly into the joint may temporarily help to relieve pain and swelling. It is important to know, however, that repeated frequent injections into the same joint can damage the joint and have undesirable side effects."

I recommend you to learn what side effects it can cave and check if you are in a risky group. You have to do it yourself. Doctors are many times too busy to give you a shot that they don't explaine all... especially not about what other treatments you could try.
http://arthritis.about.com/cs/steroids/a/c orticosteroids_2.htm

I dont know if it matters where you get these shots or how many but, I encourage all women to take some probiotics before and after these shots in the hopes of preventing candida. Ladies, you do not want this to develop!! Im basically about to starve myself to see if I can get rid of this problem and spending lots of money on herbs, special foods and Dr. visits not to mention mentally draining myself and risking liver damage on taking medication. Talk to your doctor about taking precautions against candida and make sure you can take any of those herbs while getting the shot. I would suggest a diet low in sugar and bread / wheat for the first two weeks or so.. hope this will help someone!

But why would cortisone (which is an anti-inflammatory cortico-steroid) cause a Candida flare-up? Cortisone is NOT an antibiotic, which is typically what brings on Candida. Perhaps I'm missing something here...but this is the first time I've ever heard of Cortisone causing a yeast infection. Can anyone else back this claim up?

Yeah I don't understand. Cortisone would not cause a yeast problem. I have my yeast problem because I took antibiotics. I take diflucan weekly now.

Theoretically, cortisone could indirectly cause a yeast infection.

But to actually say that cortisone does cause yeast infections is not accurate.

Cortisone, in and of itself, can decrease a person's immune system, thereby allowing various bacteria and yeast to overgrow and in turn potentially cause someone to develop a yeast infection or pick up various illnesses that they are exposed to.

That is usually something that happens to someone who is already immune compromised to start with, is already sick with a viral and/or bacterial infection.

It is not a usual side affect though, of steroid spinal injections, but rather with long term use of oral steroids, inhaled steroids for asthma and other types of steroid injections and it is quite common with those that use steroids to increase body mass for sports.

I wouldn't worry about any kind of yeast infection take any type of precautions because I was getting any kind of spinal steroid injection.

To me that is an absurd idea.

Since March of 2006, I have taken 3 medrol packs, had 3 epidural injections, a nerve block and over he past 8 weeks have had 2 bilateral nerve blocks with a total of 80 mg of kenalog (the usual steroid used for spinal injections) for each of the 2 nerve blocks.

No yeast infection developed and I a friend of mine is an OB/GYN and she would never worry about the steroid injections causing fungal infections.

If someone does develop a fungal infection post spinal injection, she would be looking for blood sugar levels in the patient as diabetics are far more prone to yeast infections and diabetics are high risk for use of steroids to begin with. She would be concerned that the patient was an undiagnosed diabetic.
It could be that the patient was developing a yeast infection with no symptoms and just coincidence that the yeast infection followed the steroid injection.

Starving yourself and all the other ideas that you are trying bastionv. really don't make a lot of sense to me. Why are you using herbal and special foods?

Goodness there are medications that a doctor can prescribe for you to quickly rid yourself of a fungal infection. Left untreated with stuff that won't work, can allow the fungal infection to spread into your blood stream and that is serious.

You need medical treatment for your fungal infection, prescribed by an MD.

Good luck

Fran

thechnicall Fran that would not be correct. I have developed several fungal infections...on my rear be cause I receive these injections into my sciatic joint, I have SI dysfunction. I've been tested and re-tested for diabeties and I always come up negative. Actually I'm being treat now for a fungal infection because I had another injection 2 weeks ago. Visited my doctor on Friday, yep, another fungal infection. He doesn't mind telling me that these shot's can WEAKEN the immune system making one susceptibile to infections...ie..... having littleresistance to a specific infectious disease : capable of being infected 2 : predisposed to develop a noninfectious disease
3 : abnormally reactive to various drugs Meaning one does not already have to have an infection to get it. And most of my doctor's have learned that just because "the majority" of people won't react, doesn't mean a thing for me. Usually means I definetly will react. Luckily I work in a major University hospital and can easily be seen by a doctor the minute I develop symptoms.

here is the medical informaton with more detail

Side effects
If dexamethasone is given orally or by injection (parenteral) over a period of more than a few days, side-effects common to systemic glucocorticoids may occur. These may include:

Stomach upset, increased sensitivity to stomach acid to the point of ulceration of esophagus, stomach, and duodenum
Increased appetite leading to significant weight gain
A latent diabetes mellitus often becomes manifest. Glucose intolerance is worsened in patients with preexisting diabetes.
Immunsuppressant action, particularly if given together with other immunosuppressants such as ciclosporine. Bacterial, viral, and fungal disease may progress more easily and can become life-threatening. Fever as a warning symptom is often suppressed.
Psychiatric disturbances, including personality changes, irritability, euphoria, mania
Osteoporosis under long term treatment, pathologic fractures (e.g., hip)
Muscle atrophy, negative protein balance (catabolism)
Elevated liver enzymes, fatty liver degeneration (usually reversible)
Cushingoid (syndrome resembling hyperactive adrenal cortex with increase in adiposity, hypertension, bone demineralization, etc.)
Depression of the adrenal gland is usually seen, if more than 1.5 mg daily are given for more than three weeks to a month.
Hypertension, fluid and sodium retention, edema, worsening of heart insufficiency (due to mineral corticoid activity)
Dependence with withdrawal syndrome is frequently seen.
Increased intraocular pressure, certain types of glaucoma, cataract (serious clouding of eye lenses)
Dermatologic: Acne, allergic dermatitis, dry scaly skin, ecchymoses and petechiae, erythema, impaired wound-healing, increased sweating, rash, striae, suppression of reactions to skin tests, thin fragile skin, thinning scalp hair, urticaria.
Allergic reactions (though infrequently): Anaphylactoid reaction, anaphylaxis, angioedema. (Highly unlikely, since dexamethasone is given to prevent anaphylactoid reactions.)
Other side-effects have been noted, and should cause concern if they are more than mild.
The short time treatment for allergic reaction, shock, and diagnostic purposes usually does not cause serious side effects.

As I said in my prior post,

"Cortisone, in and of itself, can decrease a person's immune system, thereby allowing various bacteria and yeast to overgrow and in turn potentially cause someone to develop a yeast infection or pick up various illnesses that they are exposed to. "

"That is usually something that happens to someone who is already immune compromised to start with, is already sick with a viral and/or bacterial infection.

It is not a usual side affect though, of steroid spinal injections, but rather with long term use of oral steroids, inhaled steroids for asthma and other types of steroid injections and it is quite common with those that use steroids to increase body mass for sports. "

What I said is quite accurate.

The information you posted is for oral and parenteral use of steroids.

The original OP was asking about epidural steroid injections which do not usually result in the same type of side affects as if given orally or parenerally.

Any steroid can decrease the immune system and if you are immune compromised or are sensitive to the steroid, then you may or may not develop side affects including fungal infections.

Out right warning women to take various over the counter remedies in an attempt to prevent side affects is not always a good idea.

Without knowing what medical conditions a person has, that kind of advise can be very risky and create serious side affects and medical problems that would otherwise not exist.

And again, what I said is quite accurate. You yourself are sensitive to the steroid being used and it affects your immune system and you are predisposed to fungal infections.

But to outright say that this will cause fungal infections is not accurate at all.

All medications have side affects whether they are prescribed by your doctor or purchased over the counter.

A good doctor that is giving steroid injections will provide the patient with information about side affects and potential risks/benefits and what the patient should watch for.

I have yet to find a doctor that doesn't do that.

Repeated injections of steroids, or taking them orally is something that should not be done frequently. Usually no more than 3 times a year are injections given, whether they are epidural ones or directly into a joint.

You might ask your doctors if there is something you can take prophylaticaly prior to injections in an attempt to ward of any further fungal infections.

Fran

now the information you stated in this comment I Agree with. perhaps it was the way the first response was typed that I didn't find your comment to be correct. But indeed we all can agree that having steriod injections, epidural or not! can decrease one's immunes system and make them vunerable to getting infections. I believe that is the entire point of the original post is it not? and I don't have an immune problem, that I've been told about.

Had a bulging lumbar disk about 12 years ago, putting me on the sidelines (was a marathoner). Tried a chiropractor for 2 months, without any relief. Finally went to my son's DO, who suggested a cortizone shot. Within 2 days I was back on the road. Had another problem with the lumbar 6 years ago, but couldn't find anyone in my new location to shoot it.

Redgirly,

the same info essenially is in my first post that is in my second. Clearly stated as well, as I quoted what was said in the first response.

Fran

I do believe strongly that the shot kicked off the infection.... Im not an expert, Im only giving whatever advise that I have read concerning the subject over the last year. Alot of information I've read contridicts itself so who knows what you should and shouldn't do... I dont think anyone knows because if they did, I would not still have this infection. As soon as I recieved the shots, my periods and everything else went out of wack, after speaking with other people, I discoved that my coworker and my mother got an infection right after the shot and has not been able to get rid of it..I've been to the Gyno and several different doctors including an Allergy doctor because I develeped food sensitivities because of it. If anyone has had it and got rid of it, by all means let me know because I am on my own...Would be happy to share info with anyone.