Knee steroid injections..........

[Gardnr]

It is highly unusual to have systemic reactions to an intrarticular steroid injection. As you were told, they tend to stay inside the joint capsule which is why/how they provide temporary relief. It is however temporary when there is joint surface breakdown. I did have one 1.5y ago. It gave me relief for a month or 2 but that's it. I had one in my thumb for a trigger. It worked perfectly. I'm happy to report that since about 8w after having it the thumb has not triggered once!

You say you have a really bad knee. There comes a point where NOT getting the replacement causes much more severe damage both in that leg and the other that is being overused to compensate. Have you considered that you've reached that breaking point and really need to consider the replacement?

I'm doing this dance myself. It's a balancing act of figuring out the right time of not too early and not too late! I have a large chunk missing from the thighbone toward the front. I cannot fully extend my leg without serious and severe pain. One bad move takes 3-4 days to recover from........

[Tybee]

I know I have systemic reactions to inhaled steroids, and the doctors say this should not happen, but for me, they do. Cathy, you have probably tried all these, but I thought I would offer this link:

http://www.naturalnewsblogs.com/five...-knee-surgery/

I take valerian in capsule form as needed but last year planted a packet of seeds and am nurturing the plants along. They are perennial and coming up very solid this year, so I will be able to brew my own valerian tea. Why don't you try doing that in your garden?

[CathyA]

Thanks Gardnr and Tybee.

I think for certain people, they tend to have very little problems with just about everything. But some of us are wired differently, and have to be extremely careful with our choices. And I think it's probably easy for those less "sensitive" people (in a physical sense), it's hard to understand how overly-sensitive some of our systems are. In retrospect, I realize that many of the drugs I've taken through my life had bad side-effects, because for my system, they were like taking 2-3x's the "normal" dose. It's great to run into a doc who understands this and discusses lower dosages.

Tybee.....thanks for that link. I think a big problem I have is the foods I like that don't like me. Someone once said to me that we crave the foods that our bodies have the biggest trouble with. It sounds sort of hokey........but sometimes I think it's true.

I have felt so sick the past couple of days. I think the anxiety from the steroid is lessening a bit.....but along with that is the thigh pain coming back. I bought a cream this morning called "Pentrex" and I'll see how that works.

I talked to a woman I used to work with at the hospital the other day and she said "You have to just trust the doctor". Uh........I don't think so. I have a brain and know my body. Yes, I am very skeptical of many docs, but it's because their reasoning seems illogical to me.
Anyhow.....thanks for that link. I think I need to find out if any of the more natural stuff is contraindicated in combination with any other drugs I'm on.

This pain in my thighs is far worse than my knee pain. I'm thinking maybe something like Meralgia Peristhetica. But since the doc took only knee xrays, he focused on them. I have a couple other doc appointments lined up (G.I., Gyn.), but it seems to take so danged long to get into docs anymore.

[Tybee]

Cathy, this is what we use for pain relief for muscles (and has worked for back spasms that I have--crippling pain, emergency room level pain):

[CathyA]

Thanks Tybee......I'll check that out! I bought some "Pentrex" cream this morning, but I'm not going to open it yet. It was something like $19 for 2 oz.

[catherine]

I talked to a woman I used to work with at the hospital the other day and she said "You have to just trust the doctor". Uh........I don't think so. I have a brain and know my body. Yes, I am very skeptical of many docs, but it's because their reasoning seems illogical to me.

I agree. You know your own body better than the doctors do. I remember when I went to the doctor's office in the midst of contractions and I remember one doctor telling the other doctor, "oh, she thinks she's in labor" as in "WE'LL tell HER when she's in labor." They took one quick look and called the ambulance immediately and my daughter was born before I got to the hospital.

In my work talking to patients (and I'm sure the healthcare professionals here can attest to this) doctors do the best they can to diagnose, but it's just as much art as science. I read a really great book written by a doctor called "How Doctors Think"--fascinating. I recommend it if you wonder why some doctors are so off the mark and others have a special sense.

[pinkytoe]

Seems like muscular leg pain can also be caused by certain drugs - statins maybe??

[Tiam]

Just curious...I have tremendous knee pain. What do people feel are the most effective exercises they do that relieve pain?.

[Gardnr]

Just curious...I have tremendous knee pain. What do people feel are the most effective exercises they do that relieve pain?.

Do you know the cause/origin of your knee pain? If your joint surfaces or meniscus are damaged impact activities can make it worse.

Cycling is best as it creates motion and strengthens muscles but is low impact. Walking is good too.

[JaneV2.0]

I hear water exercises are perfect; there are probably classes at your local Y.