Rivaroxaban and steroids

[Janna501]

Morning,

I have a very painful shoulder joint condition which is preventing me carrying on normal life and sleeping.

I had a scan yesterday, and was told the best treatment would be to have an ultrasound guided steroid injection. I really want to go for it, but have read that perhaps I shouldn’t S I’m on daily rivaroxaban for paroxysmal AF and it could cause internal bleeding! Does anyone have experience of this ( having a steroid injection while on Rivaroxaban?)

Would be very grateful to hear from you .

[Bagrat]

To be fair most medical treatments should be judged by risk versus benefit. We are not medically trained. my friend's husband has to take regular steroids for an unrelated condition whilst on anticoagulants for his heart. So far so good. without steroids his quality of life is poor. Are you able to discuss this option with GP or arrhythmia nurse or maybe contact cardio consultants secretary and leave a message?? I understand your concerns but life needs to be worth living. The risk of bleeding in the joint area is probably a risk anyway without anticoagulant. If it is CT guided chances of success higher I would think.

[Janna501 in reply to Bagrat]

Thankyou Bagrat, I’ve tried to get through to my GP, and wait for a promised telephone call three days later!

[Hidden]

Hi Janna,

I have had similar shoulder problems. My GP did not want to give me an injection because I was on Warfarin and she was worried about an internal bleed. She tried to persuade me to come off Warfarin and go onto a NOAC. I refused. I argued that I'd had to have two procedures in the past and had to stop Warfarin. A brain scan and knee replacement surgery - no problems at all. In the end she carried out an ordinary cortisone injection herself with me having got my INR down to about 1.7 ( not ultrasound guided - a straight jab !). No bleed, no problems.

Its been over 6 weeks now and gradually my shoulder has almost returned to normal, almost pain free and sleep quality has improved beyond belief. For me the lack of sleep was terrible - I drive buses. Just living the dream on pain killers. We'll see how long pain free lasts.

John

[Janna501 in reply to Hidden]

Oh that sounds promising, to be able to sleep would be wonderful! I thought the risk of a bleed would be more on the site of the injection not internally?

[Hidden in reply to Janna501]

Hi Janna,

Well in my case there was no bleed at the site of the injection, even though my GP plopped a plaster on it. Equally, there was no internal bleed either. What I meant to have said was that my sleep quality is improving but a long way from perfect. No matter what improvements I have noticed though, whenever there is a weather change involving an increase in humidity and and simultaneous drop in barometric air pressure then the pain is beyond pain. Back to Cocodomol 30/500 pain relief.

John

[Kaz747]

Last year I had a cortisone injection in my knee and five months later had one in my foot. I’ve been on Rivaroxiban for a few years- I had no issues with bleeding. Of course we are all different so be guided by your doctor.

[Janna501 in reply to Kaz747]

Thankyou so much Kaz. Did you have to stop the Rivaroxaban for a day prior to the injection?

[Kaz747 in reply to Janna501]

I don’t remember stopping taking it so I don’t think so. I had to stop a couple of days before my ankle surgery though.

[KMRobbo]

I had one in my wrist but was not on AC at the time. However there was no side effect at all other than it reduced the pain greatly! I did not get swelling owing to the injection which I think indicates there was minimal / no bleeding.The pain went almost immediately so it was a good treatment.

[Bawdy]

I had two a few weeks ago in my facet joints, was off ac for just one day before. I had the same procedure 2 years ago and it was brilliant. This time the one into my right side really hurt, unusual, the left side OK. Went to hell and back and just thought it hadn't worked. When my consulting doctor got in touch he very quickly diagnosed I had a big bleed, couldn't lift my leg , really in big trouble. Settled now but he said in future it will be done in hospital and several days off AC's. Don't mean to put you off, maybe I had a bad operator but I will never know. I wish you well and probably I just got unlucky. I will go back again but not for a while 🌹