steroid injection and hydroxycloroquine

[Mandypandy1969]

hi, could anyone tell me how long a steroid injection lasts and what time span have people had in the medication working.

[Lupymo]

Had my first depot kenalog injection 13 weeks ago and hydroxychloroquine 11 weeks ago. Within 2 days my hands elbows feet ankles etc no longer felt like stone and didn't wake up like a stiff as stone during the night with pain either. Fatigue much improved and pain meds reduced after I accidentally forgot to take them a couple of weeks ago because I didn't have pain! Went into opioid withdrawals but that's another story. I feel the steroid has worn off and want a boost as it was amazing but no idea if I had an initial one off dose to commence treatment or whether it's given as maintenence therapy alongside hydroxy? Next hospital appt isn't till end October. I couldn't find an answer to your question anywhere on the web and am similarly keen to understand.

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to Lupymo]

ok.

[Sara_A in reply to Mandypandy1969]

I think they don't like to give them anymore than every 3 months and I believe they can take just a few days to start having an impact. I've had several steroid injections and some have given me a few months relief then others not much at all.

Hydroxychloroquine can take up to 3 months to start working but I think some people have reported benefits sooner than that. I started mycophenolate and swear I felt good after just 3 or 4 weeks but then bad again as needed dose increasing. So really it can be different for different people but that's the general rules I think!

The steroid inj should in theory keep u going until the hydroxychloroquine kicks in. I felt good when I was first put on hydroxychloroquine years ago but now can't manage on it alone but yeah definitely felt it helped initially.

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to Sara_A]

sounds positivish. thank you for the information. the steroid tablets worked in 24 hours but injection not worked much yet, only my mood has lifted a bit but that may have been knowing what was wrong with me. just wait now. I have e.s.a. assessment a week on Monday as I have a mild form of Bipolar and now this which also causes depression. just hope it goes ok. not been assessed for 2 years.