22 hours into treatment...

[flow4]

Well here I am, 22 hours on from my first intra-muscular steroid injection and about to take my 2nd dose of hydroxychloroquine (here it is!)... And I must say, those steroids are doing their stuff! The swelling around my R knee has almost completely gone - I can bend it again - and my hands and wrists are a whole lot less painful. I feel generally less stiff, and I realised after I'd been to the bathroom this morning that I got there without holding on to the walls, or even limping! I've been feeling a little bit buzzy, like I'm slightly drunk... No other noticeable side effects yet, apart from a slight, odd, metallic kind of feeling in my mouth...

So far, so good...

[Hidden]

Great news Flow. It's just amazing what a difference steroids can make. Fingers crossed that the hydroxy works for you as well x

[flow4 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks paulywoo. It feels like magic! Isn't medicine clever sometimes?!

[allanah]

I can relate to that! I call it my steroid holiday! Wish you could have them long term lol

[flow4 in reply to allanah]

I was thinking of it in exactly those terms this morning, Allanah. I recently got some Temazepam from my GP to give myself the occasional night off from muscle pain - it worked a decade ago, but it turns out it doesn't work now, probably because I'm so much worse...

[helixhelix]

Those steroids jabs! There have been times when I would have happily swapped my mother for one.... I love them (and also love my mother....)

[flow4 in reply to helixhelix]

I'll swap my teenagers...

[allanah in reply to helixhelix]

I'd even swap Barry manilow

[helixhelix in reply to allanah]

Steady on! There are limits you know.....

[popsmith1874]

They have made the difference to me ,third day back at work and I feel a different man to the one that has struggled the last two years long may it continue

[flow4 in reply to popsmith1874]

When did you have yours? How long has it lasted so far?

[allanah in reply to flow4]

If it helps mine last six to eight weeks xx

[flow4 in reply to allanah]

Yes, thanks. I know we're all different but it's interesting to have some comparison. I had a local injection in my foot earlier in the year that was marvelous but only lasted a couple of weeks; I'm hoping I get more respite from this intra-muscular jab!

[Hidden in reply to popsmith1874]

Pleased you are feeling much better and work is going well for you, X

[popsmith1874]

I had a injection 2 weeks ago ,the hydrox have just been added to the sulfazalasine ,and metx injections upped from 20 t 25 mgs, and I feel great so far , long may it continue

[flow4 in reply to popsmith1874]

I'll drink to that!

[Hidden]

I read your post and it made me smile I too am counting the days I've been in treatment. I am on day 365 (yes today is my one year anniversary of my diagnose)

Hydroxy seems to be working for my husband's RA as he is now down from 2 pills aday to only one. I am hoping this drug is the one that works for you too!!

Take care

Sue

[flow4 in reply to Hidden]

That's good to hear, thanks. Wishing you and your husband well

[Sheila_G]

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could safely take steroid injections whenever pain comes on. One day someone might invent one. We live in hope.x

[flow4 in reply to Sheila_G]

Yes!

[Hidden in reply to Sheila_G]

I hope "one day" soon will be within this week.

[Sheila_G]

Me too!!!

[flow4]

It's now 3-4 days after my steroid injection, and I'm still feeling pretty good. I had no idea what to expect, really, and I must say I'm impressed. As I said before, the swelling behind my R knee has gone completely and I can bend my knee for the first time in a year. My hands are much less painful and my fingers are more dexterous: I had to stop knitting and learning the ukelele (don't laugh!) last winter, and I think I might be able to start again. Both knees are noticably less swollen - they've changed shape. I wasn't even aware my L knee WAS swollen at all, but now it's not any more, I can see that it was, IYSWIM. The aches up my arms and in my wrists that I have thought to be tendinosis have gone, and so have some of the little nodules that I had along my tendons. The pain in my bum is much reduced, and hasn't been waking me up at night, so I haven't had to take any paracetamol or co-codamol this week. I generally have more energy and less pain, and have been running up stairs, and able to do more of my aquafit classes without hurting.

There have been a couple of drawbacks, but nothing that outweighs the definite advantages: the front of my R knee, where I have osteoarthritis too, is more sharply painful, as if I can feel it/notice it more now that the swelling and inflammation have gone. I have had a couple of very sharp twinges in my thumbs too, which also have OA. And they, and my knees and other joints, have become a bit more unstable. I have hypermobility syndrome and used to be very hypermobile but have stiffened up a lot as the arthritis has set in - I feel a bit less stiff, and as if the inflammation was perhaps even supporting my lax joints a bit, and now isn't. That probably won't make any sense to anyone who isn't hypermobile, but it makes sense to me! Anyway, all in all, I'm very pleased with the effects of the steroids!