IM steroid injection - when will it start working?

[Geb777]

I recently got the IM depo medrone steroid injection into my left thigh to help with inflammation and pain for my possible RA. I would love to hear other people's experiences of it and the effects. It's been six days since I've had the injection, I've definitely noticed less stiffness and a bit less pain. When I touch the areas that were very painful before such as my elbow, knee hands neck etc they don't feel inflamed and I don't have pain when I push into the point (which I did before the injection). However I'm still experiencing some pain in my shoulder joints and my hands, I feel like I've lost the sensation in my hands as well. Is this normal? I read that sometimes chronic pain and inflammation can mean that the pain can take a bit longer to subside. I was just wondering when I can hope for the pain to settle down and whether the loss of sensation in hands is a normal effect? I would be grateful to hear about everyone else's experiences with the injection as I'm a bit worried that I'm still having some pain

[Hidden]

It’s so individual. My first injection was marvellous kicked in straight away subsequent ones more disappointing one lasted a week but did work within 12 hours it helped with the swelling and a bit with stiffness. My last one nothing no help at all. Some people have great relief 🤷‍♀️ no reason other than disease is fickle. If your problems still continues or get worse make sure you get help oral steroids might be better. Nothing worse when things are out of control.

[AgedCrone]

Don’t worry....everyone seems to react differently....for some it knocks symptoms on the head for weeks....for others Depomedrone never works.

As you are getting some relief that is a hopeful sign,....I’d give it a little while yet.....try not to overdo things.

[medway-lady]

Always worked for me but once I had 3 jabs in a couple of weeks but it was on holiday so a foreign doctor might not have been the real stuff. I found usually worked straight away and lasted for three months but I've no experience of numbness. Sorry. x

[jell in reply to medway-lady]

ooo I was told can't have more than 3 per year!

[medway-lady in reply to jell]

Yes same here except in exceptional circumstances and 1 was on a cruise liner in Florence, we came home and up went the ankle next day and the RA consultant saw me as an emergency and it really , really hurt and he said lets sort that out !

[rounder]

I generally get good results, for me it takes about a week to start working well and I generally get 2 or 3 months relief from the worst of the symptoms of RA. I do get some numbness in my fingers due to swelling in my wrists, but I have Carpel tunnel syndrome too.

I hope the injections work for you too, but it's maybe worth talking to your rheumatology help line of you have concerns.

[Geb777]

Thank you everyone for your advice! I'm hoping in a few days time it will start to kick in some more!

[francko]

When I've had the injections they usually took effect within 10 hours but only lasted for 10-14 days. I guess we're all very different!

[Hidden]

I think it may be that the more you have, the less effective they are. To begin with they worked like magic for me, very quickly and lasted at least two months and took the pain away completely. Later, they still worked, but took longer to kick in and didn't last as long.

Now, they don't work at all which is very disappointing. I even had one done by guided ultrasound and even that didn't work.

I hope you soon get some relief.

[Tompark]

Don’t worry, I had injection last year and it took at least four weeks to start to work. I had given up on it and then it began to gradually ease.