Very painful steroid injection

[Tonkie]

Hello! I wanted some advice or to hear there’s light at the end of this miserable tunnel

I have been getting steroid injections for the last 10 years into my toes and my thumbs. I have just had to move house and the packing put my hands into a lot of pain. So the doctor put steroids into my thumbs and the worst finger (I had the top dose I could have in a day). Anyway my finger is excruciating. It has swollen I can’t move it, I can’t use my left hand at all. This is beyond frustrating when we are living out of bags and boxes with 3 kids.

He did them on Monday and yesterday I spent the day in bed with hot/cold therapy. I put a wrist splint on which helped not to move that finger. But it kept waking me in the night I think I kept bending it. Maybe tonight I should try a finger splint? Or any other advice from people who get them into their fingers?

Any idea how long this hell will last and when I can sort my house out? Today it feels worse than yesterday. I was really hoping for an improvement. I’m now terrified he’s made my finger even worse. Please tell me this is normal and temporary.

Thanks in advance. Ps sorry if I don’t get back to everyone my hands are hurting so much typing.

Toni

[julie1908]

Good Morning

Last Thursday I had an injection put into my knee to drain fluid and at the same time put a steroid shot in and all day Friday and Saturday it had swollen up and was so painful and hard i could barely weight bear on it. By Sunday the swelling had gone down and was so much better. Hopefully yours will only be 48 hours. X

[Runrig01]

Sorry to hear your suffering. You don’t say when this was done. You can often experience an increase in pain In the first 24-48hrs. I would maybe contact your gp to rule out an infection in that finger, is it red or hot as well? Do you have compression gloves, they can offer a bit of support. Your other option is to ring your rheumatologist and see what they can offer, but I think cellulitis needs ruling out due to pain worsening.

[medway-lady]

I think call the doctor who did this it might be they might have hit a nerve of a muscle as I had an injection of antibiotics in my thigh which doubled in size and was excruciating. I got sent to A&E and he’d hit a blood vessel in my muscle which was bleeding. It did go down but best get it checked rather than self treat as it might get worse.

[Lizard28]

Hi, I had the same thing after having injection in my finger, the pain was excruciating even more than before. I had to call my Rheumy after a week because they didn’t work. I had to go on prednisolone for a few months to get the swelling down.

[Tonkie in reply to Lizard28]

I have a feeling that may be the case with me too. It’s so painful I can’t bend it and it’s given me an autoimmune rash all over my hand too. I have rheumatology on Monday at least. This sucks! I was trying to avoid more oral steroids as they make me an emotional wreck. Thanks for replying and letting me know I’m not alone. Yesterday I found out my toe needs resetting and screwing - 6 weeks off my feet. Then another tendon surgery - 3 months recovery. I’m only 36. It’s getting me down a bit. Especially when I have so much to do and people are counting on me. Looks like I’m unpacking one handed! I can’t leave it any longer. Oh well.

[Lizard28 in reply to Tonkie]

I had tenosynovitis in my hand, could not bend my fingers, it has little movement now but no pain even after all the physio I had. Strangely enough I came out in a rash all over my body. My rheumy sent me to dermatologist and biopsied me, turned out to be lupus. Just to add to all the other auto immune stuff going on. Honestly my hand was the most painful thing I’ve ever had. I was so grateful that the steroids finally took the swelling down and the pain eased. Best wishes x

[Tonkie in reply to Lizard28]

That’s what I have in my hand tensonyvitis - I thought this injection would help it not flare it up. I wish they would biopsy these rashes and then I may get a definitive answer I’m in the UTCD category. My fingers haven’t been this bad since feb this year when I started MTX and Hydroxy. I’m gutted. Especially cause I’ve done it to myself getting these steroids. Thankfully my thumbs aren’t too bad but my fingers are rigid and my knuckles are excruciating. Glad you’re on the other side of it now and thanks for your experience xx