Cortisone Injection

[beekeeper21]

Just wonder if anyone can share any experience...

I've had an achillies tendon problem for about 9 months. Achillies Tendenopathy. I was prescribed a series of Eccentric excersises which I did for 12 weeks but did not work, then I was prescribed another series, similar excersises but different amounts. I've done them for 12 weeks again but still no change.
And so the physio has made me an appoitment for a high volume saline solution injection, which I know contains some cortisone.

He has reassured me that this has negligable effect on BS but I know that there is plenty of (anedotal) evidence out there of this not being the case.
He says that when it comes to the injection I can ask that there is only a saline solution with no Cortisone, but since he won't actually be doing the injection, it is just at some injecting clinic I'd be surprised if they will do this for me and I suspect the person doing the injection won't want a big discussion with me about how I'd rather live with the pain than have the BS rise.

I've worked really hard since diagnosis to keep my BS low through diet and excersise. (And thanks to all on this Forum for that!)

I'm desperate to be able to go running again and want the tendon problem sorted, but not at the expense of it playing havoc with my BS. Most people seem to report that it only effects BS for a week or so, but there are enough out there who thing that the week of toxic high levels has been enough to kill off some cells and so shift them up a gear in the worsening of their condition.

Any thoughts gratefully recieved.

thanks

 

[hallii]

I had a couple of courses of two different types of cortisone in my shoulder. I was assured that they would not make my BGs rise.

They did, but not by a significant amount, I think it was about .5 mmol rise as far as I could tell. It lasted for about a week and things were back to normal.

The injections either work or they don't my first lot did nothing. The second lot worked a treat, my shoulder is fine and has been for two years now.

H

 

[beekeeper21]

Thanks H

That's reassuring. In my case the cortisol isn't the main treatment - the saline is. The cortisol is just there for pain relief. What I'm wondering is if I can get away with having the saline with no cortisol in it.

Glad your worked though.

 

[CarbsRok]

Your best bet is to find out exactly what it is they want to inject into you and then discuss the options.
If you do need to have the cortisol then short term higher numbers will not do you any harm at all. Infact it would be better in the long run to accept this as being in constant pain will raise your blood sugars anyway, plus if the injury progresses with lack of treatment this will also stop you exercising which again will be detrimental to your diabetes control.

 

[dawnmc]

I was told that I could expect BS to rise but it would only last a week. I had a cortisol injection in my hand for trigger finger. They did rise but not significantly, and although the injection was bloody painful it appears to have worked. no more pain and triggering is much reduced.

 

[Spiral]

I had some non invasive, non surgical treatment for year long achillies insertional tendinopathy in March. It was very succesful and not available on the NHS - still being evaluated and htere are some NICe guidelines on it. The treatment cost me £300, but it was worth every penny - all the nHS could offer me was the cortisone or surgery

I posted about it here.
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=29831

I'd recommend anyone with this problems to check it out.

 

[beekeeper21]

Spiral, I'd read your post a while ago and it led me to doing some research, I found a place in Croydon that would do a course of 3 treatments for £600. I told the physio at my hopsital about it and he told me that they have just bought a shockwave machine and he would consider it as an option further down the line but for now he thought I should go for the Saline Solution with Cortisol.

Carbsrok, I think you are right. My dilemma is that the ultimate goal is to keep the BS low. Hence the need to excersise (I train everyday but I can't do any running, or skipping etc), but if the injections push up the BS then it's counter productive. I guess from the other comments that most likely the effect will be minimal, but I'm just nervouse because I have come across one or two horror stories from people who have said there levels have gone up and stayed up. Jenny Ruhl warns people to be very cautious.

Maybe I can persuade him to give me the saline without the cortisol. ( I think the saline is meant to flush away the 'bad' blood cells and hence relieve the pain. My understanding is that the condition can't be 'fixed', just pain reduced.

 

[anna29]

Hi ...
Can I add here, I have had the cortisone injection "twice" in the last 2 years...
For my left frozen shoulder...
Both times 'yes' it did peak my BS levels up a 'bit' lasted just 4days each time,[after the cortisone injection]
they then settled back down to normal.
It 'is' a temporary thing!!! not permanent - my own GP validated this fact.
My own DSN agreed this was the case also.
Best to ASK the professionals and be guided by them [only] is my suggestion here.
The cortisone helps with the inflammation caused, relieving the pain totally for up to 6months.
Hope this helps?
Anna.

 

[Spiral]

My understanding is that the condition can't be 'fixed', just pain reduced.

My achillies has been "fixed". The benefit was immediate and the healing continued for several months. I was really worried about mobilising safely after my op in April. My podiatric surgeon has told me that it won't come back.

I suppose your chap may be suspicious as it is new treatment. I'd always go for something non invasive first. I checked online for the price of those machines - around £10K :shock: an awful lot of money for the NHS to spend and not use, or only as a last resort....

My treatment was done by the physio in a Ramsey Healthcare centre. It cost £300 for 4 session.

My podiatric surgeon has also recently bought a machne and he was charging the same price as you found.

 

[beekeeper21]

Hi, Spiral

I don't know if this post will find you, since the thread is old now. I wanted to get in touch to ask you a bit more about the shockwave treatment. I had a course of it and wanted to get a sense of the timescale you experienced in terms of the healing. Also any advice on when and how to starry exercising etc.

If you are out there still, I'd be great full for some info.

Thanks
G