Not to make this a medical form but I have some questions about Cortisone I thought some of you here on the Bike Forms could help me with. Since it is the Cortisone injections that have allowed me to get out there on my bike and be able to enjoy it I think it is related to bicycling. I am sure others here have had these injections, what have been your experiences with them as far as pain relief(inflammation reduction) and what are the risk of long term use of Cortisone?


Background: The injections of Cortisone I have had have been in my right knee for osteoarthritis and my left ankle which was fused but now has bad arthritis in the heel joint. The injections have made a world of difference in the pain I have but I do not want to incur other problems from the Cortisone. Should I worry about side effects or just enjoy being somewhat pain free for up to three months at a time?

It's great for what it will do short term. Long term usage will harm your joints, I have been told by doctors.
The doctor has to weigh the potential benefits to you verses the potential harm. This is based on his detailed knowledge of your exact condition. No one without that information and his knowledge can guess what is right for you. A good doctor would never try to figure this out over the internet. He is the only one who can make recommendations about bicycling too. It depends on the exact condition of your joints.

Good luck, I know how bad it can be. It can potentially be a great help.

Thanks for your reply, I know over the internet it is hard to have all of the information and you guys are not doctors(well most of you are not). The ankle I am not to worried about hurting as the other option is to fuse it and I would like to put that off as long as possible. The knee is another story, I will need to be keeping that joint for as long as I can. I was just wondering what experiences others have had with these injections .

Ask your doctor about Synvisc. I just had my second injection for OA in my right shoulder, but it's meant and approved for use in the knee. I'm still on the fence with whether or not it's working for me, but the shoulder and knee are two entirely different animals, and shoulder usage is off label, while the FDA has approved it for the knee.

It's a 3 injection drug that is supposed to rejuvinate the synovial fluid in the joint, easing the pain of OA. The best part is, if it helps you, you only need it once a year, and it's just a harmless compound harvested from chickens, not a steroid.

Check it out.

https://www.synvisc.com/

Cortisone breaks down the body’s natural healing process. It should be used for short term only.

I’ve had three shots in the last year for my tennis elbow, but the pain still comes back when I hit a backhand. I’ll probably need surgery...

These are questions you should ask your health care professional when getting these injections. This is not a question for BF.

I guess I'm in a different camp as far as this is concerned. Definitely ask your physician, but if you're getting them then you've likely had that discussion with them. I don't think it hurts to compare notes with others in a similar situation. Maybe my doctor has a different take on it than your doctor, that's why they're "practicing", they're not perfect.

I've had a few, and my orthopedic surgeon told me that overtime they will break down the cartilage (sp? I always have problems witht hat one..LOL). But they also help with breaking down scar tissue (something I have a lot of) so in the short term they can be beneficial but not something you'd want to do long term. Are you taking glucosamine? That may also help but just like a cortizone injection, it works for some and not so much for others.

An internet forum is not a place to get medical advice, you just get guys with anecdotal stories about copper bracelets, herbal remedies, and magnets.

I understand what you are saying DocRay, I was only looking for other peoples experiences with the injections. Yes I have talked to my doctor about the injections as he is the one giving them to me. His major concern was injection site infection and not having more than four shots per year in the same site.

The reason I was asking was because while the doctor may list off numerous possible problems the real world problems most people would see sometimes are not talked about as much as they should be(I know everyone if different). Before I had the ankle fusion that started this whole ball rolling the doctor(s) told me of the possible problems I could expect in the future but they really did not drive home the fact that the other joints that would take up the slack of not having a ankle would start to fall apart and sooner not later(5-7years). This is the real world common problems I am talking about. Again I know you are only trying to help and to keep me away from the quack cures.