Marsha's Musings: Check Possible Side Effects of Cortisone Injections

This week I had cortisone injections in both elbows for tendonitis. I was not warned of the possible side effects and even though I did a search on cortisone injections looking for possible side effects, very little was listed. It wasn't until after the injections that I found this message board where people had posted about their experiences with cortisone injections. It was a relief to find this and to realize everything I was experiencing was related to the injections, but it was frustrating to be blind-sided by the side effects. I also learned here that they have epinephrine in them which causes me problems as well. So I got double-whammied. The side-effects I experienced are as follows:

• weakness in my arm
• all over feeling of weakness and whoosiness
• racing heart
• sudden and profound depression and crying
• insomnia
• flushing/hot flashes
• feeling feverish
• chills
• blurred vision
• exhaustion

I just wanted to post this as fore-warning for anyone considering cortisone injections so that they will know what they might experience and not be blind-sided by it all. From reading the posts, I gathered that the side effects can last anywhere from 24 hours up to a year for some. The ones who said they went to their doctor and complained about the side effects said they were dismissed by their doctors and told that it had nothing to do with the injections. To be fore-warned is to be fore-armed.