What is Steroid Injections?
Category: Prescription Drugs
See also: Epidural Steroid Injection
Steroids (short for corticosteroids) decrease inflammation and reduce the activity of the immune system. They can be given systemically into the vein or the muscle or may be given locally by directing the injected medication into a specific area of inflammation.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back pain | 24 | 12 | |
| Pain | 20 | 4 | |
| Inflammation | 10 | 1 | |
| Arthritis pain | 4 | 6 | |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 4 | 0 | |
| Stiffness/spasticity | 4 | 1 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 3 | |
| Moderate | 3 | |
| Mild | 2 | |
| None | 11 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Steroid Injections
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Weight gain | 2 | |
| Eye floaters | 1 | |
| Facial swelling/puffiness | 1 | |
| Injection site indentations | 1 | |
| Optic nerve inflammation (optic neuritis) | 1 | |
| Pain | 1 |
Why patients stopped taking Steroid Injections
Multiple reasons could be selected
| Reason | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Course of treatment ended | 18 | |
| Did not seem to work | 10 | |
| Side effects too severe | 4 | |
| Doctor's advice | 2 | |
| Expense | 2 | |
| Other | 2 | |
| Personal research | 2 | |
| Change in health plan coverage | 1 |
Duration
Stopped taking Steroid Injections
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 20 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 5 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 3 | |
| 5 - 10 years | 2 | |
| 10 years or more | 4 |
What people switch to and from
Patients started taking Steroid Injections after stopping:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Azithromycin (Zithromax) | 1 | |
| Gabapentin-Nortriptyline | 1 | |
| Pregabalin (Lyrica) | 1 |
Patients stopped taking Steroid Injections and switched to:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Prednisone (Prednisone Intensol) | 1 | |
| Total Knee Replacement | 1 |
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