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Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...

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Contaminated steroid injections?

debRAinOC
debRAinOC
Not trying to alarm anyone, but I just read a few articles about fungal meningitis contamination in a batch of steriod injections made by a compounding pharmacy in New England. Here's one article:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/steroid-related-meningitis-cases-rise-47-article-1.1176355

So far, it seems that the affected patients received the shots in pain clinics for the treatment of back pain sometime between July and September. The clinics that used this batch of steroids have been contacting patients.
aggie83
aggie83
How terribly scary and frightening this is. I have had steroid shots in the lower back before...several years ago, but boy, how scary. Since I have meds which lower my immunity now, I really find it scary.
didyann
didyann
I recieved one in August, but it was in my shoulder. From what I gather they are concerned about the ones in the spine.
ncgranny62
ncgranny62
I have to admit this spooked me a little when I read about it in yesterday's news. Some of the cases have been in North Carolina and that's where I live and I had an epidural steroid injection in my lower lumbar just this past August.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Here is a link for the places involved:

http://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/meningitis-facilities-map.html

From what i understand, they are prefilled syringes of Methylprednesonol only for spinal injetions.
deleted_user
deleted_user
* Methylprednesolone
deleted_user
deleted_user
The really scary part is, as this story broke, a close friend of mine was sent from ICU to stepdown and now rehab. For bacterial meningitis, he had spinal surgery on Sept 7. He had also had a spinal injection of steroids in mid August.

So, it hit really close to home. Fortunately, even if it had been him, they caught it and he is okay.

I am terrified for the families suffering from the repercussions of this tragedy!
deleted_user
deleted_user
Thank you 51 percent, As always you are so helpful in helping us understand what is happening. I pray for all those affected by this batch of contaminated injections, they already had enough problems without this.