Sorry you are having pain.
I am sure someone will have had this done to give you some info.
I have only had my shoulder injected. The Injection was a steroid mixed with an anesthetic so the injection pain was very brief (just a few seconds). For the rest of the day it felt like a bruise - achy. But the next day my shoulder felt so much better.

Thank you

This is not unheard of, as RA can strike jaw bone. I have had my knee injected, discomfort was brief. It too felt like a bruise the rest of the day. The next day, wow great pain relief.

how'd it go? I have had the wrists, shoulders, hip bursa's, L's, S-1, fascia, cervical, knees, over many many years. I'll stop there. I have not had the jaw. I hope it is helpful for you. I had had more success in some areas, less in others, none in some. My pain management department of my rheumatology place, does not prescribe meds, they refer in for steroid injections or PT - so I have had a share of these. I am not going to repeat the facet joint or the ones that I opted to be asleep. Too much work, not enough payback in terms of wow that helped. The knees and feet responsive. i guess we are all different.

I agree with doodles. novacaine or some such stuff, a little sting. walk away. ice the area if I remember. Take a motrin.

let us know how you are :)

hugs
depot

I have also had many steroid injections. One time I went and I was so bad, my doctor told me to pick two joints to have injected. I picked the ring finger on my left hand, and the bunion on my left foot. When he put the injection in my finger, I screamed so loud, the receptionist came to see how I was doing. My doctor decided he would freeze the bunion first, before steroids.

Now, I have a high pain tolerance, and I have never had that happen before or since. So that really was an exception to the rule. Plus, it didn't help the finger much. But the bunion! I could barely walk it was so bad. The pain disappeared with the freezing, which wore off in 4 hours. Then the cortisone shot kicked in. It really was the turning point for that foot. It did swell a bit, but that seemed to stop the bad flare in its tracks. It was amazing to be pain free those first hours - it felt "like I used to feel."

As for the jaw, I have had terrible TMJ, especially in the early years of this disease, and in both jaw joints. But I never asked for help, and never got any. Two years ago when my meds failed, I had a flare so bad in my left jaw, it dislocated (subluxed) the jaw. I couldn't open my jaw to eat for days, and I finally had to go for physiotherapy to stop the pain, by moving it back into place. By the way, that jaw was so bad because I had osteo from the early on flares. Another good reason to get the shot, and also to get on better meds so you don't get that kind of flares. Damage from RA turns into osteoarthritis!

If someone had offered me cortisone shots in my jaw in either the early days or 2 years ago, I would have jumped at the chance. Even 10/10 pain for a few minutes, and then some relief, would have been well worth it! And besides, my experience with shots, other than that finger (which he probably hit the bone, a different story) is that they bring so much relief it doesn't matter the injection pain. Although, I would say most of my shots have been a 2 or 3 out of 10 pain.

Well, I hope this works for you. And let us know! I would love to hear how it works, as I never know when my meds might fail, and I would be back getting massive jaw flares. I'm tucking this in my memory, and I will get it done if my jaws are flared again.

Thank you guys so much I will be going on thursday to get them I will post an update either that night or when I get the chance

Hey, good luck. With a messed up jaw, it must be hard to speak, and no wonder you're misunderstood. JK. :) Best wishes.

Just had both sides of my jaw muscles injected with steroids and Lidocaine. Not a comfortable thing but quick. Several hours later it is little painful but everytime I get steroid shots I'm sore at the injection site for a little bit for a little bit. One thing that did happen though is that the doctor hit a facial nerve which causes some paralysis on the one side that he did. The most annoying part is that my eyelid stays open all of the time. I have left it taped like they did at the hospital and I have kept it taped and keep putting drops in it. The doc said that it would wear off in 22426 hours but it's now been 8 hours and no sign of it changing I trust this doctor completely and apparently this doesn't happen very often but I thought I would let you be aware of it to maybe discuss it with the doctor before they inject you. I also have rheumatoid arthritis plus other illnesses. I've had a migraine 24 hours 7 days a week for the last 3 years. The tight muscles went from my head and neck down to my shoulders down my biceps and upper and lower back and into my butt. So I'm getting guards for my teeth and I'm hoping between that and the steroid shots that that will help. I do get myobloc which is similar to Botox every 3 months. Good luck don't be scared about doing it. I know people get all worked up over the pain but the pain of the injection is temporary and can help you not see be so painful all of the time so it is well worth a try