Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

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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to take the shot or not...?

achymom
achymom
My rheumy and I have overlapping vacations so she gave me a prescription for a dopomedrol shot, and a Rx for prednisone in case I need help over the next three weeks (I'm only 1 month into MTX and plaquenil). Here's my dilemma and would love some of your thoughts. I'm currently feeling the same as I have for the past few weeks (she gave me the same shot 4 weeks ago), so am reluctant to take more steroids when so many people I talk to say how bad they are -- but if I'm going to get the injection I need to get it over the next day or two before I go. My rheumy told me that the injection would be more effective than the pred pills, so if needed that's the preferred route. Thoughts? Worse to be away and need to take the pills if things get bad, or worse to take the shot if I don't need it at this moment?

thanks - achymom
CharlieBaxter
CharlieBaxter
If you fee the same and you are going on vacation I would take the shot and hope that I would have some improvement. Are you still taking Prednisone daily with the shot? I understand the reluctance to use the steroids but it you are really flaring they may be the best short term help for the discomfort and pain. The MTX and plaquenil should give you relief in time and no one knows the time schedule for that. Everybody is different. I am going on vacation in a couple of days, I called my Dr. to try and get a shot in my left ankle, "He is on vacation" No shot!! Oh well. Take care, Charlie
deleted_user
deleted_user
Was it a cortizone shot? Where did you have it done? Prednisone orally helps inflammation in the entire body whereas a shot only helps the local area where it is given.

Have you talked about taking a medrol dose pack? Whenever I travel I ask for a script for it. It is a prednisone pack for 7 days. Day one 7 pills then down to one. If you will be gone longer than a week you can take another dose pack after the one is done.

I dislike steroids immensely and generally refuse to take them, UNLESS I am traveling because I don't want to feel bad while I am on vacation.

Good luck and have a great time. You too Charlie! marcia
deleted_user
deleted_user
I've gotten to the point where I don't care what I take as long as I can live with the side effects AND it WORKS. If I have to take a round of steriods, a shot, a few pills a day, so be it. If I can chase my (almost) 3yo around the house, run when I need/want to do so and walk without having to limp, I'm happy. If it means I gain weight - I watch what I eat and eat healthier foods and skip the chocolate I'm craving. If it meant....for me... that I would have a successful, PAIN FREE vacation, I would take it. Cortisone shots have helped me in the past and they are MUCH faster than any steroid pack. JMO.

Hope you have a GREAT vacation and it's pain free.
izzymimi
izzymimi
I would take the shot if your going on holiday as you want to enjoy your hols!!Like you i was wary about taking steriods cause of the side effects but in the short term there ok.The injection will work quicker.Its hard weighing it up but i decided before my hols 2 weeks ago to increase my steriods so that i was ok on my hols and could really enjoy the break.It worked and i had a great time.I have also had an injection a couple of months ago and found that within a couple of days my feet and hands were less swollen!!
achymom
achymom
thanks everyone - just had the script filled for the shot and I'll do it tonight. It's not into joints, the doc gave it to me in my tush last month - largest muscle (!?) in the body... She also gave me a script for what I think is a prednisone pack (pills, starting with a lot, and scaling down every three days for a total of 15 days). Hopefully the shot will do enough and I won't need the pills. It's been a pain figuring this out, as she is on vacation and thought my family doc would do it for me, but that office won't sign off on having a nurse doing it because the rheumy didn't write a specific prescription to have the medicine injected, only a script to get the vial. So, now I've tracked down my girlfriends who have tons of experience doing IM shots in the behind when they did in-vitro to help me out. Brutal - I feel like I'm tracking down some illicit drug, not a shot of cortizone that I have every right to get!!