Injections: know what's being injected!

[Harrison]

Next time you have an injection for pain, do insist on asking your doctor about the ingredients of the solution injected into your body. Here’s why:

- some brands include hydrochloric acid, and/or ethylene alchol (aka antifreeze);
- some solutions may be more effective than others;
- some (or all) brands may interfere with the delicate immunological function of already compromised tissue;
- some spine doctors do not support the idea of injections (do your homework, come back and tell us why!);
- some products have ingredients that are sourced from other countries, where QC is not quite up to snuff.

Here’s some background reading….

Depo-Medrol
Generic Name: methylprednisolone acetate
Dosage Form: injectable suspension
http://www.drugs.com/pro/depo-medrol...uspension.html

EPIDURAL INJECTIONS and the LUMBAR SPINE
http://www.burtonreport.com/InfSpine...iInjKoontz.htm Also see:
http://www.burtonreport.com/InfSpine...#Preservatives

WHAT ARE IN PROLOTHERAPY INJECTIONS? http://www.prolonews.com/prolotherap...injections.htm

Cortisone Injection (Corticosteroid Injection)
of Soft Tissues & Joints
http://www.medicinenet.com/cortisone...on/article.htm

The International Spine Intervention Society
http://www.spinalinjection.com/

Periradicular Infiltration for Sciatica: A Randomized Controlled Trial http://www.spinejournal.com/pt/re/spine/abstract.000076...82!181195629!8091!-1

Predictive Factors of Efficacy of Periradicular Corticosteroid Injections for Lumbar Radiculopathy
http://www.ajnr.org/cgi/content/full/27/5/978

[kanutta]

I've read on pain rounds, the pain doc's forum, that celestone is the least dangerous steroid, and should be used instead of depo-medrol.

Conditions like Arachnoiditis are serious and irreversible, so heads up! Ask the spinejockey what he's injecting in your spine.

This subject has been discussed a lot at the norwegian spine board some years ago.

[Harrison]

Nice post Kanutta, thanks for visiting again. If you can share the URL to the Norway site, and the specific post, please do.

: )

[maz]

Hi I couldnt agree with Mr Harrison more I was injected into so called trigger points with an aneshetic solution which no effcet this was for the now redundant diagnosis of myofacial pain syndrome which is actually DDD. The the same Rheumatologist did several more injections into the area s my musband marked on my back as pulsating and he used steriod solution. I was on the floor for 5 weeks after that I had headaches for the forst time in my life which werent related to wine! and it ruined my Christmas and weeks after so I think it is very important to ask why and what beforehand rather than like a lamb to the slaughter and just accept this is an option lets try it. I certainly wouldnt again unless I was convinced it wasnt stabbing in the dark (pardon the pun) Maz

[jan46]

I agree you should know what is being injected. I recently had a patient who had a myoblock she could not tell me what what was used other than its stronger than botox. Botulinum toxin type B was used on her a newer treatment of severe cervial dystonia. The injections didn't help her she had some bad side effects. The worst being that she was unable to swollow anything inculuding liquids. She was to have a feeding tube place until this resolved I don't know if the feeding tube had to be placed I was off for a few days and she was discharged. Anyway the injection didn't relieve any of her problems, I felt so bad for her mostly because of what was happening to her, the Doctors and residents were such assholes, mostly about pain meds and getting consults with the correct doctors. They hadn't heard of myoblock before.