allergic to cortisone?

[kbmerkel]

I have a herniated disk, and Dr. wanted to give my cortisone shots. I remember my mother telling me I was allergic to it. I told Dr. that, but was forced to take it because I am on workmans comp. Following shot, I began a menstral cycle that lasted 3 months nonstop. Ideveloped acne and facial hair. I had joint pain and lost weight. The doctor didnt believe me and tried to get me to take another shot. I refused and my workers comp benefits were stopped. One year larer, I was forced to take shot again. Exact same symptoms happened, except I lost 20 pounds. It is 1 year later and I cant gain weight and my liver panels are elevated. I still have acne and facial hair. Could someone please tell me what to do, as I am at my whits end!!!

[PlateletGal]

Have your physicians' checked your hormone and cortisol levels yet ?

[kbmerkel]

My Dr. requested adenoid study, but workers comp refused

[PlateletGal]

Checking your hormone levels is something else. All is requires is a blood test. I would talk to you physician about it and find out what he/she says.

Good luck !

[Bisclavret]

In the mid-1970s, I was given an injection of cortisone as a "precautionary measure" following a slight wasp sting on a hot summer day. I had never had a bad reaction to either wasp or bee stings, and I was not having one at that time aside from a small welt around the sting site; so I declined the injection. However, my employer insisted that I go to the doctor whose office was next door (Dr. Adams) and get an injection "just to be on the safe side." The injection nearly killed me!

The Dr. Adams injected me with cortisone, which was commonly used to counteract the reaction to a bee or wasp sting. In my case, it almost resulted in my death. Luckily, my regular doctor, Dr. Collins, was notified and rescued me before Dr. Adams could finish his murderous plot!

Within five minutes after receiving the cortisone injection, egg-size knots appeared all over my arms, chest, and back; my chest began constricting, and it became hard to breathe; and my heart felt like it was trying to pound its way out of my chest. I then began to experience mental confusion and disorientation. By the time I was taken to the emergency room at the hospital, I was fighting for breath and wheezing as if I had asthma, and my face began to swell. My heart was beating so hard, I thought it would burst.

Dr. Adams, who gave me the injection, was notified and came to the ER. As soon as he saw me, he insisted on giving me another injection of cortisone, saying that I was severely allergic to the wasp sting.

I refused the injection, telling him that it was the cortisone that had caused the reaction and not the sting. He told a nurse to hold me down while he gave me the injection. I knocked the syringe from the doctor's hand and threatened the nurse with bodily harm if she tried to restrain me. I then told the charge nurse to call my doctor, Dr. Collins, which she did. Collins was already at the hospital and was there almost immediately--or so it seemed. Meanwhile, I was becoming more confused and disoriented and feared that Adams and the nurse would take advantage of the situation before Dr. Collins could arrive.

Upon Dr. Collins' arrival, Dr. Adams told him that I was severely allergic to wasp stings and that he was trying to give me a second cortisone injection. I told Collins what happened, and he told Dr. Adams that I did the right thing refusing the second injection. He told Dr. Adams that a second injection would have killed me and that he had no right to give any patient any medical treatment against the patient's will. Collins then took over my treatment and ordered two injections to counteract the cortisone.

I am not sure what one of the injections was, but I know that one of them was an antihistamine to counteract the swelling. By then, my throat had begun swelling and was closing off my airway. I could still breathe, but between the swollen trachea and constriction in my chest (it felt like someone's arms around my chest, trying to squeeze the air out of my lungs), breathing was difficult. Also, my face had swollen so much that my eyes were almost swollen shut. My heart continued to pound like a sledge hammer.

Even with the countermeasures, it took several hours for the swelling in my face and throat to go away. The tightness in my chest and pounding of my heart subsided within a few minutes of receiving the antihistamine and whatever else Dr. Collins had given me.

I was kept in the hospital overnight and was closely monitored by the nurses. Dr. Collins came by every couple of hours to check on me. His biggest concern, once my heartbeat and the tracheal swelling.

When the swelling finally went away after 12-14 hours and my mind was clear again, I was released from the hospital.

At the time of my release, Dr. Collins told me that I was never to have another cortisone injection. He also told me to never have a tetanus shot under any circumstances, because it would probably trigger the same response that the cortisone injection had. He said that another injection of cortisone would probably trigger an even more severe reaction and could possibly kill me.

Since then I have avoided tetanus shots and anything that contains cortisone.

One side effect of the cortisone injection was damage to a valve in my heart that was minor but which showed up a couple of years later in the form of arrhythmia, for which I was prescribed quinadine; but the side effects of quinadine are so severe and permanent (renal failure) that I now control the arrhythmia with diet (electrolytes daily). After the cortisone injection--or the reaction to it--I was suddenly allergic to aspirin, which had never occurred before. I am also severely allergic to ibuprophen and naproxin. I'm no doctor, so I don't know what the connection is between cortisone, aspirin, ibuprophen, and naproxin. The reaction to the cortisone, though, is what brought on the allergies to the other drugs. That was 33 years ago, and I still have to beware of cortisone.

[Bisclavret]

Sorry for the confusion.
Paragraph 9 in my comment should have read as follows:

I was kept in the hospital overnight and was closely monitored by the nurses. Dr. Collins came by every couple of hours to check on me. His biggest concern was my heartbeat and the tracheal swelling.

[Dr_Smita_S]

Hi

Cortisone is a steroidal hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Cortisone is used in the treatment of various inflammatory disorders, allergies, skin conditions, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, lupus, psoriasis and breathing disorders. Many inflammatory orthopedic conditions are also amenable to cortisone shots. These include, but are certainly not limited to shoulder bursitis, arthritis, tennis elbow, etc.

Cortisone is a normal body product therefore, there are no true allergic reactions However, it is possible to be allergic to other aspects of the injection, most commonly the betadine used to sterilize the skin. These days semi-synthetic cortisone derivatives are used as they have greater efficacy and fewer side effects.

Cortisone and its derivatives are steroids, among the most potent anti-inflammatory drugs known. Steroids whenever administered orally, they are given at the lowest effective dose and are never stopped suddenly.

The most common side effect with cortisone injection is a 'cortisone flare,' a condition where the injected cortisone crystallizes and can cause a brief period of pain worse than before the shot. This usually lasts a day or two and is best treated by application of ice.

With long-term (oral) use, some of the more common side effects of steroids include acne, moon-shaped face, facial hair, weight gain, easy skin bruising, cataracts, blurred vision ,muscle weakness, avascular necrosis of bone and osteoporosis, psychological effects like irritability, agitation, euphoria or depression.
You should consult your doctor about changing the medication or adjusting the steroid dose.
Regards

[lostcanada]

My father also had an allergic reaction to cortisone which was used to treat addison's desease.  The doctors indicated a true allergy was not possible but he became comatose with trouble breathing when the cortisone was administerd.  The cortisone was administered intravenously, and when they took him off, the effect was immediate.  Within a 24 hour period he was consious.  Interestly, he has very adverse reactions to aspirin.

[Linderella]

Your body does indeed produce cortisone. However, you CAN have allergic reactions to cortisone. I do and it was proven by an allergy specialist in Indianapolis. It's a rare problem but since the cortisone injected into your  body is synthetic it does happen.I break out in huge hives and my skin becomes very hot. Do not let anyone give you cortisone if you suspect you have allergies to it.