I have been in agony for months with what has recently been diagnosed as bursitis of the hip. Eventually got an appointment with the physio dept at my local hospital and have been booked in for a cortisone injection. Six weeks ago, it seemed do-able. Tail-end of the holidays, off work, easy-ish to rest for a few days afterwards. But the appointment is now looming, and I've heard some horror stories about the jab, in RL and (stupidly) through Googling. I'm a single parent with no back-up (as in, I can't ship DD off to her dad or GPs for a few days while I recuperate) so now I'm seriously considering cancelling the appointment because I really can't be out of action for any length of time. Everything I read/hear about the jab contradicts what the physio told me. So I'm really looking for experiences on here because I feel that people who post on medical sites are probably drawn to do so by bad experiences. I have a high pain threshold and can manage it fairly well with strong pain-killers, but AIBU to choose this as a long-term solution because I'm too scared of being incapacitated in the short term?
AIBU?
to be overly worried about cortisone jab?
user1472157564 · 25/08/2016 23:41
I've had 3 lots of this kind of injection. All spinal/ around back and neck areas. They are scary, but if they work it's really great.
Here's my honest but overall positive experiences. Basically, it depends on the expertise and competence of the anaesthetist, radiologist and nurses. I had 2 out of 3 good experiences. 1 bad but that was the first time and even considering the terrible doc, I still got enough benefit with the few injections I managed, and went back for more. So even bad was useful!
I had the first lot done by a terrible anaesthetist who treated patients like shit, told me incorrect and completely illogical nonsense and was awful. In his clinic, you could hear the screams echoing down the corridor from him doing the injections. The nursing staff were muted and pretty much silent anywhere near him. A lot of exchanging glances. They begged me to get up and walk as the wanker demanded every patient did this to prove he had 'cured' them. Apparently the nurses got blamed and shouted at if patients didn't do this 'yay Jesus cured me' walk. Ugh. I can't walk more than a few meters on a good day, let alone after travelling to hospital, waiting, going through the injections etc. but he still made me walk! Wanker.
I did 4 injections and had to stop. I have a high pain tolerance, and am generally a very easy patient. He was insulting and said I'd wasted his time and I obviously wasn't ill enough as if I was I'd do anything to alleviate the pain. Arse.
Luckily he vanished (oh boy, I hope he was fired), and with his departure, the desperately unhappy patients screaming in agony have also completely disappeared!
The last 2 lots I've had have been brilliant. Done very well by experts who are very good at their jobs. No screams. At all.
I had 30 injections in April. And not sure how many 18 months before. Both were great.
Even with the initial bad experience, I'm still glad I went through all 3 procedures.
They numb the injection site with local anaesthetic injected before the cortisone injection. But they can't numb the joint and directly around it so that's where the pain comes from. As you're only having one joint done (? Is that right? One hip?), it's bearable as the pain is sudden, sharp and yup, bloody hurts but is over so quickly that it's almost done before you can react.
If you're having a whole lots of injections done, and you're really worried, they can do it with sedation. I had sedation and it was great. No pain, just sensation. And super reassuring staff.
Recovery time was that day, maybe the next. I'm ill with other stuff so I had a slower recovery time, but even so I could move around, cuddle with my DS etc. Some bruising, but nothing completely debilitating. The benefits kicked in about a week after, and lasted months.
I think you'll be fine. 
Have had multiple cortisone injections for neuropathic pain. I also have a high pain threshold. I've found them to be varying in levels of effectiveness but generally beneficial. I can understand why you'd worry, but I'd trust a medical professional over Dr Google (most of the time).
You've been in agony for months, go for it. Hoping for the best for you.
Just wanted to say I hope it goes really well for you - Reading this thread has really helped as I've got 3 slipped discs and the lowest one is pressing on my nerve and has been giving me the worst ever sciatica in my right leg for the last 8 weeks.
Despite strong drugs, it's still really painful so I've got my 'caudal epidural' booked for 12th September under sedation (as I'm very phobic of needles and get hysterical around them)...
I'm utterly terrified, however feel that the pain I'm in at the moment and the fact I can't walk more than 100 metres without crying due to the pain is worse than my phobia of injections!
The next 3 weeks will be spent with Zapain, tramadol, amnitriptyline and various other 'fun' things... and I'm counting down the hours until the 12th 
.
I hope yours goes well and the pain goes soon - I've only heard good things about them, including my own GP who said that she had the injection in her back and it really helped.
Thanks Fluffy, I hope your treatment works too. I have tramadol, but it doesn't seem to work for me, I must be extremely hard core 
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