Going to have a steroid injection in my hip for the first time - is it very painful? Should I take painkillers before the appointment?

[WhatIsItLikeIWonder]

Hi,

I’d be really interested to hear about anyone’s experience of having a steroid injection. I’m having one in my hip tomorrow morning for the first time and wonder if I should take painkillers myself beforehand? Do they use local anaesthetic too or perhaps it isn’t bad enough to warrant that?

Thanks. Am reeling a bit from a recent diagnosis of osteoarthritis.

I had one in my shoulder which took over 2 weeks to start feeling a benefit from. Appreciate its a completely different joint but maybe don't lose hope just yet.

Thanks @HesterLee I’ll see how the next week or two go!

I had one in my ankle a few years ago. It was definitely painful, but the pain doesn’t last. Clinicians are definitely aware that these injections can be painful, so put yourself in their hands.

You'll be fine. I've had them in my hips and knees. Due to have them in my fingers which I really looking forward to 😞

How long did the referral take, out of interest?

My rheumatologist has referred me, but it's been six weeks and no word of an appointment.

How severe is the arthritis? I had bone on bone and the steroid injection was very very painful and didn't help at all. HOWEVER, I have since had steroid injections in my thigh muscles which were no where near as painful and did sort the problem.
I due to have another one in a few weeks in my other hip to reduce bursitis....

Thats interesting @Blueuggboots - opinion is divided about the severity of my arthritis: it’s either mild, or ‘quite progressed’ depending on the HCP I ask. It’s not severe.

So - your thigh muscles were affected? Was that to do with muscle strain created by the arthritis affecting your gait? I am new to the possibilities but I will certainly mention your experience when I see the consultant again. So pleased the injections help you 😊

While it's good that your injections work, they sound very stressful. I don't understand why your surgeon is trying to defer your surgery for three more years as you could probably do with it now. If you can afford it I would investigate private hip replacements. I had ten painful years before my knee replacements and was lucky enough to have them done on the NHS.

@WhatIsItLikeIWonder - I had the injections in my muscles because I was getting pain a couple of years after my hip replacement. I was worried if needs doing again (had it done at 36, I'm now 49 but was about 45 at the time) but they said it was just the muscles tightening up and that the steroids would help, and they did.

I've had one in my foot.
Just go with it, it's a bit painful but will soon be over.
No going without pain as they say.

He had it done in my shoulder a couple of times. It’s painful, but brief. The relief from the underlying pain being treated has been so quick that I really didn’t care about injection pain. One time I couldn’t move my arm at all and after the injection I could.

I had one years ago in my knee and it was quite painful. I have osteoarthritis in my knee now, but they won't give me any injections yet. The physio said there is a limit on how many you can have? I thought that had changed, but not according to her.

Kind of wondering why you had your hip joint injected? That’s kind of old school now and no surgeon who is up to date with research is doing them anymore. There’s lots of evidence about the damage they do to your soft tissues and therefore hastening the journey to joint replacement plus they can introduce infection to the joint etc. Some good physio, decent insoles and exercise on a stationary bike has better impact in early OA. DH is a hip surgeon and hasn’t done one in years. When he did do them it was in theatre under light sedation with imaging control to make sure they went in the right spot as it’s difficult to tell if you’re right in the joint without.
for others having injections around the joint-is that more for bursitis? A little more evidence for that.

There is a limit-I think it’s 3; again around the damage that they do. DH is also a knee surgeon and again doesn’t really do them anymore due to evidence that they don’t really help and how the steroid damages the soft tissues.

Whoa @MrsElijahMikaelson1 that is interesting. I am embarking on exercises and stretches including stationary bike.

I will research around what you’ve said re negative effects, thank you.

www.bumc.bu.edu/camed/2019/10/15/new-evidence-hip-knee-steroid-injections-more-dangerous-than-thought/#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20reveals%20that,that%20are%20not%20well%20understood.

I had one in the joint in my thumb and didn't feel it at all. Good luck!

Anyone else had a late response to steroids? My neighbour said it took six weeks for her knee injection.

I had one for my frozen shoulder and it didn't hurt at all. The needle is tiny and thin like a hair.

Not really. Are they sure it’s your hip? You should have groin pain if it’s hip OA. If you’re getting pain into your thigh and you had no response at all to the injection, that’s more suggestive that it’s your back that’s the issue, not your hip.

The pain is in and around my hip, not my thigh (a previous poster mentioned her thigh).

Some people are talking about small steroid injections into various parts of the body..
They do take two mins..( like a flu jab) this us not the same at all.
See enclosed .( image)
This can be extremely painful and takes much much longer.

Honestly? It's a bit painful- more like Ow!- but totally bearable. Certainly less than the pain you are currently experiencing, I bet.
I had one in my knee and my consultant was more nervous than me as she said last time she did one, the woman punched her! My consultant is so lovely I can't imagine anyone hitting her.And after that , the actual injection was a bit of a anticlimax. I didn't even swear! And I swear at everything 😀

I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my hip but this was later changed to greater trochanteric pain syndrome- or rather, I still have the osteoarthritis but that's not really what is causing the problem. Could that be a possibility?

Mine lasted about 10 weeks, I didn’t bother again. It bloody hurt when they did it because it hit a nerve.

I now have two new hips though- that’s been life changing.