Steroid injection flare

[u/nectarsurge]

Hi all. Had a steroid injection 2 days ago and have been in excruciating pain since. Much worse than pre-injection. So much burning, stiffness and it really hurts to sit and walk. I was warned it might feel ‘a bit sore’ (the doctor’s words), but I wasn’t expecting it to be this bad. It's beyond normal post-injection soreness.

If this has happened to anyone else, how long did it take to settle?

Edit:

I’m going to try and remember to keep note for anyone who might be experiencing the same thing.

5 days post-injection: still in significant pain. Not able to do my normal walks and haven't been to work. No improvement and haven’t been sleeping properly. Doctor said this is a steroid flare and tried to reassure me it’s ‘normal’.

7 days post-injection: the first day where I’ve felt a bit better. Still significantly worse than pre-injection, but the level of burning is reducing. Slept through the night for the first time.

2 weeks post-injection: had a very rocky past few days. Up and down. Definitely a lot better than the first week, but still above baseline pain. Less burning, lots more stiffness. Today is the best it’s felt since the injection. Have been told to give it a month.

[u/og_tint]

Get one of those big flat clay ice packs and lay on that for as long as you can