Anyone had a corisone shot for Frozen Shoulder? Did it help? How long before noticing relief? Did your bg's skyrocket?
My Endo suggested that I get the shot but, at the time I was dealing with other problems in my shoulder and we decided that we should wait for the results of that first. But, my appt is coming up and I was wondering if I should now go ahead with the injection?
I have had a frozen shoulder. I went to the doctor because I could not stand the pain and no amount of otc medications was doing any good. The doctor decided just for the heck of it to do a glucose test after giving me a shot. I had a phone call on my answering machine the next morning telling me I had to go to the office as soon as possible. Having a frozen shoulder is the way we found out that I was a diabetic. I had a glucose of 312.
I noticed relief within a few days. Yes, my blood sugar skyrocketed. The cortisone worked the first time around but did nothing the second time around. Has the doctor done x-rays to see if you have any damage to your shoulder? Stupid question I know but they did not do x-rays until 3 years after the first shot. Luckily I have no damage.
Yes, I had x-rays done. But, the x-rays were for other reasons. I knew I had frozen shoulder before the x-rays. It just confirmed the diagnosis. I’ve been going to physical therapy since April and I have improved but, I know my Endo is going to still want to inject.
Thank you and I hope your shoulder is doing better.
I had a cortisone shot a few years ago, for tendonitis in my ankle, and my sugars shot into the 400’s about 6 -8 hours later and stayed there for like 2 days. Personally it did not help my ankle any, it actually caused me extreme pain.I have been told that I had an adverse reaction to the cortisone and that it’s rare for it to cause pain.I know of several people including my mother who have had cortisone shots for various injuries and they had no problems and felt great afterward.If the pain is really bad in your shoulder and other things aren’t helping the issue I would still consider having it done, just keep a real close eye on your sugar levels, cause steroids can raise glucose levels.Hope you feel better,and good luck.
I don’t know about the BG question but just be prepared; it is not your average shot in the arm. The needle needs to be inserted deep in your shoulder (normally) and that means they need to use a very large gauge needle. The pain can be intense while the needle is being put into your body and the medication injected.
IT is absolutely horrible on your BG levels, but I have to admit it helped me a TON!
I don’t remember getting a shot for my frozen shoulder. I did go in for therapy and it worked! It takes a while but it will get better. I suffered for ages before finally seeing someone but the therapy did work.
Thanks everyone!
Since I am seeing some improvement I’m thinking that I will refuse the injection if my Endo brings it up.
Crystal, after hearing that your sugars stayed high for days, tells me that I don’t want to go that route.How did you stay out of DKA?
Steroids do affect our bs but there are ways to keep bg in control. I have been getting spinal shots because of Spinal Stenosis. Before I started shots I consulted with my educator and he showed me how to use the Pattern feature on my pump MM 522. I have been sucessful after 2 shots my a1c was 6.1. So if you have an educator or someone who is a pump expert you should have no problems with bg after shots.
Well, at this point in time I was going through a bit of depression and wasn’t keeping my sugars in the best of levels.They were consistently around 250.I think since my body had been so used to running high at the time that the 400’s weren’t as much of a shock to my system as they normally should have been. Plus in the past the only time I have gone into DKA was at nearly 500.Once because a doc told my mother to give me the wrong amount of insulin and she was still new at it,a second time because my dad was baby sitting me and he did not normally handle my meds and i was like 7 so we both forgot,and once when I was about 15 from a non diabetes related kidney infection. IF you talk with your endo though about the concern of your glucose he should be able to help you control it well enough at least to not go into DKA. My endo at the time was through a hospital whose main focus seemed to be experimenting with patients instead of truly helping them so they were no help to me when I told them the shot raised my sugars.They used to consistently fluctuate my insulin levels, and even put me on a pump with saline to train for a week and then told me they never intended for me to get one. I stopped seeing them after that.
I have frozen shoulder. Cortisone shots work great…IF you can get diagnosed and have the shots early on and if you can get your BG under control.
Once frozen shoulder has set in, though, cortisone doesn’t do much good. By the time I went in to see an orthopedist, I was probably 50% incapacitated. I had practically no range of motion in my shoulders and even putting on a jacket required assistance. I had a lot of sleepless nights because it was too uncomfortable to lay on either shoulder. Not much he could do at that point except give me ibuprofin and a few exercises to help loosen up the joints.
Eventually, frozen shoulder reaches a point, plateaus, and can get better over time with little or no treatment. It’s taken a few years, but my pain is completely gone. I’d say I have better than 90% of my range of motion back and I feel like it’s getting a bit better all the time.
God bless my rheumatologist. He was the one who came up with a solution to the cortisone shot/blood sugar hike…this only works if you’re on a pump.
The minute I get the shot, I set a temporary basal rate of 120% of my nornal rate. After two hours, I raise it to 130%, and set it for about 36 hours (I have to set it twice; once for 24 hours and then for another 12 hours). After 36 hours, I reduce it to 120% of regular basal, and leave it at that for another 12 hours. By the end of the two full days, I can usually go back to my normal basal rate.
Obviously, you have to experiment a bit to get it perfect…but that is a good starting level for most people. I’ve made it through several cortisone injections and never had my bg’s go aboe 150.
Ruth
I had cortisone shots in my hip,and it helped, but did sent my BS’s sky high. Plan on increasing your insulin. The rhemuotologist I saw said it would be a “local” shot and would not impact BG, but he was totally wrong.
Sorry to make this aside comment, but I have been having pain and limited strength in my right shoulder for several months, along with a “clicking” when I reach up. Now I am wondering if it is the beginning of frozen shoulder. Sometimes the same elbow is gving my trouble too. Did anyone else experience elbow trouble along with their shoulder? I have yet to see a doctor, was thinking it would go away on its own.
I had a cortisone shot for pain in my back. My BS went up to 400 within 3 hours. I also have a frozen shoulder. The best treatment for the shoulder is PT and exercises at home. The shoulder has to be stretched to improve the mobility of the joint. It takes a long time to improve. My shoulder is better but not completely. I would NOT get a shot for a frozen shoulder. My doc (PCP) said you have to weight the choice between pain relief and high BS. If you think it is worth the high BS then get the shot. For some conditions it could be, but in my opinions frozen shoulder is not one of them.
Yes Cat, at this point I’m actually having more problems with my elbow than my shoulder and I also have that clicking noise when I reach up during therapy. It creeps me out!
Crystal, why in the world would they put you on a pump with saline only to tell you that they never intended for you to get one??? I would have been furious with them if they did that to me!
FHS, thank you for letting me know about the timing of the cortisone shot. I suppose it wouldn’t do much for me if I took it now because I’ve been having it a while now.
Thank you, Ruth! I have an insulin pump, also. Love to use those temporary basal rates!
I had a shot in my elbow two weeks ago and wow I was over 400 for two days.