Dizziness and muzzy head following cortisone injection

Hi Bill

Thanks for replying. Yeah that sounds really weird, it seems to get us all one way or another. How long does that usually last for?

I have read on other sites that people have experienced similar to me but they don't seem to mention how long it lasts. The frustrating thing is I can't drive.

Sorry, you did say several days, maybe mg dizziness will go after several days hopefully.

For me it seems to last about a week. But each shot i get, seems to get worse. I really need another shot in opposite shoulder that had surgery but am afraid i am becoming allergic to it.

Maybe these rashes are side effects rather than allergic reactions. I've read that skin issues such as rashes can be a side effect. What gets worse, the pain the shot causes or the rash?

It's the rash that gets worse.

Hi Bill

I would check with your doctor before getting another shot for reassurance. The amazing thing I've noticed since researching online myself is that people who write in to doctors are being fobbed off by them saying certain side effects could not possibly be caused by the shot and yet when you go on forums and read peoples experiences, these are the very same side affects people are experiencing. I think doctors could learn a lot by visiting these forums.

I know that I wish I had not bothered, never again!

Hi Mike,

Thanks for replying and for the link. I've had a shoulder problem for over 7 months. After a couple of visits to my GP I was told it was probably caused by the early osteoarthritis in my neck (confirmed), posture and job related. He sent me for physio. My physio said it was tendonitis and not related to my neck, after putting me through a range of movements. I went for 3 sessions of treatment which went ok but then I was given more exercises to do and it then became worse. After leaving the physio that 4th session I was in too much pain to do any more exercises. I couldn't even raise my arm to comb my hair. My physio sent me for a shoulder x ray to rule out osteoarthritis and that came back ok, no osteoarthritis. I was then referred to another physio qualified to do the shot because I was "not responding to treatment ". I was put through a range of movements and was told again it was tendonitis.

I still feel some pain on certain movements but nothing as bad as before the shot. in fact I can do most things now but every now and again it catches me on certain movements, but it is probably early days yet.

I've looked on several sites today and it seems my side effects are not too uncommon, which is very reassuring. Maybe I'm just one of those people who are overly sensitive to meds. I am to resume exercises after one week and have another appointment in 5 weeks.

I'll give it a couple more days and if no improvement with the heavy head, lightheadedness, I will see my doctor. It's not all the time but still debilitating.

Maybe I too am regarded as too old to bother about lol, I'm 57.

Kind regards

Hi, Jayn:

I guess medical healthcare being what it is they have put you on a merry-go-round and this is why you are dealing with this. I blame the system and doctors.

Sounds to me like you need an orthopaedic specialist who if he's worth his salt will order an MRI (with or without dye contrast) of your shoulder. I've found that all the exams and x-rays in the world and even therapy, won't definitively even begin to pinpoint what the cause of your trouble is like an MRI.

The MRI is painless but it may take about 20-30 minutes sitting in an enclosed (they do have open ones as well if you're claustrophobic) scanner that will give an image that a doctor can analyze and diagnose exactly what the issue is.

The thing about your symptoms that caught my attention was that occasionally it 'catches' you, that you were in so much pain you 'couldn't raise your arm'.

To share my experience, after I was injured in a bicycle accident, I went to ER. They ordered x-rays and did a manipulation/exam of my arm/shoulder. ER doc said: "Very Mild Strain!" Over the course of months, the pain diminished, ROM did not improve and it took 6 months before I was eventually seen by an Orthopaedic doctor, who ordered an MRI which revealed major issues with my tendons requiring surgery. That was my left shoulder.

My right shoulder was a bit different, it came on gradually, and I noticed it would catch and pain on certain movements. Physical therapy didn't help. MRI revealed once again tendon damage.

DEMAND a referral to an Orthopaedic!

You have a right to proper treatment and to know exactly what is the source of your pain.

Hi Mike

So sorry to hear what you have been through.

I never injured myself, it came on all of a sudden. The only thing I started doing differently last summer was having a new kitchen and now the top cupboards open from top to bottom rather than left to right, I have to stretch to reach. The other thing I used to do regularly for a few years leading up to it was walk my friend's dog and he used to pull on the leash.

Sorry if I wasn't clear, I can raise my arm, I couldn't raise it before I had the shot to comb my hair or hold a cup even. It catches me at the top of my arm in bed if I forget and try to turn on my right side, or with sudden movements throughout the day.

I'll give it the full week and see how it goes. Head feels a bit better this afternoon.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

Hi, Jayn:

I love physical therapy and therapists. Yet, their diagnosis of your condition being due to 'tendonitis' is not the final word, in my opinion. As it is when an orthopedic examines you and does anything short of an MRI, it's still guesswork. The fact that the therapist realized that it does have something to do with your tendons indicates that is the possible source of trouble, albeit maybe beyond just tendonitis.

With that being said, I would strongly urge you to get an MRI. There are a million excuses NOT to get an MRI, including the big one that the findings will reveal a damaged tendon that may require surgery. Most people and that includes doctors and nurses sometimes, would rather ignore or pretend that physical therapy will take care of it.

Research has shown that unaddressed tendon damage can stress other tendons, possibly lead to more complicated damage - multiple tears spanning 2 tendons and the resulting increased pain and loss of ROM.

The MRI is for peace of mind at the very least...finding out exactly what the issue is. It will reveal any damage or issues such as arthritis, spurs, labrum defects, etc. You won't have to guess or end up going to physical therapy that at best is a shot in the dark at resolving an issue that has not been definitively identified to begin with.

And don't get me started on the other complications which you've already experienced with the cortizone injections and side effects.

Identify the problem, get the proper treatment. Save yourself the time, pain and worry. If nothing else, the MRI may only reveal as they suggested, 'tendonitis' but you mentioned your age as 57...which usually means gradual wear and tear on rotators. That means you may be experiencing tendon related issues that come on gradually rather than from trauma.

Thank you Mike, you've given me a lot to think about.

Hi Jayn:

This is for you but also for those others who follow and scan these forums. It's really a crime that patients have to become their own health advisors. The stories I could tell you!

When I was first injured and had rotator cuff injury I called up my insurance's wellness hotline and spoke to a registered nurse. She listened to details about pain and lack of ROM and she turned off the recorder (calls are monitored and recorded) and took me aside and said: "I worked for years in orthopedics, you need to see a specialist as soon as possible."

Doctors are criminally and ethically liable in my opinion for not being upfront with patients regarding their injuries and the kind of treatment they should be given which many times REQUIRE mri's which may be expensive but which are necessary to properly diagnose patients. In some cases, lack of proper exam with such tests can lead to further injuries suffered by the patient.

The mere fact that you and many others have to turn to forums such as these for information and support is an indictment of our current healthcare system in the USA.

In very rare cases, you have doctors who will go against the grain there was a film about one such doctor (portrayed by Robin Williams) in the film Patch Adams.

Hi RickCody,

Thanks for replying. When I had the shot I felt weird straight away, not dizzy but just a strange sensation in my head. I did have a headache going in but I put that down to tension. I have a bruise at the site of my injection but nothing else. The strange thing is, it's only since having the shot that I've had these symptoms. I have been looking online at testimonials and others have been affected this way too. I know my aunt gets them for her knee and she never has problems with them. Today, so far so good, hopefully it will pass. Maybe I'm sensitive to meds, I cannot take paracetamol or ibuprofen for example, only aspirin based painkillers. I'm just a weirdo. Many thanks, appreciate it.