My Experience with Steroid Shots for Pain Relief

Well, there have been some really interesting ups and downs with my pain issue.  About a week and a half ago, I saw my doctor at the VA Clinic here in Billings Montana.  I was due to get a couple of steroid shots, one in my thumb joint and one in my shoulder.  These help the pain from "Uncle Arthur." Well, I woke up the next day, pain free not only in my affected joints but in the area around my stoma!!  I was in Heaven....for a week and a half.  Although my shoulder and thumb are currently pain free, the annoying pain around the stoma area has returned. During the time I was without pain in my stomach, I got sooooo much done.  I had been miserable for so long, over two months, that being pain free was exilirating and motivating. I even traveled to Colorado to my grandson's wedding.  I got back last night and when I woke up this morning, my old nemisis had returned.  So the good thing is that I know what is causing this horrendous pain and I know what can ease it but have any of you ever had steroid shots that close to your stoma to ease pain before??  Would a person need to have a GI surgeon and a pain specialist work together on this??  My VA Ortho doctor said it was not uncommon for other areas of inflammation in the body to be helped when one of these steroid shots are given in other areas.

Helo freedancer. 

Thanks for your update and I am very pleased that you have found a way to diminish the pain. 

My only experience of steriod shots was to have them in my shoulder which made the pain worse so I decided that this was not the answer for me. The many other things I tried did not work either so I now live with the pain and deal with it on a psychological rather than a physical level.

As with almost all modern drugs, taking steroids can have some serious side effects which you should perhaps be aware of if you taker this route regularly.

However, it must be a really great experience to have even temporary relief from constant chronic pain and I hope this can lead to a more permanent solution for you in the future.

Best wishes

Bill