Episode 17: Cortisone Side Effects You Did Not Know About!

In this episode, join Dr. Karmy as he discusses lesser-known side effects of cortisone injections.

Follow our social media:
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/karmychronicpain?igsh=cHZycXdzeGhqN2Zn
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550237320641&mibextid=dGKdO6

Learn more about pain management treatments offered at our clinic: https://karmyclinic.com/

Chapters

• 1:46 Vaginal Bleeding
• 4:46 Post Surgical Infection

Transcript

0:00

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Chronic Pain Chronicles with Dr. Karmy. I'm Raveena Aujla, your host. And if you have been following along, you might remember episode nine, where Dr. Karmy broke down the facts and myths around cortisone injections often misunderstood. These powerful anti-inflammatory treatments can offer significant relief for joint pain, tendon issues, and nerve inflammation. Today, Dr. Karmy is back to dig a little deeper. This time, he's shining a light on some of the lesser known side effects of cortisone injections, referring back to real cases he has seen in his 25 years of medical experience. Hi, this is Dr. Karmy for Chronic Pain Chronicles, and today I just wanted to discuss lesser known side effects of cortisone injections. If you have been listening to some of the episodes, you will know that I use cortisone injections extensively. In my practice, it is also probably the most common injection for chronic pain used in Canada. And, uh, in the last episode, I have discussed some of the better known side effects of this procedure. Sadly, in medicine, we don't have any treatments that have no side effects. So today I just wanted to throw a light on some of the less known side effects. And the first one I wanted to mention is vaginal bleeding. Traditionally, , we do not think of cortisone as a hormone, which affects sexual maturation or puberty or any reproductive functions. And for the most part that is accurate. However, I had a patient about a month or two ago who developed some vaginal bleeding after getting a cortisone injection. So I went into the literature and I found that about 7 to 8 percent of the time women can have Vaginal bleeding after cortisone injections. Nobody is sure about the exact mechanism of how or why this happens. Typically, if you have your normal menstrual periods, you wouldn't really attach too much significance to a little bit of extra spotting. However, it becomes a little bit scarier for postmenopausal women. And the reason for that is that bleeding after you've reached menopause can sometimes be a sign of uterine cancer, which will often require a number of investigations, including ultrasound, often followed by DNC or endometrial biopsies, while ultrasound is a pretty mild and bland procedure, endometrial biopsies, or DNC, which is sort of like the procedure they do when they do abortions, is a little bit more invasive. So, what does postmenopausal bleeding due to cortisone injection look like? Well, typically it starts within first two to five days after cortisone injection and it goes away within two weeks. Let me make it clear that if you do get postmenopausal bleeding, you should still check in with your family doctor. However, if the bleeding starts within first couple of days of cortisone injection and goes away within two weeks, the most common cause would be the cortisone injection. The second perhaps lesser known side effect of cortisone is that there is some research to suggest that cortisone injections close to surgeries. And by surgeries, I mean orthopedic surgeries like hip replacements and knee replacements can increase the risk of post surgical infection. For that reason, some orthopedic surgeons will refuse to do Surgery, if a cortisone injection was performed recently. The main significance of this, of course, is if one provider, like a family doctor, will do a cortisone injection and the patient is scheduled for surgery within the next few weeks or months, it could cause the surgeon. to postpone the procedure. So, uh, the only message there is, if you have an upcoming knee or hip replacement, uh, you may want to check with your surgeon prior to allowing some other medical provider to give you cortisone injections for your pain. Thanks for tuning into this episode of Chronic Pain Chronicles with Dr. Karmy. Our episodes focus on common treatments for chronic pain management, like nerve blocks and regenerative therapies to explore what's working, what's emerging, and what to watch out for. We're also excited to bring new episodes featuring guest experts who are actively shaping the future of chronic pain care from groundbreaking regenerative therapies and stem cell research. To ortho biologic therapies that are changing the game. If you haven't already, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don't miss what's next. I am Raveena Aujla. Till next time. Disclaimer, when it comes to your health, always consult with your own physician or healthcare provider for personalized advice and guidance. The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or a substitute for professional medical care.