Side effects of injections given into the blood tend to be similar to side effects of steroid tablets, such as increased appetite, mood changes and difficulty sleeping (insomnia).
The cortisone may result in palpitations, hot flushes, insomnia, and mild mood disturbance. This usually resolves within 24 hours and no treatment is necessary.
Steroids may impair your ability to fall asleep, especially when they are taken in the evening. Self-care tips: If possible, the physician will try to have you take your entire daily dose in the morning. This may help you sleep better at night (evening doses sometimes make it difficult to fall asleep).
Corticosteroids like dexamethasone
Stress causes your body to release a hormone called cortisol, which can make you feel restless at night. Certain medications can also mimic cortisol in your body. This can lead to restlessness and trouble sleeping.
The most common side effects of cortisone shots include: Pain at the injection site. A temporary increase in swelling. Bruising.
Cortisone can deliver real relief from joint pain caused by inflammation, but some people will have a reaction from the shot. This is called a cortisone flare reaction. In most cases, the discomfort from a flare reaction is treated with rest, ice, and over-the-counter medication.
After the cortisone shot
Protect the injection area for a day or two. For instance, if you received a cortisone shot in your shoulder, avoid heavy lifting. If you received a cortisone shot in your knee, stay off your feet when you can. Apply ice to the injection site as needed to relieve pain.
Insomnia. Insomnia, the inability to get to sleep or sleep well at night, can be caused by stress, jet lag, a health condition, the medications you take, or even the amount of coffee you drink. Insomnia can also be caused by other sleep disorders or mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.
Being on a steroid can make you feel restless, agitated, and irritable. “Agitation is a common symptom for some people," McCoyd says.
This medicine may cause changes in mood or behavior for some patients. Tell your doctor right away if you have depression, mood swings, a false or unusual sense of well-being, trouble with sleeping, or personality changes while using this medicine.
What helps with prednisone-related insomnia? If a person experiences insomnia while taking prednisone, taking the medication in the morning may help minimize the disruption to the sleep-wake cycle. Alternatively, a doctor may suggest splitting the dose between morning and night.
If you are taking Prednisone just once a day, take it in the morning with breakfast. The morning is best as it mimics the timing of your body's own production of cortisone. Taking your dose of prednisone too late in the evening may cause difficulty sleeping.
While prednisone is not a stimulant, it can make you feel more alert or jittery. “It doesn't really interrupt sleep, but some patients find it keeps them awake when they don't want to be,” Dr. Ford says. What you can do: “If it's possible, we recommend you take your whole dose in the morning,” he recommends.
As a general rule, we suggest that you rest for a minimum of 2 days after a steroid injection. After 2 days, we would suggest that you can gradually build up your activity levels.
A corticosteroid injection will usually take 3 to 7 days to begin to have a positive effect. It may take up to two weeks for the medicine to decrease the inflammation to a point where pain is improved. The full benefit of the corticosteroid may not be felt until 6 weeks after injection.
The injection may also cause some patients to feel mildly anxious or agitated, and they may develop difficulty with sleep for the first 1-2 nights after the injection. A true allergic reaction to cortisone is very rare, but may occur due to other components of the injection, such as the local anaesthetic.
Hypomania and mania are the most common mood changes during acute corticosteroid therapy, although depression has also been reported. However, depression is reported to be more common than mania during long-term treatment with corticosteroids.
If you've ever laid awake at night and wondered, "why can't I sleep?" there may be several reasons. Some common reasons you can't sleep include poor sleep environment, sleep disorders, stress, and daytime inactivity.
Sleep deprivation often occurs with sleeping disorders. If you cannot sleep for more than four to five hours per night (or less), you may have sleep deprivation. In addition, regular sleep interruptions from things like night terrors or "sleep starts" can also lead to sleep deprivation.
After a steroid injection, you can return to most daily activities, including walking. The treating clinician may suggest against walking a distance/many steps.
More common, but still rare, side effects can include temporary facial flushing, a temporary flare of pain and inflammation in the joint, temporary skin lightening when the shot is near the surface and the person has darker skin tones.
You may also get some bruising where the injection was given. This should go away after a few days. It helps to rest the joint for 24 hours after the injection and avoid heavy exercise. It's safe to take everyday painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.