# Side effects from steriod injection?



## lucki (Jun 20, 2014)

Anyone face any other problems from steroid injection(to bring down allergens) other than drinking more water, urinating more?

My boy had this DEXAFORT injection on last Saturday. And on the 3rd day of the injection, Ive noticed that he had trembling of his hind legs. And apparently, 6 months ago he had an injection(cant remember the name but I know it contains steroid too) done and few days later he had the same trembling as now.

During the first episode we brought him to the same Dr and was told that he hurt his back, that was why he had all these trembling.

When this 2nd episode happens... it make me really wonder if he is having bad reaction from the injection and not his back? For the past 6 months after the 1st episode, he had no issues on his back at all! 
I called the clinic when I noticed the trembling and was brushed off by the staff. She said must be his back pain again, couldn't be the medication. She said if trembling continues, to bring him back to vet the next day. 

Instead of going back to the same clinic, I went to another clinic for 2nd opinion. When I described both 1st , 2nd episode of trembling after steroid injections and she did the physical assessment on his spine. She cant find anything wrong with his back and very much concluded that it may be the fact that my boy is not taking the injection very well. We did all the blood tests and results shown that his liver(ALT) is abit high which the Dr had predicted it too. She prescribed my boy some liver protectant supplements.

So right now, the Dr told me that we can only wait for the medication in his body to wear off. 

Today is the 7th day of the jab. He is still trembling on and off. But maybe not as much as before.

Anyone experience this before or heard of any others who face this issue?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Dexamethasone typically only lasts in the system for about 3 days. 7 days off to still have a side effect is odd for sure. I've never seen trembling as a side effect from dexamethasone...but anything is possible. 

Steroids can have strange side effects...they can even cause major behavior changes. If needed in the future, oral steroids that are shorter acting might be a better option.


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

I'm not sure why he had the injection but if you think there is a disc or back problem, you may want to explore complementary therapies before more steroids. As JMM said, steroids can have serious, long-lasting side effects including behavior change. I know a small dog whose regular vet wanted to put him on steroids for the long term and he is doing exceptionally well - 3 years later - through acupuncture, chiropractic, and essential fatty acids.


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

My Rose was on an oral steroid for only a week and she did not do well on it..Besides the usual side effects, it raised her ALT, too, which CAN be a side effect for some of them..I started Rose on milk thistle which brought her levels back down...I suggest you keep your pup on this for awhile...it can take a month or two to get the levels down...in the meantime, I would take a break from giving any kind of steroid...is there a holistic vet in your area you can take him to? It is amazing what these vets can do for our babies...hope he feels better soon.


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

Did he have an x-ray or ultrasound of his spine? If he has a herniated disc, it can take a while to recover, and activity might need to be limited while he undergoes medical treatment. Some dogs hide their pain when they are at the vet due to the excitement and stress of being there, or knowing it does not do any good to object to how they are handled.


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## Finn (Feb 25, 2016)

I don't have any idea if the steroids have side effects that's why I've search on internet and then I'm shock about this. 

Two words: side effects.

The biggest downside to steroids is they turn your pet’s immune system off. When the immune system is shut down, your dog or cat will have a very hard time fighting secondary infections.

Other side effects of steroid therapy can include:

Increased hunger and thirst
Increased urination
Lethargy
Gastrointestinal problems, including ulcers
Hair loss
A pot belly, which often signals the presence of Cushing’s disease, a terrible condition that is known to result from steroid use
Blood clots
Diabetes
Pancreatitis
Secondary infections
But my greatest concern about overuse of steroids is that the underlying condition causing your pet’s symptoms, which is typically inflammation, is usually left untreated.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Most of these are LONG TERM side effects. 

Side effects of a single injection of steroids would be:
Increased thirst and urination
Increased hunger
Brief behavior changes

Everything else listed here is from LONG TERM CHRONIC USE of steroids. 



Finn said:


> Other side effects of steroid therapy can include:
> 
> Increased hunger and thirst
> Increased urination
> ...


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## Finn (Feb 25, 2016)

jmm said:


> Most of these are LONG TERM side effects.
> 
> Side effects of a single injection of steroids would be:
> Increased thirst and urination
> ...


Thank you Jmm I thought that is the latest effect on dog when they inject steroids.


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