Q: I have poison ivy allover my arms and on my face around my eyes. I went to the doctor today and they gave me a shot of decadron in one arm and depo medrol in the other arm; 1 cc of each. (I've had decadron before, not the other). About an hour or so later I began sweating badly. I've been starving too. I asked the nurse if i could take a benadryl tonight to help me sleep through the itching and she said yes. Normally I would have passed out by now. It's 1:40 am and I'm quite awake. Have you taken these corticosteroid shots and if so, did you have the same reaction? She said my blood pressure was high today which i normally fall within normal range (before the shots-not sure if BP matters here). Just curious if the shots are causing this. I'm not sweating like before, but can still eat and stay awake just fine, haha. I have had two cookies and cream milkshakes, a corndog, french fries, a small steak, a few macadamias, water, a sip of soda, a couple tortillas with cheese and salsa, and this was all after lunch (which for lunch i had a bbq sandwich and cheesy tater tots--no breakfast). And i also have a light headache that's been occuring for a few hours, but i think it's from watching home movies too long (shaky operator of the camcorder). Thanks for your help for those who answer nicely.
A: Steroids can have all of those effects and I assure you that you are not alone. Decadron is some serious stuff, so I'm not surprised at your reaction - nothing to be worried about, just unfortunate side-effects of a medication that will ultimately make your recovery and healing much faster. Interestingly enough, benadryl makes some people sleepy and makes others loopy - you can always take a little more (limit it to 50 mg though). If you really start feeling worse, you can always contact your physician. Good night, hope you get some rest.