Painful joint conditions caused by trauma either due to an injury from work, sports or other activities may require short term injectable treatment. The most common joints affected by such injuries are the knee, shoulder, and elbow, although other areas can also be affected. Most of the times these can be fixed with tablets, rubs and reduced mobility, but sometimes a greater intervention may be required.

Triamcinolone injection is a steroidal injection for conditions caused by inflammation of joints, tendons and soft tissues, particularly skin conditions due to autoimmunity. Inflammation is a natural process where the body responds to a sudden change or abnormality by releasing naturally producing chemicals to combat the “new” situation resulting in indicators like pain, redness, swelling and heat.

Some of the joint conditions for which triamcinolone injections are indicated are arthritis, bursitis, or epicondylitis (also known as tennis elbow) used as a short term treatment to provide immediate relieve. With regard to certain soft tissue skin conditions, namely lupus, psoriasis and lichen planus which are caused by autoimmunity, triamcinolone injection is also indicated.

It is important to note that steroid medications should not be stopped suddenly. You may need to receive less and less before you are taken off the medication completely. Long-term use of steroids can cause harmful effects on the eyes, such as glaucoma or cataracts. If you receive triamcinolone injection for longer than 6 weeks, your doctor may want you to have regular eye exams.

The trade or brand name under which this drug is presented is K-kort or Kenalog. This injection can be given intramuscularly, intralesionally (under skin lesions), intrasynovially (between joints and around tendons), or intra-articularly (between bones). It must be noted that the person administering the treatment must be skilled and technically competent to perform this procedure competently.
You should discuss with your doctor any pre-existing conditions you may have before he or she puts you on triamcinolone injections; such as a thyroid disorder, a muscle disorder termed myasthenia gravis, a stomach ulcer or recent stomach surgery, a recent heart attack, or if you currently have an infection due either to a bacteria, virus or fungus (including tuberculosis). A dose adjustment may be required if you have any of these conditions.
Triamcinolone is a pregnancy category C drug and hence can do harm to the foetus. So if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, you should indicate to the doctor prior to any treatment being administered. Also this drug is passed out in the breast milk so those nursing mothers also need to indicate same or it can cause harm to the baby.
It is especially important to know your treatment by name of drug, so that you can inform the prescriber if you are on any of the following medications before steroidal treatment is administered: birth control pills, blood thinners (warfarin), heart meds (digoxin), diabetic meds (insulin), pain meds (diclofenac, ibuprofen, ponstan), tuberculosis meds (isoniazid) and antibiotics (azithromycin). You should also mention if you are on OTC meds, herbal supplements and vitamins at the same time, since some of these medications also can interact with triamcinolone.
Although not everyone experiences the major side effects of this drug you should get emergency medical help if any of the following signs occur:
•    Hives
•    Difficulty breathing
•    Swelling of face, lips, tongue and throat
•    Irregular heart rate
•    Increased blood pressure – severe headache, blurred vision, chest pains, numbness and seizure
•    Muscle pain, tenderness and weakness
So if you have experienced any type of sudden pain due to an injury from sports or some other work related activity and your doctor prescribes a short course of triamcinolone injections for immediate relieve, please be aware of all associated features and possible side effects from the treatment.

Triamcinolone injection is available at Medicine Express under the brand K-Kort.

For further advice consult the pharmacist at Medicine Express PHARMACY located at 223 Camp Street, between Lamaha and New Market Streets. If you have any queries, comments or further information on the above topic kindly forward them to medicine.express@gmail.com or send them to 223 Camp Street, N/burg. Tel #225-5142.