Is this supposed to be a side effect of a butt injection?

March 5, 2015 1:07 AM

Weeks ago, when I was sick, I had injections in my ass. They were super painful (as far as injections go) and have left what feels like pebbles in my butt cheeks.

I assumed they would subside, but they haven't and they feel sore any time I do any jumping/running type of movement. I know I should go to a doctor, but I realllly feel that I've had enough doctor's visits for a while. Is there any kind of explanation for why an injection would have this long of an effect? Am I having an allergic reaction? Should I give it a few more weeks? Are there exercises I can do? Or should I suck it up and go back to the doctor?

posted by Enchanting Grasshopper to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

Best answer: This sounds like the kind of thing where a phone call to the doctor or a nurses' line would give you a lot of information, whether that info is "totally normal for that medication, give it another week," "minor allergic reaction, take some Benadryl/Tylenol for the next few days," or "Hmm that's worrying in the context of your illness, you should come in." A phone call isn't a whole appointment and you'd have the peace of mind. (I'd bet it's normal but I'm not a doctor.)
posted by tchemgrrl at 3:11 AM on March 5, 2015 [7 favorites]

I think tchemgrl"s advice is excellent. Also, without knowing what IM medication you received it is very difficult to give any feedback. Pebbles (hard palpable nodules) are very different from localized inflammation/swelling that might be an allergic reaction. Sorry, but what ever it is I find it intriguing but I am not the one with some thing in my butt. Hope you get it resolved for your own comfort
posted by rmhsinc at 3:58 AM on March 5, 2015

Best answer: Yes, it's most likely scar tissue. It can be sore for some time after receiving an intramuscular injection depending on where exactly the injection ends up, what fillers are used with the medication, how many you got in the same place, and so forth. Make sure you look at the area and see that it's not swollen/draining pus/has an area of spreading redness or anything that could be consistent with infection, since the site of an injection is after all a wound.

It's absolutely not an allergic reaction - allergic reactions include rash, hives, shortness of breath, wheezing, swelling of the lips/tongue/throat, dizziness and fainting (low blood pressure).

tchemgrrl's advice is otherwise good and feel free to call your doctor about this.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 4:11 AM on March 5, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Absolutely call, but it's very, very normal. A friend had daily butt-shots for infertility, and her butt took a year or two to regain a non-pebbly consistency. Any kind of muscle injection (especially deep ones) can cause that sort of nodule that takes a while to be absorbed by your body.
posted by julthumbscrew at 6:28 AM on March 5, 2015

Response by poster: Talked to a doc, he said to just wait. Thanks!
posted by Enchanting Grasshopper at 6:30 AM on March 5, 2015 [2 favorites]

Glad to hear your doctor said it was okay! For future reference, if you have a medication-related question you can start by asking a pharmacist - they have a lot of knowledge and are sometimes easier to reach than doctors.
posted by insectosaurus at 11:26 AM on March 5, 2015