When my injections act up I’m prescribed steroids (prednisone). Is this helping or hurting me? I take a very low dosage.

Question

I had Silicone Injections for 10+ years. When they flare I’m prescribed Steriods/ Prednisone. When I take the Steriods it settles my butt completely. Only time I’ll have a flare is if my menstrual cycle is a rough one. If I take 40mg of Steriods when I feel a lump forming it will literally go away and my butt will be super soft. Scary soft… in the time that my butt is settled can I do this procedure closed vs open? Are Steriods helping or hurting me? Has anyone else been given Steriods to cope?

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question regarding whether taking steroids is helping or hurting you with a history of silicone buttock injections. Overall, your steroid use is hurting you. Steroids decrease your inflammatory response and decrease your body's reaction to injections. Over time more and more scar tissue develops. Over time your body will become less sensitive to the steroids and require a higher steroid dose. Therefore, in my opinion, it is essential to have your silicone removed. Steroids are just a bandaid; they will not fix the problem. It would be best if you got the silicone and the associated scar tissue removed. I hope this helps to answer your question regarding whether taking steroids is helping or hurting you with a history of silicone buttock injections. 
Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Silicone biopolymers are commonly used in the face and body. They may sometimes cause noticeable symptoms that we gauge using the Karamanoukian Soft Tissue Reaction Grading Scale from I to V. The severity of your complications dictates the interventions needed, ranging from itching and burning to severe necrosis of the soft tissue. Nerve pain and symptomatic swelling is also possible. Insurance may cover your surgery, but that is a discussion that requires you to contact and appeal to your insurance carrier. Options for removal are complex and depend on whether you have the material in your face or body. We reverse BBL with silicone commonly and remove silicone from the lips very commonly. Diffuse silicone in the face is not likely to respond to removal. Filler migration, swelling, and granulomas can cause significant discomfort and cosmetic ramifications. Our office specializes in the use of enzymes and filler reversal techniques without hyaluronidase to help improve the results of botched cosmetic fillers, whether caused by Juvederm, Restylane, or foreign fillers. We can also test for the material to determine the likelihood of silicone granulomas and silicone reaction.

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Jeremy S. Nikfarjam, MD · Answer

Hi Rabbitish,Prednisone is well known to reduce inflammation and I'm glad it's giving you some relief. In the patients I treat, many will report these episodic flare ups. Some will go years without significant changes in symptomology and will continue with combinations of antibiotics, steroids, weight shifting, etc. for some time. I have seen that over time (and the timeline varies for each individual) symptoms eventually increase in severity and speed up in time. As I'm sure your physician has told you, steroids are typically considered long term treatments as there are side effects. I believe that an open removal is the only option to effectively treat this condition. I use a small incision hidden within the buttocks crease to achieve this. Your surgeon would recommend tapering or elimminating your steroid use prior to any surgery. It sound like you're not using them too consistently, so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. 
I wish you luck in your search for treatment!
Dr. Nik

When my injections act up I’m prescribed steroids (prednisone). Is this helping or hurting me? I take a very low dosage.

Answers (3)

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When my injections act up I’m prescribed steroids (prednisone). Is this helping or hurting me? I take a very low dosage.

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Silicone Injection Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.