Issues after an IM injection

A few weeks back, while I was staying at the hospital, a nurse accidentally hit a nerve or something similar when she gave me an injection in my thigh. It’s been incredibly uncomfortable because, after a couple of days, my entire thigh just went numb and hardened up, leaving me with this constant burning sensation and sharp pain whenever anything even brushes against it.

It has now been 21 days since that shot. While the pain is finally starting to subside slightly, I am honestly reaching my breaking point—this is taking far too long to resolve.

Does anyone have any proven methods to speed up the recovery process? I was wondering if applying specific types of compresses or something similar might help? Also, does anyone actually know the medical explanation for how this happens in the first place?

If you’d actually hit a nerve, the reaction would be INSTANT, not showing up a few days later.
Are you absolutely sure it isn't just some kind of allergic reaction to whatever you took or something?

I honestly don't think we're looking at an allergy here, because I've received this exact same injection in my other thigh a few times now without any issues whatsoever.

It strikes me as odd too—if it were a true allergic reaction, wouldn't it have hit me instantly? Perhaps the fact that it happened right after surgery played a role, maybe the lingering effects of the anesthesia were still masking things.😕

On day two, the only thing I felt was a sensation similar to a wasp sting when I touched the area. But then, a couple of days later, the whole spot just went numb and felt completely hardened.

It’s common knowledge that if an intramuscular injection isn't done properly, it can lead to sciatic nerve damage. It’s possible that's what's going on here, but honestly, nobody can say for sure just by guessing. Or maybe it’s something else entirely...
Your best bet is to just ask a doctor.

So, is this sciatic nerve thing actually a big deal?

Now my knee has started acting up too whenever I try to walk any significant distance, and honestly, I have no clue if that’s even related to the nerve issue...🙄

I have a checkup coming up soon anyway, so I'll just make sure to ask my doctor what she thinks about all of this...

It’s incredibly important 🙂

If an injection is given in the wrong spot—like if they aim for the upper outer part of the buttock instead of where they should—it can actually cause nerve damage.

You should definitely ask about it...

Elizabeth Miller8 said:Now my knee is starting to act up whenever I walk a bit more and honestly I have zero clue if that could even be tied back to all this...🙄

You know, it just hit me that about 20 days ago when I was getting those shots my knee suddenly started hurting so bad that I could barely walk for like 3 or 4 days and I didn't even realize at the time that it was probably just a reaction to the injection itself😲

it lasted maybe 4 or 5 days and then it just gradually cleared up.

First off, a quick heads-up to the mod: I searched the forums for anything similar before posting, just so I don't end up with another warning.

So, about ten days ago, I was at the ER and they gave me an injection to deal with some intense pain (gallbladder attack).
Everything seemed fine until yesterday when the pain started back up. Last night, every single time I moved or put weight on the side where I got the shot, the pain jolted me awake.
I went to see my doctor today, and he’s basically telling me nothing is damaged and it'll pass.
But honestly, I'm spiraling a bit because my mom had a nightmare scenario a few years back—they hit a nerve during an injection, and she still deals with leg issues to this day.
I’m praying it won’t be that bad for me, but whenever I lean on that side, it isn't constant; it's more like hitting a specific "sweet spot" of pain. When I move, a sharp sensation shoots out from the injection site and travels about 15 or 20 cm down my leg.
Does anyone know how I can manage this on my own?

Hi there,
I had an allergic reaction, so my doctor told the nurse to give me two injections. The first one on my left side went in without any trouble, but when she did the right side, I felt a sharp sting. As soon as I tried to get up from the bed, the pain started intensifying. Within a few minutes, I couldn't even stand up straight; the pain radiated all the way from my hip down to my right heel. I actually tried to walk out, but after just a couple of steps, I felt incredibly weak, my vision went dark, and I thought I was going to pass out. They rushed me back immediately, and the doctor called 911. The paramedics laid me down and opened a window so I could get some air, and they gave me some IV fluids, which helped a little, but the pain wouldn't quit. It mostly just concentrated along the outer side of my leg. The doctor and the nurse kept insisting it couldn't be nerve damage because I'm not thin, claiming it was just a reaction to the medication. But if that were true, why was my left side perfectly fine?!
Once I got to the ER, the doctor didn't really take the nerve issue seriously either. She just handed me some antihistamines to take once a day for the next week and called it a day, topped off with a lovely little comment about how they can't exactly "fix" me now if they already hit a nerve. Real charming.

Has anyone else ever had a reaction like this after an injection? Or is it actually possible that they hit a nerve? How dangerous could this be, and what should my next move be? Should I be filing a formal complaint? Because honestly, I still can't walk normally today—it felt okay this morning, but the more I move around, the more the pain comes rushing back.

Thanks for the help.

I honestly don't believe there is anything you can do about that situation right now. My own mother went through something similar when she was given an incorrect injection, which ended up damaging her nerve; she was in excruciating pain for quite some time. For a more efficient recovery, perhaps taking Neurobion might help?

I gave birth three months ago and had to take a ton of injections in my left thigh. Even now, three months later, the injection site still hurts terribly. It's a nightmare! The pain is so intense that I can't even lie on that side.