Adverse Reactions to Hylauronic Acid gel injections in knee

Since our bodies produce hylauronic acid adverse reactions are rare. You could ask your doctor for a skin patch test. It wouldn't be proof that you wouldn't react, but could hedge your bet. I hope you are able to try it.

Hi,
Thank you for your response. My Dr. is willing to test but she doesn’t have a supply. I checked with the University of Utah Allergy Department too and they don’t have it either. I guess I will keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Beats steroids!

Sometimes I have severe pain while the doctor is injecting my knee with hydraulic acid and other times the pain is mild to very mild. I have been receiving these injections every 6 months for the past few years. I have little to no residual pain after the injections, and they have been very helpful with my osteoarthritis pain. Why are these injections more painful sometimes than other times?

@ritchie The logic that seems to me is that the doctor doing the HLA injection is not taking enough care in determining injection sites. The typical things causing injection pain include injecting the fluid too quickly and using a needle that is too large. I give myself weekly testosterone injections, and I can appreciate the difference in giving injections with a very narrow needle (testosterone) versus the needle used to donate blood (large diameter, 5 minutes to give a pint). There may be a rule-of-thumb for the doctor to use an ultrasound to direct the needle in the right spot, but the doctors do not care since the pain you may get is very transient and the doctor want s to get the job done quickly. I require a high viscosity version of HLA (like Durolane), but the doctor must take his/her time in injecting it. The nurses/phlebotomists will tell you the reason that a shot hurts your arm or limb afterwards for days is because the injection fluid went in too fast. That's pretty telling to me. The spinal injections are really supposed to be done with a specialized ultrasound instrument, but I doubt if the doctor uses one.

I had a HLA shot in my hip and was in Excruciating pain. Never again. not only did I have to pay $550 for this painful experience, but the pain is twice as bad as it was before the injection.

My husband receives Synovisc (HLA) shots in his knees every 6 months for many years. Yes, the injections hurt - but that is not your question - it is about sensitivity to the HLA medication. Try contacting the company which is being used for the injection to see if they do have a "sample" so you can test if you may have a reaction to the medication. Maybe try an allergist to help with this. Maybe they will need to give you some Benedryl before the injection if you have a reaction (redness, etc - not anaphylaxis). Also, if they choose to apply a Lidocaine preparation prior to the injection, make sure you are not allergic to that as well. While he does not have allergies, I appreciate your dilemma - as I have many allergies. Good luck.

@pht1123 I think the lidocaine idea is a great one. There is going to be pain at the site of the injection sooner or later, just get ready with an ice pack perhaps following the injection. And tolerate the pain as best you can. it's worth it to get several months of being free from that pain.