How long before 20 mg pred kicks in?

Hi Martha

I think that high of a dose would kick in rather quickly. Perhaps your problem is not related to PMR but to an arthritic problem or a pinched nerve.

I certainly wouldnt stay on 20 mg if I were you

Hi Martha,

I was started on 20 mil one year ago and I was pain free within 24 hours. I wasnt able to walk, groin, shoulders, legs all very painful but the pred was a miracle for me. 5 days seems a bit long but Im no pro here, maybe the dose isnt high enough for you as we are all different but again I cannot be sure. Good luck,

Sharon

If you have pain in just one shoulder it really is less likely to be PMR than perhaps a rotator cuff problem or bursitis though there are probably other things it could be.

If you haven't got relief after 5 days at 20mg then I'd definitely say that was long enough a test to see if it is due to the PMR. But really - if you want to try that sort of increase to try something out it is better to discuss it with your doctor first. I wouldn't do it without good reason - like being on holiday and no access to the doctor.

I think I would go back to your previous dose as it seems highly unlikely it is PMR. Shoulder damage of some sort is more likely.

I had a flare about a year ago and my doctor put me on 20mg (far too high I felt). To be honest it helped the pmr pain (classic symptoms with both arms, shoulders etc) but did nothing for the other pains I suffer which are due to osteo arthritis. It has taken almost a year to get down to 8.5 mg, so that is something I would not encourage you to do unless it is really working for you. Sounds like there is another cause.

Others with greater knowledge will no doubt offer advice. However, I've also had PMR since 2014 (March) and have had pain in one shoulder many times throughout my journey. For me, I know PMR pain is always bi-lateral. Pain in one shoulder, one knee, one wrist, etc. are not PMR. I've had pains in all these areas at various times for varying lengths of time. In many cases it's myofscial pain and I can usually deal with the issues through mild exercises, either provided by my Bowen therapist or by researching on the internet.

I also have osteoarthritis in a few joints that flare off and on, but that's a very distinctive pain, much different from the pain I experience from PMR.