Achy hurting joints
Posted , 11 users are following.
I really don't know if this is PMR related but the last two days I have been suffering from joint pain in many joints in my body. I have been taking my pain pills that I take for my back and that hasn't helped to relieve the pain so yesterday I took an extra 5 mg of Prednisone and I got no relief from that either. I sent a message to my doctor yesterday but she never picked up her messages.
Do you think I should try a higher dose of prednisone then the extra 5 I did yesterday? I'm currently on 13 mg of Prednisone and this is my third week of it. So it doesn't really make a lot of sense that it's PMR especially since it didn't respond to the extra 5 mg. Does anyone have any suggestions?
0 likes, 40 replies
amkoffee
Posted
Yesterday morning I went to Immediate Care. The doctor there gave me a choice of a steroid injection or a 10 mg prednisone increase to my 13 mg for 5 days. I chose the injection even though I knew it wasn't going to last long because I figured it would fix the problem quicker. Well it did work yesterday the rest of the day my joints felt better. I was hoping it would last all weekend but it's now Sunday at almost 2 in the afternoon and my joints are killing me again. I'm going to take another 10 mg of Prednisone today and tomorrow and I the doctor's office will be closed tomorrow for Columbus Day so it will be Tuesday before I can talk to my rheumatologist.
Michdonn amkoffee
Posted
How do you feel after the 10 mg of Pred? Amkoffe have you tried turmeric? It is suppose to help with inflammation, I take it, do not know if it helps, but currently I am PMR pain free. Think positive Lady, this journey does have it bumps. 🙂
amkoffee Michdonn
Posted
No it didn't bring me any relief and I have spent the entire day laying on the couch in pain dreading when I have to get up to go to the bathroom. I've been putting ice bags on various joints but that really doesn't help much. I can't take turmeric I've tried it and it just made me nauseous. But I appreciate the suggestion. I wish tomorrow was not a holiday because it's going to be Tuesday before I can talk to my rheumatologist. I really thought that injection would last through the weekend not just one day.
Anhaga amkoffee
Posted
I'm so sorry you are feeling like this. Has your doctor suggested any other diagnosis?
amkoffee Anhaga
Posted
She's as stumped as I am. I've been tested for everything under the sun and nothing's coming up positive except for the PMR inflammation tests. I believe I have Sjogren's even though my blood test came back negative which does include body aches and pains and I don't know if it affects the joints or not. But like I told her I won't have a lip biopsy done just to get a solid diagnosis. Because in the end all you really do is treat the symptoms and I'm already doing that. My doctor also tested me for rheumatoid arthritis it was negative but since she said that a percentage of the population will test negative even when they do have it she put me on some rheumatoid arthritis medicine. And I took it for 6 months and it did not help so she let me stop it just recently. (And don't think I haven't thought that maybe quitting it was a mistake. Maybe that's what was keeping my joints from hurting so bad. That thought has crossed my mind) I've asked her about fibromyalgia on our last visit. She didn't say whether I have it or not but she said that the treatment is medicines that I'm already on for other reasons. So if you can think of anything else I am all ears.
Anhaga amkoffee
Posted
It sounds like you've been thoroughly investigated. I assume you've looked up polymyalgia rheumatica differential diagnosis? There are a couple of interesting sites that come up. But as you said things seem worse since you stopped the treatment for RA maybe that's worth following up? All the best. ?
Michdonn amkoffee
Posted
amkoffe, that terrible, sorry. I think I have run out of ideas. I wish I could have been more helpful. I take it you do not have Pred to up your dosage. Last spring I had a bad flare, went from 7 to 10 to 15 to 20 to 30, before I got any relief; stay on 30 for about 6 weeks. Then I was ready to jump out of my skin, I get a wrong prescription, now I always have some extra. Good luck, plan ahead. 🙂
amkoffee Michdonn
Posted
Well actually I did just fill my 5 mg prescription and I know my doctor would be okay with me bumping up my prednisone dosage on my own as long as I don't bump it up to high. And I did take 10 extra milligrams yesterday and I started to do that this morning but since my joints do not currently hurt I decided to hold off and see what happens. And the reason why is because I've done a little research and found out that a drug I started 3 weeks ago can cause joint pain. That drug is Gabapentin. And it's a horrible drug but my rheumatologist has asked me twice and the first time I turned her down. The second time I agree to give it a try. But if this is going to be a reaction then I'm not taking it anymore. You have to wean off of it though so last week was my first week of taking two tablets a day and so I'm going to drop it to one tablet today and talk to my doctor tomorrow.
Michdonn amkoffee
Posted
The side effects of some of some of these drugs are terrible. My Rheumy is talking to me about adding another, but I don't think so. Hang in there. Good luck. 🙂
EileenH amkoffee
Posted
Yes - but the "PMR inflammation tests" aren't specific to PMR. they will be raised with practically any inflammatory arthritis. What you are describing sounds like an inflammatory arthritis - and you don't have to have raised rheumatoid factor, it is called sero-negative, and while p-anca is felt to be very specific, some patients don't have raised levels in the early stages so it being negative isn't conclusive either.
I'm not convinced "you only treat the Sjogren's symptoms" - they use do different drugs and it does sometimes make a difference.
Anhaga amkoffee
Posted
I just spent some time looking up gabapentin and it seems for some reason there's a lot of off label prescribing of it. Considering its list of nasty side effects one wonders why any doctor would take a chance. It also, in the context of doctors' apparently fear of side effects from pred, makes no sense.
amkoffee Anhaga
Posted
Good point. But she didn't really force me into the Gabapentin. Both times she asked me if I wanted to try it. And the first time I said no way and at my next appointment she asked again and I said okay. And I knew that a lot of people have a lot of problems with it when I agreed to try it.
amkoffee EileenH
Posted
Even though I wasn't officially diagnosed I joined a Sjogren's group and I have heard some of them talk about different drugs they take. And so I know that with a solid diagnosis she will treat me with the appropriate medication. And I am going to look into this inflammatory arthritis. I've heard that term used but I've never looked it up. And I see her in 2 weeks so I think I will bring it up to her then well maybe not maybe I'll email her again. But thank you for the information Eileen. As usual you are a wealth of information
Bethune amkoffee
Posted
So sorry you are in so much pain, and that your doc is at a loss.. My RA was only diagnosed by MRI, as my blood markers for both PMR and RA are usually negative. Treating the symptoms with prednisone had worked but now I'm up to 27 and my Rheumy doesn't want me to be that high. Plus, Now even with that relatively high dose I have mild symptoms . I also have 24/7 tingling in my calves and feet... which intensifies after exercise. Does anyone else get this? Is it from prednisone. It's a new symptom for me. Sad to be getting worse/new symptoms. Thoughts
amkoffee
Posted
Well I was surprised and happy to get an email from my doctor today because today is a US holiday and I really did not expect to hear from her today. But I didn't care for what she had to say either. It's like she didn't even hear me. I told her my joints were hurting I even told her which joints were hurting. And she said that it was probably myofascial pain syndrome like "she told me in our last appointment." Well myofascial pain syndrome causes pain in the muscles not the joints. But I did talk to her about the Gabapentin to see what she would say. I'm sure she's sick of hearing from me. It's like I see her every 3 months and I complain about still having pain of some sort. It's been mostly the inability to lower my prednisone. And I know she's anxious for me to get down lower but I just don't seem to have it in me to do. Her only suggestion in her email was to try and Methotrexate again. A month after you starting Methotrexate a liver test showed my enzymes were up. I did get off Methotrexate and they stayed High so I had to get off some other medicine too. Once I was off all liver affecting medication my enzymes went down to normal. But I'm not about to start Methotrexate again. I had a horrible mouth sores with it and I don't want to risk my liver anymore. And my attempts of not taking the Gabapentin this morning to see if that would help with the joint pain as proven fruitless. Slowly as the day progresses my joints are starting to hurt more and more. This just sucks. And it's not fair. I know that sounds immature but I'm so tired of the hurting. I've been hurting for 13 years and I'm ready for the pain to stop.
EileenH amkoffee
Posted
I have MPS - DEFINITELY not joints!!!!
You know - I can't say I'm impressed with your stories about her. But it may take a few days for the gabapentin to wear out of your system - don't expect miracles. And your mouth ulcers with mtx were proabbly because she didn't give you enough folic acid. Some people need 5mg a day not 5mg a week.
lilian05079 amkoffee
Posted
Hi amkoffee
I can recommend a rub in cream that i use for PMR pain in my shoulder synovial joints and top of arms and thighs also a friend of mine uses it for rheumatoid arthritis....it is called Voltarol Pain-Ease 12 hour EmulGel.....it's brilliant for pain and lasts along time after application up to 12 hrs....it is applied morning and evening. It is the NSAID Declofenac in gel form...but it is marvellous, highly recommended. I get it on script in UK ......give it a go!!..best wishes...
amkoffee lilian05079
Posted
amkoffee EileenH
Posted
She did up my dosage on my folic acid once but I can't remember what dosage I was on the folic acid. I took my folic acid every day and my Methotrexate once a week on Sunday.
lilian05079 amkoffee
Posted
Hi amkoffe
Oh tha's good!! You will definitely get some relief......best wishes...
Bethune lilian05079
Posted