Changed Doctor today

Posted , 10 users are following.

Since being unhappy with my current doctors attitude and knowledge of PMR i have changed doctors after 26 years. Small town familiarity has lead to poor attitude.

New Doctor;

At present i have been on 9mg of prednisone after a month with a small amount of shoulder pain which i can endure. The new doctor told me to got back to 10mg and that any pain is not good for this condition as it agitates the blood vessels and nerves.

i had forgotten to take the 9mg before i left for my appointment so took the 10mg when i got home. Tonight i feel better and he wants me to stay on 10mg for June & July then go back to see him. He said not to ramp down too fast and that i have done well so far in such a short time, but it's not a race.

He is happy with blood test results and everything else.

So, now I feel a lot better i am being seen by someone who understands and has had experience in this field.

I guess for those of us here, who in the past have being perfectly well, being diagnosed with PMR is a worry and it is good to know that you can trust a doctor to at least care.

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Posted

    good for you...but! i am NEVER pain free on pred, not even at the starting dose. glad you are doing better,

  • Edited

    Another paragon of virtue - someone on the HealthUnlocked forum told us about their wonderful experience yesterday! It is almost restoring my faith!

    Why can't they all care about whether we are in pain or not? I don't expect perfection - I do expect them to care and work on the right way to get the best result, even if that isn't quite pain-free.

  • Posted

    Looks like a good move! Life is too short to argue with Dr who does not feel your pain.

  • Edited

    Hi Peter, glad you were able to find a new doctor, from your post it sounds like you are in good hands, lucky you!

    Good luck on the rest of your PMR journey try and stay active, positive and smile it helps! 🙂

    • Posted

      Thanks Michdonn, i am always positive abd it's easier to smile than frown 😉

  • Posted

    Glad to hear this. You know not to reduce too fast either by dropping by too big an amount or too frequently, so it's so good to have a doctor whose primary concern is to make sure your symptoms are well-controlled and not to hurry. A very slow taper will get you lower in a safe way. You may find some gentle and appropriate physiotherapy will help residual pain which can be caused by other things than PMR directly, like weakened muscles. Best wishes!

    I started in 2015 at 15 mg. Uneventful tapering, using the dead slow method after getting to 10 mg. For several years I was at around 2 mg, with occasional unsuccessful attempts to taper further. Now, nearly five years on (six if you count an undiagnosed year of pain), I've been tapering extremely slowly to zero. Nearly there, fingers crossed. My doctor has been supportive.

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