Does anyone suffer fron osteoarthritis in the hip as well as PMR?

Hi Gillian. I am so sorry to hear of your pain. I say that with great empathy because of my history with PMR. I started with left hip pain that wasn't present in May 2008 when my 3rd son was getting married. But by late June 2008 I had to use a cane because of of the left hip pain as my fourth son was getting married. August 2008 we had relatives visit from Germany which was really hard because it was for 2 weeks and by then both my hips felt as though ground glass had been put into each joint. When they left I scheduled an appt with an orthopedic surgeon I had seen before for right hip bursitis years earlier in late August. His P.A. gave me a cortisone injection in the left hip after diagnosing bursitis. The left hip hurt more than the right at this time. This helped but in late September I developed severe tendonitis of the left proximal forearm. I could not see regular GP and went to urgent care, and was given a prednisone dose pack. After getting better immediately after two doses of prednisone, I thought I should inform my GP that I had been diagnosed with same thing in shoulder, and thumb earlier in the year,starting in January, and wondered if he thought I might need a sed rate and CRp done. Sed rate was 64 and CRP was elevated too. He put me on 20mg per day and then upped it to 40 mg a few weeks later due to the pain. I was 61. Thus it went on with decreasing dose and by August of 2009 I was using a walker to get around at all. I complained of constant hip pain bilaterally, was on 13 mg a day of Prednisone. The rheum said I would still have pain from the PMR but I could only stand for 5 mins, without sitting and then still had pain. I took Tramadol without relief. I decided to see a doctor I had seen before for back pain because I thought that might be the source of my pain. He saw me walk with the walker into the treatment room and said immediately, "Pat, your hips are gone. " By the way I walked he could tell the hip joint had dissolved. He said he would get an MRI but in the mean time sent me to an orthopedic surgeon. I had the left hip replaced in Sept. 2009 on 13 mg of prednisone and the Right one of in February 2010 while taking 9 mgs of prednisone. I had Avascular necrosis of both hips caused from prednisone . Not everyone gets this but you asked about hip pain. Keep your next appointment and I hope they can give you relief.

Forgot to mention that hip x- ray in August 2008 showed no osteoarthritis but with direct pressure on Lt. Hip joint there was tenderness. I agree with Anhaga about dosage drop too. Hope it gets better soon. Pat