Flare-up!
Posted , 8 users are following.
I'm just experiencing my first major flare-up after dropping from 7mg to 6mg Prednisolone. It's more-or-less a year since I was diagnosed and until now I've been very fortunate that once on Pred I've felt \"normal\" and have been able to get on with my life. I increased my dose to 10 and then 12mg, but am getting no relief. I saw my gp yesterday and he sent me for a blood test today and I will see him again on Friday. He says I will probably have to go back up to 20mg for a while.
This is so frustrating and depressing - I feel that in a year I have made no progress. :cry:
3 likes, 17 replies
Nefret
Posted
Guest
Posted
So sorry to hear about your flare-up with which I can so sympathise having only just had the same experience and increased back up from 3 to 5mgs a couple of weeks ago, and this is exactly where I was over a year ago!
To use your words of \"frustrating, depressing and a feeling of having made no progress\", they echo my thoughts exactly two weeks ago, but somehow we seem to (or maybe it's just because we HAVE to) accept the situation and, as Nefret says, take one day at a time.
Take good care to get plenty of rest during the flare-up and until your new dose kicks in........hopefully, if the blood test results on Friday show that the inflammation is not too high, then you may only have to go up to, say, 15, and it will probably only be for a short time. If I remember rightly a year ago, I had to increase back up to 10 for only 2 weeks then down to 7.5 for 2 weeks and then 7.5 and 5 on alternate days for 2 weeks until back down to 5 (I had to make good use of the calendar, as you can imagine!). It appears that once you have lowered successfully to a certain dose, then even though you may have a flare up it is quicker to come down on the increased dose next time around.
Also, as Nefret says, a special treat can help or even a good old get-together and laugh with close friends.
Good luck and let us know how you are getting on.
MrsO
Guest
Posted
So sorry to hear about your flare-up with which I can so sympathise having only just had the same experience and increased back up from 3 to 5mgs a couple of weeks ago, and this is exactly where I was over a year ago!
To use your words of \"frustrating, depressing and a feeling of having made no progress\", they echo my thoughts exactly two weeks ago, but somehow we seem to (or maybe it's just because we HAVE to) accept the situation and, as Nefret says, take one day at a time.
Take good care to get plenty of rest during the flare-up and until your new dose kicks in........hopefully, if the blood test results on Friday show that the inflammation is not too high, then you may only have to go up to, say, 15, and it will probably only be for a short time. If I remember rightly a year ago, I had to increase back up to 10 for only 2 weeks then down to 7.5 for 2 weeks and then 7.5 and 5 on alternate days for 2 weeks until back down to 5 (I had to make good use of the calendar, as you can imagine!). It appears that once you have lowered successfully to a certain dose, then even though you may have a flare up it is quicker to come down on the increased dose next time around.
Also, as Nefret says, a special treat can help or even a good old get-together and laugh with close friends.
Good luck and let us know how you are getting on.
MrsO
Mrs_G
Posted
vanessa66630 Mrs_G
Posted
chuck49342 vanessa66630
Posted
Shastajak
Posted
Strangely enough the following day my pain disappeared like someone flicked a switch. It was 8 days after I'd increased the pred to 12mg - about the same amount of time it took to take effect originally. I've been more-or-less painfree since although I have no energy whatsoever. It keeps crossing my mind that I may be suffering from depression - isn't it a side-effect of pred?
I'm also wondering if somehow if there was a couple of days delay before my symptoms caught up with the actual state of my body. I'll just have to wait and see what the Rheumy says.
Nefret
Posted
I've also found it helps to keep my hands and mind occupied as much as possible - it makes no difference what it might be, whether it's watching soaps on the TV, knitting something complicated or reading.
It's one of the (many) reasons why I'm trying to minimise the Pred dose - in my case it's now causing more problems than the benefits are worth.
Good luck and best wishes,
Nefret
Shastajak
Posted
I also like to get out in my garden and photograph the flowers and then spend a lot of time on my computer going through them. Before I was first diagnosed and had a month off work, I really got into jig-saws. I love reading and always have a book on the go, I love knitting and crochet, but I'm not a great TV fan. I'm going back to work on Wednesday as I'm feeling so much better. I hope that it will kick start me - to get back into my regular routine.
Jak
Nefret
Posted
Before I was diagnosed when I was really very ill, I built, decorated and furnished a dolls house - something I have always wanted. It really doesn't matter what the occupation is as long as it it riveting! I have a very, very bad book habit and keep running out of fixes, as I can read and knit at the same time it gets expensive and the constant search for \"something to read\" gets trying! (I don't do any telly, either).
Hope you keep up the improvement, do let us know.
Nefret
Green_Granny
Posted
I might try ringing round health clubs to see what temperature they keep their pools at - just as swimming is getting free in council run pools for the over 60s!! The thought of changing and shuddering as I get into the water has put me off so far! But what varied lives everyone seems to lead. I suppose where there's a will there's a way. Marvellous!
Keep going everybody, Green Granny
Shastajak
Posted
Guest
Posted
From one Taurean to another, Happy Birthday for yesterday Green Granny!
MrsO
Koykate
Posted
I've had PMR for 3 1/2 years now! Mostly I feel fine though I worry about the long term effects of steroids. Sadly, just when I thought it was time to wave good bye to PMR I have suffered another flare-up! My newish GP is not certain it is PMR but I am! It feels the same as before!! In the meantime I am stiffening up again and am going to increase my own dose before I go away on Monday. I dont have time to wait for GP to get the blood tests! In any case I expect these to be borderline, if that, as my ESR and CPR were never very high. This does happen! I do feel frustrated by the time it has taken from reporting the symptoms, which in any case are getting worse, to being authorised to take the right dose to relieve the stiffness. At its worst it makes me feel like an old old woman before my time!
valerie42691
Posted
Now this week my ESR is 120 and seem to have an upper G I inflammation with esophageal spasms and great difficulty swallowing
I don't know yet what the treatment will be and will see my rheumatoid MD by Friday