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Help, Pain in Hip, legs, back, Do I Need more Pred?

Posted , 13 users are following.

Elijo
Elijo

I started w/ PMR 2 yrs ago, have tapered to 3 once before with a flare, now recently have tapedered to 2mg.  I can move my arms very freely, but have many other aches, as above.  My MD just told me I don't have PMR any more due to lab tests.  I saw my orthopedist today for ain in hip and leg (due to a fall in May).  He thinks it is bursitis ( which I've had before) but did order an MRI since the Xray didn't show anything.  I came home and took 5 more mg. of pred. and am beginning to have less discomfort.  My question also is that since before when I needed pred my shoulders and arms became stiff and very painful to move, I don't have that now.  I am in a quandry.  Any advice from all of you experienced PMRers?  Thanx!!!

1 like, 19 replies

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  • EileenH
    EileenH Elijo

    Posted

    Your MD is not entirely correct. Just because your blood tests are normal it doesn't mean the PMR has gone, it merely means you are on an adequate dose to keep the inflammation under control. Only increased inflammation will result in raised blood tests. And some people don't develop the raised values while they are on pred for some reason.

    If a higher dose of pred has relieved symptoms you have had since reducing to such a low dose then the chances are they were PMR starting to surface again - being on slightly too low a dose will often let some symptoms appear but not be low enough to let it all mount up to how you were at first. Two years of pred is really the low end of PMR - about a quarter of patients manage to get off pred in 2 years, mostly men it seems. Half of patients take more like 4 to 6 years. 

    I imagine that you will be able to get back down to 5mg again - and that is a low dose, less corticosteroid than your body makes day by day anyway. But don't start to reduce again until you have cleared out the stored up inflammation from this flare.

    • EileenH
      EileenH

      Posted

      And a PS - at this stage 1/2mg per 2 weeks is relatively fast. Give it a month at each new dose to be sure this new dose is still enough to manage the inflammation. And your adrenal glands will thank you for it too!
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