Is the Pred still working?!

Sorry to hear that you are feeling so low at the moments are thoughts are with you Constance.

 

Constance, my rheumatologist goes my how I feel not the lab numbers. He explained some people have normal numbers and feel terrible others have high markers and feel well. He says he doesn't treat numbers with PMR. 

Other factors can be at play- 

I say if your in pain your to low. My rumi didn't want me to drop just .5mg to take me to 17mg because I was in stress getting house ready for market.

My body said OK and use the d's method and I'm good.

So what is your body saying? You in pain?

I guess I read "its not improving" and thought "is it getting worse or just the same?".

Just being simplistically logical.

If its the same, and stable, then stopping (why should I continue?) will probably rock the boat and it will change, probably for the worse if already in pain.

If its getting worse then something else has changed or dose not high enough..

I guess "stopping" is not an easy option as starting again is not as easy as just taking the same dose. Not an experiment to be taken lightly.

So we are kinda stuck .... all we really know is we take some tablets and it still hurts,

What I tend to do in such circumstances is change just one thing. If I change more I can't really distinguish what has caused any change. In this case change the dose up or down a smidgeon, change what I'm eating, change what I'm doing. But only change one thing at a time then observe the effect.

For me, being methodical helps reduce bewildered.

Without being an expert - just 3 years on Pred for my GCA I know there are patients who stay under treatment - Pred , for life.

May be if you change the med you have been taking there will be a change on the outcome.

Diet: are you avoiding completely carbs, wheat, sugar of any kind besides the fruits like blueberries?

Are you taking ginger, turmeric?

Try to grate fresh ginger as much as a dessert spoon in a cup then a bag of green tea. Pour boiling water and you have a delicious/ healthy cup of tea. Follow the anti inflammation diet. Drink lots of water in between meals.

I would ask the doc if I could change the med you've been taking.

Keep in touch. Hope you will get good results after making some changes.

xxxx

They don't do ESR at my practice cos it can mean something simple as you have a cold. What is your plasma Viscosity and your CRP? 

I thought that that what you are describing means you need to up your dose not reduce it. My understanding is that The PMR is still there if you have pain and your markers are raised. I know you mentioned your Arthritis. Is that not a different pain? 

you didn't give your age but ESR generally goes up as you get older.  A value of 30 -35 isn't all that unusual for someone in their 60's or 70's.  It's more important to know the trend.  A CRP ( c-reactive protein) is a better indicator of inflammation anyway.  As others have said, I wouldn't worry about the ESR particularly, more about how you feel.