Is this a flare?
Posted , 10 users are following.
I started with PMR in July, 2017 with 15 mg of pred. the pred took care of all my pain immediately. i have reduced slowly since then to currently 4mg. Ihaven't had any pain at all during that time, wondering if it was a correct diagnosis, since there was absolutely no pain at all. Then, on Sunday, my legs were feeling very tired. Last night I couldn't sleep at all, because my legs hurt so much. I got up and took 5mg pred, and I got some sleep. This morning I took 7 mg and I got through the day. Is this a flare? I'm still not pain free. Should I take more pred? For how long? This totally new for me, since I've been able to sail through this. Thank you for your time! And Merry Christmas to all of you!
0 likes, 4 replies
nick67069 rhea28447
Posted
Sounds like flare. It is either stress or overdoing it around holidays, not unusual at all. Typical "therapy" is your dose +5mg for 3-5 days and then go back to whatever dose you had no pain ( something above 4mg). Hope that helps.. and Merry Christmas to you too!
EileenH rhea28447
Posted
It depends what you call a flare I suppose. You are never reducing the pred dose relentlessly to zero - you are looking for the lowest dose that manages the symptoms as well as the starting dose did. That sounds like 5mg for you - but the return of symptoms is due to the left-over inflammation each day having built up over time to a level that causes symptoms like it did at the start. As Nick said, many PMR expert rheumies suggest adding 5mg to the dose where you flared for a few days before dropping back to the last dose where you were fine, 5mg for the present will probably do. It doesn't mean you win;t get lower - just not yet. As Nick also says, you have probably been overdoing it too! Our muscles remain intolerant of acute exercise as long as we have PMR - do too much without building up to it slowly and you will suffer sore muscles as a result.
BettyE EileenH
Posted
I've asked permission in the past so am going ahead and forwarding this to my sister who "celebrated" her first PMR birthday a few days ago. Her experience almost mirrors Reah's.
I remember being told to go back to 10 for a few days at one point when I was trying to reduce from 5. When we are pain free it does give us a false sense of security and it's difficult to believe that the disease is still lurking. Don't let it get its claws back in too deep.
exie61964 rhea28447
Posted
Your problem sounds very similar to mine. hope we'll get some help.