Knee pain
Posted , 9 users are following.
Hi
This is the first time I've written. I am 71 and have had PMR for 18 months, and am suffering badly with knee and leg pain. When I was put on the high dose prednisolone 30mg, I was in heaven for about 2 weeks then I started getting the most awful pain in my legs from the knee down as though a tight ban was pulled under my knee The leg pain has subsided a bit but my knees are bad. I had cortisone injections in both knees last 5 days ago and so far I am still getting knee pain.About 2 months ago I started getting inflamation in my ankles which my rheumatologist ignored. I am currently taking 5mgs prednisolone daily. Has anyone had a similar experience.
0 likes, 4 replies
BettyE treth
Posted
Commiserations about the leg pains.
You say you had magical relief while on 30 mgs. Pred. That was my experience, too. You say you were diagnosed 18 months ago so to have reduced to 5 mgs. does sound pretty fast. It took me more than four years and that is not unusual as others on here will confirm.
Were you given a reduction schedule by your GP? I was and for a time all was well but, as the dose got lower, there were several occasions when it had to be increased and my GP trusted me to do the adjustments according to symptoms and to show him my diary. We hear on here frequently that some doctors are very rigid in telling patients when and by how much to reduce their Pred. It doesn't work!
Of course, it's more than possible to have two different sources of pain and maybe it's not just PMR. Does you doctor re-test your ESR and CRP? They are not infallible indicators but if they are significantly raised it might be that you need more Pred.
I have had arthritis for several decades ( I'm a lot older than you ) and, while on Pred. that pain almost disappeared. I last had steroids more than six years ago and the OA pain is back but it is a different sort of pain from PMR. I wish I could put the difference into words. The nearest I can get is to say that with OA the pain is localised, albeit in several places; with PMR I felt not only severe pain but felt unwell too.
I must say it seems a bit cavalier for your rheumy to ignore your ankle pain.
Do come back and let us know how you get on.
Threlly treth
Posted
I was on prednisolone 30mg 2 years ago, came down gradually, then got to 10 mg and pain I
Crept back again, got fed up taking them but ended up back to 30mg again, my fault, lesson learned I have taken now for about 18 months and now down to 5mg but just getting the start of a few niggles again due to speak to gp next week, never had any knee or leg pain and not sure it is a symptom of pmr
Danrower treth
Posted
Is there swelling? If so, where, and how severe?
EileenH treth
Posted
It is pretty likely that it isn't PMR if the pain returned at higher doses but are you having PMR pain/symptoms otherwise? 5mg is a pretty low dose - and you need what you need.