New pmr awaiting esr and other blood test results

tranent, there is a Support Group which meets in Dundee every month. The details are on this site. If you cannot find them google pmr gca scotland.

Tranent - where in Tayside are you? My old stamping ground - have lived in Arbroath, Dundee and Meigle :-)

BTW - what tabs are you on altogether? Pred, calcium/vit D obviously - what else?

Eileen

Morning Eileen, Home is at the back of Whitfield. Tabs are prednislone,omeprazole,calceos, paracetamol, and vits omega 3,6,9 multi-vits with iron. After all that i rattle for a few hours. Thank you mrs k for the info re support group, i will go to the next one and drink in their pearls of wisdom.No rain today yippee, feel better already ha ha.

My brother lives out in the sticks behind you and years ago my husband lived in West Pitkerro cottage!

Why paracetamol? Most of us find ordinary painkillers don't do anything for PMR - and paracetamol is not as innocent as some GPs would have you think. And you do separate those drugs don't you?

cheers,

Eileen

And you do separate those drugs don't you? all with tone!!!!! Thats a surprise. Perhaps theres an agenda Im unaware of!!

Prednisolone and calcium supplements shouldn't be taken within about 2 to 3 hours of one another - they interfere with each other's absorption. So pred for breakfast - preferably in the middle to reduce stomach irritation - and calcium with lunch and tea/dinner as taking all the calcium in one go reduces the amount the body absorbs altogether and you ned some fat to absorb them. Taking the calcium/vit D with other food also helps reduce any stomach effects with that - some people get wind etc!

Nothing sinister, just best practice :-)

Eileen

Hello pmr people, no reduction with pred pv to high. Some side effects gone which is good, been replaced by new ones, skin all over feels like sunburn, actually cut my finger on a clean tea towel, worst thing is can't knit, fingers feel sore and swollen but don't look swollen.This i take is what happens 4/5 weeks in on pred?my body feels very tired but can't sleep, I usually like 9hrs (yeh yeh lucky me) down to 6/7hrs.My walking pace has really slowed down if I try to walk my normal pace I'm drained,who stool my energy?I am pacing myself but not enough! Does any of this sound like pmr or is it the pred if yes to any of the two how long does it last? doc says thinning skin may never recover! will these side effects go and whats gonna replace them/

Tranent

Your thinning skin will recover as you get to the low doses of Pred and then off them - in the meantime, ask for Doublebase Cream or Gel which is available in a large drum either over the counter or on prescription. My podiatrist recommended this cream to me a couple of years ago for the skin on the soles of my feet which are prone to corns and callouses. I then discovered the good effect it had on my body as well.

To answer your question, yes slow walkig pace and loss of energy are unfortunately part and parcel of both PMR and steroids - as to how long it will last, that can vary from person to person depending on the level of inflammation and overdoing things. But rest assured these symptoms will also reduce as the dose reduces.

MrsO

Afternoon, my honeymoon period is over! no don't feel sorry for me I don't. Pred up to 20mg awaiting appt with Rheumatology dept. Any advice on drinking nettle juice how much do I require and do you use all the plant? Most important is there any contraindictions and drug interactions I should be aware of? Aloe vera has been suggested, however the cost is a little beyond my budget at this time.

tranent

Nettlejiuce, new one on me, go to pmrandgca stop forumup stop co stop uk

Someone on there will probably have heard of it.

Come back and let us know.

On drug interactions do not take advice from anyone else except a Pharmacist. Even when you are given a new prescription from your GP, check it out with the Pharmacist first, they know more than anybody about drugs and this goes for OTC stuff as well. Your immune systems is compromised, take no chances.

Hello, Thanks Mrs K, Pharmacist says don't touch nettle juice. However got good news pv blood test is almost back to normal drop to 15g pred tomorrow, yippee. Great news, some of the side-effects i got on 20 should go or reduce . Our brains are amazing, good news a little sunshine all goes to make you feel so much better.Might just tackle that paper and paint job, no no only kidding not quite ready for that Thanks again for vg advice.

tranent that is a big drop, suggest you drop by 2.5mg to 17.5mg, wait a week or two and see how it goes.

if OK then take the drop to 15mg.

then go carefully and wait a month preferably, if you get regular blood tests *ESR' and they are a good guide for some people, then take a 2.5mg drop and wait. Once you get to 10 mg the fun can begin.

The latest thinking from the head honchos is no more than 10% drop at a time.You could also try, dropping 5mg one day, back to 20 next, then two days at 15mg, back to 20mg then three days and so on till you are safely down to 15mg. Remember PMR is like a forest fire and the pred dampens it down, too little water and the fire flares up and you have to pour more water on it. Slow but sure, remember the tortoise won the race.