Off for a break- fingers crossed !

Hi shebob

Have a great time, we are off too Somerset for a few days, my hubby is going for a hot air balloon ride with friends, fingers crossed this will be the third attempt.

Now that I am down to 8mg the moonface seems to be reducing, I am now able to turn my head without this great lump either side. But still suffer with cold face, pop belly (which my grandson loves to cuddle ) never mind worse things can happen.

Hope you and hubby enjoy yourselves,

regards

pekabar

Hello Pekabar, Just read your experience in the nick of time - I am just trying to stay down on 8.5 mg and reading that you are finding side effects beginning to diminish at 8mg. is encouraging. Like so many others I find the side effects almost worst than the PMR. Well I might not have said that when I was first diagnosed! Fat face, pregnant tum, hot flushes, tiredness ( perhaps the worst), running to the loo, - I could go on all night!

We have just come back from the Isle of Wight, mixed feelings about being away. Journey by public transport was a nightmare but it was good not to keep wondering about whether I had the energy to cook AND clean the bathroom. So I would say a plus overall, made me feel more normal.

Colder weather today doesn't make me feel better tho'. Might make a hotwater bottle and think about a thicker duvet to cuddle up in!

Keep battling on! Green granny

Hi Shebob and Pekabar -Just popped in to say Happy Holidays to you both, and Shebob good luck with the blood test results tomorrow and we will miss you, too, and your cheery( :wink: ) posts. Pekabar - went up in a hot air balloon some years ago - your husband will love it - we were spoiled and had a lot of extra time as suitable landing space became a bit of a problem....the only downside because of the extra time I was bursting for the loo - and that was before side effects from steroids! What with Green Granny and Nefret just returning from holidays as well, I'm beginning to think I might fancy one - lost all my confidence about going away after undiagnosed PMR put me in bed for months. Your experiences might just be the push I need - another great reason for having found this site. Have a good time and come back refreshed.

MrsO

hi everyone,

well we went off to somerset for hubby's balloon flight, it was cancelled for the 3rd time. But had a good time with our friends, was very tired when we got home, took several days to get over journey.

I am feeling alot better these days, although still on alot of medicaton for several ailments have been able to cut beta-blocker in half and I am still on 8mg steriods. Had blood tests which has gone up so told to stay on 8mg ,should have been on 5mg by now, according to doctor, but I told him I could not get there so I listened to my body and reduce as and when I could. Nothing is text book with this condition it is about time they realised this.

No answer to the hair loss but they are checking thyroid again.

Some other good news moon face is now half moon and have lost 12lb since last saw doctor which was 6 months ago. This makes me feel better as I have never Carried so much weight. Also i feel well enough to go back to college one day a week to continue studing Spanish. I passed the exams which I took earlier this year, but don't remember taking them as I was on 45mg steriods.

best wishes to all

pekabar

Hi Pekabar,

Its good to know that you are feeling a lot better these days.I was interested in your comment about hair loss.I had very thick hair prior to taking prednisolone.It is now much thinner and in quite a bad condition. This has not improved although I am now down to 2.5. I thought hair loss was a side effect of steroids so have never thought to question that there might be any other cause.

Best Wishes

Chammer..

Hair loss

ask GP for Folic Acid ( well its late and I might just have got the second part of that wrong) It helps with hair loss and other things.

Cross check with chemist but I am ninety percent sure you can take it with pred.

mrs K

Hi Everybody, Re hair loss - I haven't noticed this too much but ONE GOOD THING, now I am down to 8 mg somedays and 8.5 mg others is the loss of the peach fuzz, as well as the hamster cheeks reducing. I don't think anyone except me noticed the peach fuzz but I did wonder whether I might have to start shaving.

One other thing I have wondered as to whether it was some sort of side effect. I get ever so itchy sometimes, particularly under the arms. It's not anything to do with a particular deodorant and there's absolutely nothing to see but it's yet another thing keeps me awake. Anyone else have this?

I can hear a howling gale outside - this is the South East of England, just hope there aren't trees down etc. Husband has been in hospital lately with mild heart attacks so I don't feel as if I have much energy to cope with extra problems. Could all be worse anyway - I'm inside in the warm, thank God.

Good luck to you all, Green granny.

Hi Green Granny, Yes I`ve had itchy underarms with no apparent reason. Used baby wash and no deoderant and still nearly gone mad with the itch ! I think PMR must have the most varied side effects of any other blinking condition. I`ve now lost all taste and my teeth are still alive when I breathe in or take anything hot or cold. Oh for normality !! Cin up everybody Shebob :lol:

Hi Green Granny and Shebob,

I too have the most itchy underarms, when in public I have to try really hard not to scratch.

I wasn't sure if it was anything to do with this condition or the medication, but now I know I'm not the only one.

My goodness, there seem to be so many things going on with this PMR, I seem to come across something new almost every week.

Best to all,

DD

Try Witch Hazel or Calamine Lotion for itch. Sometimes they work, sometimes they do not. But I wish my itch was not where it is!!!!!!!!

Oh dear Mrs K, enough said.

Tried all sorts, but nothing seems to alleviate the problem, just one more thing to learn to live with !!

I was rather hoping that the cooler weather would help, but so far, no such luck !!

Best to all, DD

I just realised, as my family asked what we talked about on this site, how weird it must sound - peach fuzz, itchy unmentionaable bits, pregnant tums, the lot! It is a consolation tho', otherwise I think am I going bonkers or is this just old age?

I have used a computer for a long time but it has really been a blessing this year, not just this lovely site but shopping and all sorts of things so I can use my energy for more interesting things. Yes, I know some people like shopping but I don't . Off tomorrow to buy calamine lotion tho'.

As husband is now a month away from his 2 minor heart attacks, when I felt I couldn't try and reduce steroids at all, I am now going to have another go at spreading the dosage through the day. This is partly because, unlike many of you, I am totally knackered by the evening. Last night after a rather strenuous day (son's birthday), I just sat on the edge of the bed and just didn't know how I was going to get the energy to undress! So today I have tried taking 7mg. after breakfast and 1 mg. lunchtime. Tomorrow I will try postponing another 1mg until the evening. Gently does it ...... I notice the manufacturers of Pred. suggest staggered doses but doctors and all the authoritative thinking say that the body produces most of the stuff in the morning naturally, hence take Pred, then. Oh well I'll see how I get on.

Who was it on this site that was doing barn dancing in the evening as it was her best time? Keep warm everybody and don't do any scratching when you shoudn't! green granny

Hello everyone (especially those with the \"itch\" - Mrs K, could you really be talking about \"where the sun don't shine\"?)!

I have typed replies to several of you (Margaret, Linda, Jayeeh and DD) over the last few days only to find that my \"username was already taken\" or \"it was an inactive username or invalid password\". It has been most frustrating and I am finding that the only way I can enter the forum is to keep clicking on \"I forgot my password\", receiving a new one each time and then getting in. Hope someone isn't trying to tell me something!!!

On this latest thread, have any of you tried Nelson's Calendula Cream (available from Holland & Barrett and Sainsbury's amongst others)? Over the years I have found it invaluable when my hands have got unusually dry and sore/itchy, and recently I gave some to my son to try on a rash he had on the inside of his elbow for some considerable time - it was successful and the rash hasn't returned (touch wood!)

Green Granny - hope the \"staggering\" regime will help and do let us know how you get on with it. Meanwhile, hope your hubby is on the way to making a complete recovery.

MrsO

Well Mrs O, I applaud you for finding a way round the defective technology! We'd be lost without you. It may not be relevent to the 'itch' problem but when I suddenly developed eczema 3 years ago (serious enough to require hospital visits and several steroid treatments) I was told by the Consultant that I needed to treat my whole body as the origin of the problem often wasn't where the itch was. I was advised to use Simple products for personal care along with non-biological soap powder and softener. I use Simple shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and moisturizer (a snip in the pound shop!). I changed my soap powder etc. and after about a month I was much improved. I'm sticking to the regime as it seems to work for me. I just cannot give up perfume so I use it sparingly - I tell my partner that only Chanel No 5 is non-bio (shame on me) :lol: . Hope everyone's 'itch' goes away soon.

Lizzie Ellen

Hi Lizzie-Ellen - it sounds as though you have really got all your skin routine sewn up well, and, oh yes, Chanel No 5 is my favourite too, so I'll have to try your ploy on my poor unsuspecting husband - it's amazing what one can learn on this forum! Probably a bit late, but just wanted to say happy holidays - I bet you can't wait to get away from all this wind and rain.

MrsO