Pmr fatigue and back pain
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Hello I am so happy to find this group. I think I was living with pmr for about 2 years. Last year I ended up with bilateral frozen shoulders and the pain was unbearable. I have been in physical therapy for the last six months with great improvement and my Dr just diagnosed me with PMR 5 weeks ago. Was started on 15 MG prednisone and the pain was so much better and the stiffness in my shoulders is better as well.
My question is the fatigue seems even worse, at times it feels like I can barely function and now over the last 10 days extreme pain in my lower back. After reading on this site I switched to taking my dose at night for a week and that didn't change the fatigue and left me somewhat painful during the day so I switched back. I also have mgus.
Has anyone else had back pain ? Shouldn't the prednisone help this. Is extreme fatigue normal, I thought the prednisone would help this too.
Thanks
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hindags sherri74011
Posted
I have luckily escaped both back pain and fatigue since I went on Pred third week of December. I'm getting a bit of both now that I've stareted tapering. For me the fatigue comes and goes, can't really explain why. I assume that the old back pain are back because I've dropped below the dose of Pred that was taking care of that. Also, have tried some new streteches that haven't agreed with me. Going to to back to my regular qi gong routine.
Are you still on 15MG or have you started tapering?
hindags
Posted
sherri74011 hindags
Posted
hindags sherri74011
Posted
I never experienced much fatigue. This is such an individual condition. I have very high markers and fever and bilateral shoulder and groin pain. I didn't feel as fatigued as just plain sick. At 15mg I began to get better. I had much less stiffness and almost full range of motion. I still had some pain in the right bicep (never has gone away completely, but not a real problem). I think that I probably should have stayed there rather than going up to 20. My markers came down to normal after 20 and that was what my Rheumy wanted. But that means my total GC is pretty front loaded. I'm at the three month mark and just down to 14 for 5 days. Rheumy wants me at 14 for two weeks before dipping 1mg to 13.
Not sure what criteria to use to determine if I'm ready to go down to 13 per the schedule.
I think I had a paradoxical reaction to Pred. It actually calmed me. And I slept very well with it from the third night. If I happened to awaken around 6am to use the bathroom, I could feel the cytokine dump. I also woke up feeling a bit anxious. Since going on the night time delayed release Pred I don't feel the cytokine dump anymore and awaken in better state. (Except today, day 5 of the taper to 14mg)