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PMR Journey continues with newer aches and pains of concern

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vawils
vawils

Diagnosed with PMR back in 2014 and been dealing with it since then - 69yo male. Over the past two years been successfully using the slow reduction method I learned about on this site. My US doctors were unfamiliar with it but have been interested in my improvement using this method. Things were going real well until about early March. I was down to 2mg prednisone per day and starting to split doses to get down to 1 mg. I was feeling pretty good and looking forward to getting off prednisone for good this year.

However my aches and pains have returned since about early May and been quite troublesome. I am uncertain that they are all due to PMR or that something else is going on. I have the traditional PMR shoulder stiffness and buttocks/trunk soreness and stiffness in the am and pm but more importantly my calve muscles and shins and sometimes ankles and feet are almost in constant pain. I have never had pain in these areas with the PMR, hence my uncertainty as to PMR. The calves are constantly stiff and sore and burning and I have difficulty getting up and down etc, and it affects my gait particularly when i have been on my feet for long periods.

Have any of you experienced pain in the calves/shins/feet/ankles or know what else may be causing the discomfort i am experiencing? It is a new pain area that i had not previously experienced and I suspect something else may be causing.

I have emailed my rheumatologist and she suggested increasing my prednisone to 3mg day which i have done recently and checking back if no improvement.

Appreciate any feedback or comments.

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Anhaga
    Anhaga vawils

    Posted

    Unfortunately this site is not very active at the moment. Try HealthUnlocked, the PMRGCAuk community, if you don't get any helpful responses here. One suggestion for calf and shin pain is to take magnesium as a deficiency of this mineral (common when we are on calcium supplements without additional magnesium) can cause such pain.

  • EileenH
    EileenH vawils

    Edited

    Hi - long time no hear! Do come and join us on the PMRGCAuk forum

    https://healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk

    In the meantime - I'd say your problems could well be that while 2mg is plenty, 1.5mg isn't! Even being slightly too low eventually lets the dripping tap of left-over inflammation fill the bucket and it overflows.

    It is also possible that you have developed some circulation problems due to inflammation - has your GP checked your foot pulses and ankle BP? Another possible option could be sciatica - due to low back muscles pinching the sciatic nerve and causing greater trochanteric pain syndrome, not uncommon in PMR

    • vawils
      vawils EileenH

      Edited

      thanks for the reply. i have joined the Auk forum and posted similar question there which you responded to as pmrpro. i have increased Prednisone to 3.5 mg day, splitting daily doses between 3 and 4. Pain in calf has been better of late but have been on feet a lot less since i stopped working last month which probably helps. foot pain persists as do general aches and pains as usual but mostly manageable.i dont have rheuma appt until Sept. but hope to discuss these issues further as you suggest.

      thanks

    • EileenH
      EileenH vawils

      Edited

      That's OK then - just this place is so deserted now. Such a shame. The PMRGCAuk charity wouldn't exist without what happened here 12+ years ago

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