Prednisolone

Hi Jean, cramps appear to be a common side effect with rapid prednisolone reduction suggesting this may be corticosteroid withdrawal issue rather than PMR related however,most information is based on people's experience rather than hard evidence. It might be worth getting your calcium,magnesium,potassium and vit d levels checked to see if you need to supplement your diet.Also a glass of tonic water ( contains quinine) may help, similarly speak to your dr (whilst having your bloods checked 😜) about slowing your taper until your body adjusts. Hope you find this information useful and good luck x

This sounds like you have reduced very, very quickly! From what I've been reading on here it would take at least a year to get down to 2.5 mg. 3 months into PMR I'm on 13mg having had to come down from 25mg at the start.

Oops! Misread your post. What are you on now? And your starting level of pred?

You might do better reducing just 1mg at a time - some people react to the bigger changes in dose. Yes, you can reduce in 5mg in other illnesses where pred is used - PMR can be rather less helpful and the smaller the steps the better. Have you got 1mg tablets?

However, it could be cramps due to the pred making you lose more magnesium than usual in your urine. You can get magnesium supplements at the chemist, just take the daily amount, no need for extra since all that will do (extra I mean) is probably give you the runs (think Epsom salts). Some people say that sitting with your feet and calves in an Epsom salt bath helps - it can be absorbed like that.

Having your blood level checked won't tell you a lot - your blood level can be fine even if the level in your muscles is low. But if the cramps don't go and get too uncomfortable, mention it to your doctor. Here in Mainland Europe where I live the first thing they would say would be to ask if you had taken some magnesium, when that didn't work they'd look for another cause.

And of course - diet! "High magnesium foods include dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, whole grains, avocados, yogurt, bananas, driedfruit, dark chocolate, and more. The current daily value (DV) for magnesium is 400mg."

Hi Jean

I started at 20mg and dropped to 17.5 using a 7 week tapper and had problems. I'm now tapering by .5mg and ok over 7 weeks. Some of us have to go slow and in small amounts. My next tapper in April i will try 1mg over 7-8weeks to go to 16mg. I was diagnosed sept 2015 to give you a time line.

Some of us slower than the rest but what I've learned is use the very slow method.

Hi Jean,

Could you describe the "lock"?

I noticed that I had "trigger finger" when my inflammation was the worst.

Mayo clinic describes it:

"Trigger finger, also known as stenosing tenosynovitis (stuh-NO-sing ten-o-sin-o-VIE-tis), is a condition in which one of your fingers gets stuck in a bent position. Your finger may straighten with a snap — like a trigger being pulled and released.

Trigger finger occurs when inflammation narrows the space within the sheath that surrounds the tendon in the affected finger. If trigger finger is severe, your finger may become locked in a bent position."

As my inflammation remissioned, trigger finger remissioned also.

Good luck!

Yes, whenever I reduce the pred, poly attacks me in the wrist muscles which feel rather weak.  By the afternoon I am usually ok again with no other pains. Muscles in back of my arms also feel odd and weak but soon passes luckily.

Eileen's suggestion to reduce by 1 mg a time is excellent.  I started at 15 mg, stayed there for a month, then reduced in 1 mg steps, once a week.  I should have slowed down at 10 mg, however, as at 9 I had return of symptoms, so just be aware that the smaller the dose, the slower the taper should become, especially at the 10 mg level.  If you don't have 1 mg tablets you could try cutting a 2.5 mg in half (provided it isn't coated) and that will be helpful for at least the first few drops.