Quiz Girl

Posted , 11 users are following.

Hi - I wonder if someone can help me.  I have had PMR for 5 years and for the last two years around this time of year, just as I am coming down to 5 - 7 mgs. I have a flare up which puts me back for the whole winter.  Last year I had a terrible time with my arms,wrists and hands (took me months to sort) and it has just started again after arriving home from Cyprus last Sunday, but the one question I have is has it ever affected anyone in the foot as I am having pain just above my 2nd, 3rd and 4th toe and the top of my foot is swollen, can hardly put my foot down. I have had an xray yesterday but it feels like the pain I get in my hands which my Specialist says is pmr and my hand swells the same. My GP says it is not pmr but could be a stress fracture.

I know I am rambling but could anyone advise please. Thanks

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34 Replies

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  • Posted

    Hi there

    One of my symptoms was 1 toe only that was excruciating pain when i walked. You could touch it manipulate it but couldn't put weight on it.

    I saw a podiatrist and she made a form to raise it which took the pressure of it which helped to walk till the major symptoms subsided but never away. Sandels were the best no shoes.

    Now that I'm on prednisone it still hurts and I'm having a hard time with shoes and winter is here in Canada, had snow last weekend.

    Mariane

  • Posted

    Hi Quiz Girl

    I started with PMR in September 2013 and at the moment trying to reduce from 7mg to 6.5mg( I follow the dead slow method) but before i started the reduction I have had excruciating pain in my right big toe - it goes all along the toe below the nail, to where the toe meets my foot. It is swollen and sometimes when the pain is

    reall really bad it is red coloured as though it is hot, I cannot wear shoes with a heel as the pain is too bad - I have had bowens treatment on it which has helped slightly but the pain always comes back - just recently I have found that when I go to the bed for the first few mins in a morning it is not there but it soon comes back with a vengeance - I have now had this for about 3 -4 months and it really gts me down as it is so painful to walk on. I thought it might be a bursitus or even palandromic rheumatism as before the pain was in my right toe it had been in my left toe and then disappeared after a few weeks but this one in my right toe doesnt seem to want to go anywhere and pain killers, 30mg /500mg cocodamol are not having any effect at all - the only brief respite I get is from the Bowens treatment - so not sure if it is PMR or something else and so fed up of wearing flat shoes and limping when I walk - even a massage doesnt help as it is quite tender to touch

    Sorry I cant tell you what your pain is but it does sound so similar to mine so if there is anyone out there who can help either me or Quiz Girl - we would really appreciate some advice - probably Eileen will know as she is brilliant and seems to help everyone tirelessly - dont know where we would be without her or Mrs O!!

    Take Care x

    • Posted

      Hello Maureen,

      A short comment. Your toe pain sounds a lot like Gout. Have you  been tested for ot it?

    • Posted

      It sounds like Gout to me.  Started in the same way as you, first time, many many years ago, the pain lasted months and months.  After a while the pain disappeared.  Every now and again it attacks, excruciating!!!😡  However, it now disappears after 5/6 days.

      Just a thought!

    • Posted

      I had pain in my big toe joints for a few years before PMR really struck - but I really don't think it was gout. It faded with the pred eventually and has never returned. Maybe I have jsut been lucky.
    • Posted

      You really need to get that looked at - if it is gout or psuedogout they should take some joint fluid and look for crystals. 
    • Posted

      It was thanks to the report from the podiatrist that my GP took notice and started to really listen to my other pain. After visits with her she confirmed arthritis in the toe but was not sure which one but not to rule out rumatoid. I think it's part of PMR. She doesn't know i have PMR, not been back.
    • Posted

      I like Beatrice's comment "They (the doctors) said if I was older (she's 75)  they would suggest staying on Pred to get  A BETTER QUALITY OF LFE" What a laugh?  How old is 'old' nowadays?
    • Posted

      Never mind that - why should any of us be denied a better quality of life at any age? They don't know whether I'll be run over by a bus - or develop another life-shortening illness before I'd get to be old enough for the very long term effects to make a difference. That's a totally daft way to look at it.
    • Posted

      Hi Eileen

      Thanks for your message I have looked up Gout on the internet and I dont think it is as this pain has been with me constant, apart from a short bout of relief thanks to my Bownes therapist, for over 3 months have looked up arthritis on the net and there was something about the base of the toe and just under the foot on the arch which if i touch is so very sore - I dont get a very hot toe/foot and when I said it was swollen it was only mildly swollen but my big toe is stiff and will not bend even if i try to do it manually - sometimes the pain is an ache and sometimes it is a throb and I just feel like I need to constantly rub it but even that hurts and  it is there constantly - I have to go for a review to my doctor in two weeks so I am going to mention it then I have a fbc being carried out on Monday so dont know if that will show anything either but I will mention my pain to the nurse

      Once again thanks for your help

    • Posted

      Hi Kassie

      Thanks for your message it was much appreciated - I have looked gout up on the internet but I dont think it is that when I look at the pictures and the symptoms but I am at my doctors in two weeks time for a review of my PMR so I am going to mention it to him then. I have had this pain constantly for about 3 months (except for a brief respite of about 36 hrs after seeing my bowens therapist) and my toe is so stiff I cannot band it even if I try to manually - it is slightly swollen and occasionally warm to the touch but the pain is sometimes an ache and othertimes throbbing but most of all constant - when I touch a certain part of the arch on my foot that too is very painful - I feel like I want to rub my foor all the time - it is so weird never experienced anything like this before - but I shouldnt be surprised with all the weird and not so wonderful things that PMR throws at us 

      I will let you all know what my doctor says

      Take Care xx

    • Posted

      Hello again Maureen

      Thanks for getting back to me. Yes. There are more than one possibilities for your toe pain. Your FBC will show if you have any infection but other blood tests would need to be done to determine if it is rheumatoid  arthritis or Uric acid to see if it is gout. As I have said in previous posts to others pain needs to be treated so you need to push your GP to take note of what you are saying so that your pain can be managed. PMR does certainly throw curve balls at us but other diagnosisis need to be considered from time to time. 

      Hugs and kisses going your way. 

      I shall leave you with my GO AUSSIES Oi Oi Oi

      cheers

      Kathy

  • Posted

    The reply below was posted as a new discussion from user beatrice74480 so moved to here. I will PM beatrice to let her know.

    Hi just read your problems, I was diagnosed with Pmr 2yrs ago plus at moment on 1mg alternate days, slow reduction method,Esr now 12. There have been times when felt like increasing but didn't , I had wrist and hand pain as I reduced, had nerve conduction and Xrays ,proving Arthritis and Carpel tunnel problems ,nothing to do with Pmr. Each time we get an ache or pain we can't think the worst and as you reduce hang on for at least a week before you upgrade it mostly settles down.   My Doc and Rheumy are keen to discontinue Pred even tho I am a quite fit 75yr old.   They said if I was older they would say stay to get quality of life but for me personally try and stop which hopefully I will do in next two weeks, It isn't always Pmr although I have had all the pains you describe.My hands are painful now it's raining and cold but we're fine yesterday !! 

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