Reporting on Eyeballs and PMR and also Thumb Base Arthritis.
Posted , 9 users are following.
Just an FYI, as it might help some of my fellow PMR travelers.
Am scheduled for cataract surgery on June 2 (left eye) and June 16 (right eye).
Had an appointment with Rheumy today. She suggested I double my dose of Prednisone on the day of and the day after surgery (in my case I will be on 5 mg, so doubled = 10 mg) then on the third day to drop back to the 5 mgs.
She is happy with my sloooow rate of reduction, which is about 1 mg every 6 weeks or so at this mg level. She said that although I had passed the critical 7 mg level vis a vis my body kicking in, she felt caution was the way to go.
Concerning the base of my thumb arthritis/pain/groan/ouch issue in my Rt (dominant) hand: she did an ultrasound and while seeing the ultrasound, shot my joint up with steroid and gave me a hard brace to wear for a week.
Told me to return in 2 months. My SED rate is 2 (normal). I have those done monthly.
Still on Gabapentin (300 mg at night). Rheumy says it stabilizes the mood, among other benefits. I must say, I sleep through the night 7-8 hrs.
She insisted on exercise and in my case it is rowing, which I do for 3 kms 3 x per week on a Concept II Rower. This is a non impact exercise that I have been doing for a number of years. (We own a rowboat, so to keep in form, I need to continue.) I have no problems with this. I also do yoga stretches every day. And I walk and garden and walk around the office.
Counting down since December 2013......
4 likes, 16 replies
tina-uk_cwall paula63201
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paula63201 tina-uk_cwall
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Yes, the pain is where the thumb joins the hand. It came on sort of suddenly, when I dropped from 7.5-7, I think. Earlier, in my PMR journey, I had a few pans and the Dr. had me go for xrays of my hands and told me I had pretty severe arthritis there. The pain went away on its own at that time. I went to the ortho, who did another xray and gave me a soft brace to wear at night as the pain was worse in the morning. The soft brace helped overnight, but regardless of how long I wore it, got worse throughout the day.
I went for my regular visit to the rheumy and told her about it. This time the rheumy gave me the shot in the joint (ugh) and told me to wear a hard brace that goes from my mid lower arm to my thumb along the inside of my arm. I am to wear it all the time for 1 week and then to use it when I do anything like gardening and putting stress on it. It is less painful after wearing the brace last night and after the shot. Took it off to write.
I think the inflammation was controlled by the higher dose of prednisone. Since it is only bad in the dominant (right ) hand is probably aggravated by something I did to it.
Good luck with yours. Glad you can still play tennis with it!!
BTW, I got a Bakers Cyst behind my knee in August 2013 (after rowing a boat for 2 hrs), the cyst ruptured, then I got PMR symptoms in September and was finally diagnosed December 2013. We seem to be on a prallel track! Where are you?
margaret22251 tina-uk_cwall
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EileenH tina-uk_cwall
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One rheumy dx'd my PMR in the early days as arthritis and sent me for x-rays - which were never reported to me so I have no idea what they showed. But the other bits she claimed were arthritis have all gone too and no-one has mentioned arthritis since.
VickieS tina-uk_cwall
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tina-uk_cwall paula63201
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it's interesting to read that Margaret has pain in her thumb when knitting because I do too, and Eileen's thumb pain returned on lower doses, because mine did, or did it, yes I reduced 4 weeks ago now but I've been gardening, playing tennis, knitting so could it be simply because I've been using it more. I suppose I'll wait until my next reduction to see if the pain increases.
Paula, I can't remember being unwell as such, but I too experienced my first symptoms early September. Like many, I woke up one morning and the pain in my neck was unbelievable. By the December I was still undiagnosed and experiencing pain almost all over my body. I was in do much pain I cried and cried and was lucky if I got 2 hours sleep a night. I saw a rheumatologist and he diagnosed PMR and the rest is history. Tapering was great until I experienced a flare in December last year when I attempted to reduce from 9 to 8, and I'm now down to 8.5 and am doing fine. I can't wait to get to 7 but I don't start my tapering down to 8 for another 2 weeks. I am following Eileen's dead slow and almost stop method now but only reducing by .5 because I don't want any more flares!
i am 54 years old and
i live in Cornwall with my husband Bob, and our dog Katie, we moved here 4 years ago from Canterbury in Kent and we run 2 holiday cottages. We moved here with my mother but unfortunately she died 8 months later so for me that was a very sad time. My original GP (that couldn't for the life of her think what was wrong with new) has been ditched and I changed surgeries where I have a fantastic young GP who knows all about PMR, so I count myself very lucky. I wish you all the best with your PMR recovery journey and hope you reach the finish line with no hiccups. Regards, christina
paula63201 tina-uk_cwall
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No worries about your answering earlier. I WISH I were gardening, but was at work, instead. Knitting became a problem for me also. Decided to shelve it until the thumb felt better.
Sorry to hear about your mother and also of your flare. I have been fortunate to not have experienced one. At this time reducing at .5 mgs every 6 weeks.
Those days of undiagnosed PMR...AGONY! Me too, no sleep for nights on end. Waiting for the next time I could take that max dose of Ibuprofen and to the point of a bleeding stomach! Watching the clock at night, counting the minutes. So so awful!! And then the useless Tylenol (Paracetamol), the megadoses of Gabapentin (misdiagnosed by a dim earlier rheumy as having Fibromyalgia). So glad to have finally found a Rheumy who knew what was wrong with me!
I have family in Cornwall, on Bodmin and am familiar with Canterbury, having gone to school in Westgate-on-Sea. I live in the US, now. My kids are grown and I live with my husband and lovely she-dog Labrador, who takes us out on long walks and to the river and bay for her swim opportunities!! Cheers, Paula
margaret22251 tina-uk_cwall
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tina-uk_cwall paula63201
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Again, coincidences, you having family in Cornwall and having lived in Kent and having a dog too. My dog is a mad border collie with behaviour issues but we love her so much and she is really so beautiful.
anyway, if you ever come over to Cornwall to see your family, let me know and we could met up. All the best, christina
tina-uk_cwall margaret22251
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Why don't you try Eileen's plan, it's so slow that I think the theory behind it is to trick the body into accepting less without really knowing. All the best, christina
margaret22251 tina-uk_cwall
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beatrice74480 EileenH
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EileenH beatrice74480
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Oregonjohn-UK paula63201
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paula63201 Oregonjohn-UK
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Thanks for your helpful comment and the good wishes!! I think I will hold off reducing for now until after the op. Hope you can see clearly now! Am dreading the poke in the eyes.