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Swelling is it pmr?

Posted , 4 users are following.

angelcake61
angelcake61

Hello I was diagnosed with pmr 6 weeks after onset of aches and massive dwellings eventually I had blood tests, esr and crp rates of 95 and 97, you can imagine the pain I was in, not being able to move, sleep, wash or eat much.

I was put on 20mg steriods which worked immediately I tried to reduce slowly but getting to 10mg it came back in wrist and elbow areas so it was upped again. That was in February, I have now got down to 7mg but have some sack like swelling on my foot just below my toes.

I wondered if anyone has experience of this due to pmr, previously for me this area has not been affected.I am going to the doctors tonight but I am a little wary of them just upping my steriods.

My esr levels were down to 8 then crept up to 10 and 2 weeks ago they were 18, my doctor said it wasn't a sign of the pmr but maybe something else is happening.

Any advice for me please, this is my first time posting, but this forum has helped me to come to terms with this condition and handle the reduction of steriods in a sensible way. Thank you

1 like, 17 replies

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  • angelcake61
    angelcake61

    Posted

    Hi I've been taking he Naproxen since going to the doctors which has controlled the hip pain, but if I miss taking any or cut it down the pain comes back and has now moved into my groin area.

    My foot however is still swollen, so I'm thinking the foot pain is pmr and the hip pain is a separate problem, which I seem to think I got periodically before the PMR.

    I was very interested in when to take the pred which was discussed on another thread and wondered if you have advice when having to take Alendronic acid then waiting to take Levothyroxine on an empty stomach before eating and taking the pred.

    Kind Regards

    • EileenH
      EileenH angelcake61

      Posted

      If you are on pred you really shouldn't also be on naproxen, NSAIDs increase the risk of gastric bleeding. If you have hip pain that is now into the groin then the most likely cause is trochanteric bursitis and that will probably need a cortisone injection to get it to clear up - it does work well. It was an immediate offer when I asked what painkillers I could use along with the pred and other medications and was told "None really..." It worked brilliantly! Some doctors will tell you you can do physio, use ultrasound - they have been shown to have no beneficial effect. It is very commonly found alongside PMR - almost certainly one of the bursitis sites PMR affects like the shoulders.

      This is taken from a study done to asses whether levothyroxine must be taken on an empty stomach:

      "This study shows that the absorption of levothyroxine is indeed decreased when taking the hormone with breakfast. Despite an increase in TSH while taking the hormone with breakfast, the TSH remained within the normal range. Thus, while taking levothyroxine with breakfast could be an alternative regimen for patients who have difficulties taking the hormone on an empty stomach, this regimen is more likely to cause variability in the TSH level. It is still advised that patients with a history of thyroid cancer, those who are pregnant or those who are very sensitive to changes in their TSH level need to likely wait 30–60 minutes prior to taking their levothyroxine."

      But is it not possible to take the levothyroxine at another time of day, such as before bed when you have a pretty much empty stomach?

      You might find this thread on this site interesting:

      https://patient.info/forums/discuss/taking-levothyroxine-at-night-improved-my-life--226315

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