Painful tendons and prednisone

[Todd1963]

Hello friends how are we doing. I hope everyone had a warm wonderful, merry Christmas. I have been experiencing a great deal of what I would call tendinitis in my left arm. No it’s not a heart attack type thing I’m left-handed and definitely use my left hand for almost everything. Anyway, to get to the meat of the story, my wife and I started lifting weights a few months back. I have been on Zytiga for 11 years now and it is very difficult for me to regain any kind of muscle mass once it has been lost. It is possible, but it is an extremely painful process. Over the last few weeks, the pain in my arm became so severe that I was not sleeping. Three nights ago I started doubling up on prednisone. Instead of taking my usual 5 mg dose. I started taking 10 mg morning and night and the pain in my arm is gone. Zytiga works by shutting down the adrenals , as they are responsible for producing residual testosterone the problem is they also produce our natural homemade steroid hence substituting the prednisone. I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I believe that because I am causing more distress to my muscles by lifting weights the 5 mg dosage has not been enough for my body to repair itself once the muscle tissue has been broken down. I will be discussing this with my doctor. However, I was wondering if anyone here has experienced similar symptoms and what they did to remedy the situation. Also, I was wondering if there is a more effective steroid that we Zytiga users can take to maintain a better quality of life. I hope you all have an amazing new year. Todd.

[MoonRocket]

I would take Aleve.... doubling the Prednisone to 20 mg probably isn't the best choice...the Aleve is a non steroidal pain reliever. I prefer it to the other pain relievers because it's taken ever 12 hours instead of 4/6 hours.

[mrscruffy]

I had pain in shoulder and elbow early in my weight lifting routine. I used KT Tape and eleviated the pain great stuff and interesting how it works. Professional athletes use it in all sports

[Tall_Allen]

0.5 mg dexamethasone.

[Gym-rat]

I’ve had bouts of tendinitis on occasion over the years. All due to overworking the tendon which results in inflammation of the tendon. Remedies include avoiding exercising that particular body part, taking ibuprofen, and icing the area with cold packs. It’s very important to stretch out and warm up prior to lifting weights.

It takes time for the inflammation to subside, when you start back up exercising that area take it slow and easy.

[tango65]

You need to consult with an orthopedic doctor.

Apparently 5 mg of prednisone where OK to control the lack of cortisol caused by abiraterone.

Taking too much cortisone chronically can cause a lot of problem.

You feel better because of the anti-inflammatory action of prednisone and it is OK for a short time. The same anti inflammatory action could be obtained by other means.

[SeosamhM]

Great post, Todd. All I can offer is agreement. It's just continuous stops and starts. Once I seemingly get a rhythm - bursitis, tendonitis... all of those things my primary care doc calls "soft tissue rheumatic syndromes." He has told me - correctly, but sort of unwanted by me - that it is a natural part of aging, not only due to my treatment. Shut yer mouth, doc! 😀

Since you ask, here is an informative site:

orthop.washington.edu/patie...

I am continually amazed (and depressed) at the amount of maintenance I require after doing basic exercise.

Happy New Year, Todd and all posters! Beautiful picture! - Joe M.

[j-o-h-n]

Hey Todd1963,

First of all that snowperson (note: Gender Neutral) apparently had the same issue you're having and they surgically eliminated the problem , thus no longer a lefty or a righty. My suggestion is for you to stop lifting those weights (dumbelles named after my ex-wife) and use dynamic tension to build up your muscles/strength...Rest as much as your wife permits........ Happy New YearS to all.

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Friday 12/29/2023 6:58 PM EST