Hi all...
I have been started on a course of prednisolone for 6 weeks.... can anyone share their experience of this medication? If this this medication does work for me will the inflammation, swelling and pain return once the 6 weeks is up ( If of course these symptoms subside of course)
I’m just curious to know what will happen once the 6 weeks is up.
Prednisolone is given for a few illnesses - sometimes short term to control flare ups if COPD, asthma etc .....can I ask what’s it’s for and what dose?
I was on it for a long term illness - 4 and half years - and initially at very high doses.
Once you’ve been on it for at least 3 weeks and more than about 7.5mg you need to taper off it, not suddenly stop because after that time/dose your adrenal glands will be affected.
Provided your symptoms and inflammation have gone during those 6 weeks once you’ve got off the Pred properly you should be okay ...but if it’s a chronic illness that’s open to question.....that’s why I ask what it’s for and what is the proposed dose?
Like most medication it has side effects, but they vary immensely depending on dosage.
Thank you for your reply.....
I have been started on 10mg for the first 3 weeks then I’m to reduce it to 5mg for the next 3 weeks then stop.... so I’m on it for just 6 weeks.... I have been started on it by my rheumatologist for arthritis.
Strange way to treat osteoarthritis. DMARDs are usually given for arthritis - and maybe steroids short term for a flare. Is that your situation?
When I was on higher doses of Pred for GCA (Giant Cell Arteritis not arthritis) - my OA pain was masked, but as I got down to single figures it returned.
Have had steroid injections since- but they don’t like you to have too many- can affect tendons around joint.
Just be aware that after 6 weeks your Adrenals may struggle once you come off steroids for the reasons stated in my first reply. ..so you might feel grotty, hopefully nothing more serious.
I assume your doctor uses this procedure regularly and makes his patients aware of any Adrenal issues - at least I hope he does.
But once you come if the steroids, the inflammation will undoubtedly build up again.
It’s unclear what arthritis I have yet..... ? Osteoarthritis .... my hand is the worst at the moment.... swollen and unable to use it.... I am very weary about taking them anyway and am even more so now. He decided to give me this medication after doing a scan on my hands.
I’ve had 3 joints replaced in last 3 years - and also have OA in right shoulder - find CBD cream helps that. On Amazon - sensiwellness.co.uk/cbd/
Also have a friend who should have had op on wrists last summer but didn’t because of Covid - his Rheumy prescribed capsicum ointment - said it was good.
As Lollybygolly says steroids can be a miracle, but used long term then can cause their own issues.
I was on them for over 4 years, and they stopped me losing sight in left eye (right already lost due to late diagnosis) so I will always champion them - but don’t know I’d want to have to take them on and off for life. My illness was self limiting. OA isn't.
If it were me, I’d be looking at other options - long term anyway. Maybe ask Rheumy if you could take steroids for a shorter period initially - to see if they help the inflammation whilst you look at alternatives
Hi, I have to say at the outset that I do not like prednesilone. I suffer from Asthma and C OPD. I was prescribed this after anti iotics ,however, talkin g with a colleague who is a science professor at a u iversity, she held up her hands in horror. Apparently over a period of time this steroid will damage your im mune system (it did mine) also it can damage your eyesight, precipitating cataracts it did for me) and eventually I wound up with ARMD in both eyes. No one in y family suffer (or did suffer) from those diseases so they are not in herited. y all means try short doses but please do not rely on prolongedmuse of them. If you need for exam ple to clear your chest you will do better with a bowl of steaming water containing Friars Balsam and putting a towel over you head, inhaling the steam which will clear your chest. I hope this helps and of course in the end, it is your decision what to do, no two people being exactly alike. All best wishes XX
Sorry Dazakella I failed to read your letter properly, I too have very bad OA and Gout but have never been prescribed prednesilone! You need to take turmeric capsules and Omega 3 oil. I also take a couple of paracetamol in the norning and keep mobile which is very important' I am told theremis nothingg that can be done so keep on going the best way I ca (Iam 89 going on 90)The worst thing you could possib ly do is sit around so keep moving. Walk as much as you can and I make every thing I do a little exercise, such as reaching for something, I stretch a little further and bend a little further ( ot from the knees they are "gone") I sympathise so much with you because I know just hiw agonising O and RA can be. XX
This is scary news as my daughter has been on this for over a year now.
As Dorset lady says.Pred reduces inflammation. It’s a very powerful drug and you will be guided by what your medical practitioner says.
It’s heaven on earth. Pain stopped. Only after food. Omeprazole if Timmy not ok. You’ll get hungry so have healthy snacks to hand. You might or might not lose a little hair but it grows back (thicker in my case). Keep up the HbA1c sugar tests. Bone density if on them more than 6 months. It changed my life.
Thank you all for your reply’s. I have decided not to start this medication. I am on enough as it is including chemotherapy for blood cancer. I will just put up with the pain and reply on pain meds. Thank you all for your help and advise.
Do you have psoriasis? I have psoriatic arthritis and I take a immunosuppressive injection monthly and personally Im not a fan of steroids.
I personally think I have psoriatic arthritis as I have all the symptoms.... psoriasis.... swollen toe... heel pain and foot arch pain. My hand/thumb is swollen and I am unable to use it... the pain is unbearable. Yet the rheumatologist says because he can’t see any inflammation on the ultrasound scan on my hands he’s rules it out. But I had another ultrasound scan last week and he was very vague about telling me the results and just put me straight on this medication. I have requested my medical notes now as this was the consultation that I asked for a second opinion from.
I forgot to mention that I have osteoarthritis in my neck and lower spine. I have fibromyalgia and m.e and blood cancer. I am unable to walk far because of the pain in my ankles, feet and knee. I also suffer with a painful shoulder and over the last week my elbow and started to get painful.
Osteoarthritis is a throw away diagnosis when orthopedic doctors and Rheumatologist and even some over reaching GPs can’t figure out your issues.
PSA can attack your back and neck and if you do have Enthesitis it can cause pain any place you have a tendon that attaches to a bone which is just about every where in your body and it can be one joint on one side of the body or multiple joints all over the body ... Enthesitis is the belly of the beast it’s probably the most misdiagnosed.
Hello again batty.... the left side of my neck is terrible painful.... just the left of my spine and now the right side is painful.... now the rheumatologist is saying this is muscle and nothing to do with my arthritis... i really feel she’s fibbing me off and making me feel like a fool.... I’m 41 in terrible pain and now she has discharged me and left me to get in with it. If I’m like this now what am I going to be like I 5 years time? I am ringing my gp tomorrow to ask to be referred to another hospital for another opinion. My left hand/wrist is so swollen and painful... now if I move it my accident it feels like something is popping in my wrist. I’m really at the end of my tether. X
Hi Dazakella2010, I feel so bad for you and totally understand because this is exactly what caused me to seek out my 3rd rheumatologist (Orbai) first 2 rheumatologist kept telling me I exercise too much thats why I have so many problems, seriously annoying.
I would go see a private Rheumatologist and make sure you take clear photos of your swollen hands (comparing) the non-swollen hand to swollen hand ..... because if you don’t your swollen joints could clear up overnight before your appointments and they most likely will blow you off.
Let me know how it goes!
This might interest you:
Psoriatic Arthritis Diagnosis Could Take More Than 2 Years, New Study Shows
Research finds that people who are younger, obese, or have a type of inflammation called enthesitis are at highest risk of a diagnostic delay. Here's why doctors err and how to get the care you need.
Becky Upham
By Becky Upham
Medically Reviewed by Alexa Meara, MD
March 17, 2021
Medically Reviewed
A-Psoriatic-Arthritis-Diagnosis-Could-Take-2-Years-or-Longer A delay in psoriatic arthritis diagnosis and treatment means needless pain and emotional suffering and a greater risk of permanent joint damage.
More than half of people with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) wait over two years for a diagnosis after the onset of symptoms, according to a new study from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Researchers found that people who are most likely to experience a delay fall into three main groups: those who are less than 40 years old when their early psoriatic arthritis symptoms appear; those with a higher body mass index (BMI); and those with enthesitis — inflammation where ligaments and tendons attach to bones.
Doctors should be aware of this issue, according to Paras Karmacharya, MD, a rheumatologist at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, and lead author of the study, who discussed the findings via email. “Our study results help to understand some of the factors associated with diagnostic delay in psoriatic arthritis, which could help in earlier diagnosis and management to improve outcomes in high-risk PsA patients,” he writes.
The Importance of Early Diagnosis in Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy joints and skin, thereby causing inflammation. Typical symptoms in psoriatic arthritis include stiffness, swelling, and pain over tendons or joints.
In addition to inflammation in affected joints, PsA also causes systemic inflammation, which affects the entire body. Psoriatic arthritis is associated with an increased risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, metabolic disease, and depression, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
As with other inflammatory arthritis conditions, psoriatic arthritis can lead to joint destruction and eventually result in deformity and loss of function, says Rochelle Rosian, MD, a rheumatologist and director of regional rheumatology at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
“The sooner we can identify and treat psoriatic arthritis with a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic therapy, which might include a traditional DMARD or biologic, the sooner we can slow the process of inflammation and destruction,” she says.
Not only will earlier psoriatic arthritis diagnosis and treatment mean less damage to the joints over a lifetime, it also means people with the condition will experience less pain and suffering and have fewer limitations in their day-to-day lives, says Dr. Rosian.
Most People Waited More than 2 Years for Psoriatic Arthritis Diagnosis
The Mayo Clinic research, which was published in February in the Journal of Rheumatology, included 162 patients from Olmsted County, Minnesota, who were diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis from 2000 to 2017. The average age at symptom onset in the group was 41.5 years, and 46 percent of the group were females.
Investigators found that the length of time from the first PsA-related joint symptoms to a diagnosis was anywhere from six months to a little over seven years, with a median of two and a half years.
To explore the reasons for the delay, researchers examined several factors and found that sex, education level, smoking status, alcohol intake, psoriasis severity or location, nail involvement, and family history of psoriatic arthritis made no difference in how long it took for people to get a psoriatic arthritis diagnosis.
The traits or symptoms that were linked with a delay were being younger or obese, or having enthesitis.
Though this study is relatively small, it was well-designed, says Rosian. Still, she points out, “because the only patients included in the study are Mayo patients, the findings might not be representative of a more diverse population.”
That being said, the conclusions do make sense and are consistent with what many rheumatologists observe, says Rosian.
Psoriatic Arthritis Joint Symptoms Could Be Misdiagnosed for Several Reasons
One reason younger patients are at risk for a later diagnosis is that it might take them longer to seek treatment. “Younger patients may be more likely to dismiss their symptoms, not report joint symptoms, or be aware of joint inflammation,” notes Dr. Karmacharya.
Because enthesitis is not a common symptom of inflammatory arthritis, patients and general practitioners may attribute the pain or swelling to overuse and trauma, he explains.
This may be especially likely to happen when only one joint is affected, says Rosian. “For example, enthesitis in the Achilles tendon or the elbow can get diagnosed and treated as a sports injury rather than psoriatic arthritis. Primary care doctors or sports medicine doctors may be only looking at the one joint rather than the whole person,” she says.
People with obesity often have other conditions that could potentially explain their joint symptoms, such as osteoarthritis or gout, according to Karmacharya. “Joints symptoms might be dismissed in these cases,” he adds.
Shortage of Rheumatologists May Be Worsening the Problem
Even if a person’s primary care doctor or another physician suspects psoriatic arthritis and makes a referral to a specialist, a shortage of rheumatologists could lead to a delay in diagnosis. “It can be difficult to get an appointment sometimes — that’s a bit of an obstacle for some people,” says Rosian.
The 2015 Workforce Study of Rheumatology Specialists found there were 14 percent fewer full-time rheumatologists than would be considered ideal, a problem expected to worsen over time. By 2030, the study projected the number of full-time rheumatologists would decrease from 5,415 to 4,133.
100 percent accurate! Good article!
Identical to me - I have PsA which ONLY shows on imaging after some time
Your Rheumatologist is an idiot psoriatic arthritis has no testing and X-rays only show damage not inflammation and if you are having Enthesitis type of PSA (like me) x-rays won’t show any tendon involvement only MRI ..... It can take years to come to a PSA diagnosis I had 2 Rheumatologist tell me I work out too much and finally went for my 2nd opinion at John Hopkins University (Dr. Orbai) you can look her up she specifically specializes in PSA and writes lots of medical articles. Problem with PSA delay of treatment results in permanent damage (me) from 2 yr delay in help.
Good for you great comments 👍
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