Steroids

[CTrigss]

Morning, I've been on steroids for the past 2 weeks whilst awaiting results of lung X-ray before putting me on mess, I'm now slowly reducing the steroids as instructed and the last 2 days the pain had started to return in my hands feet shoulders , is this normal ??

Is this the cycle pain fatigue pain ??

Thx for reading

Carole

[allanah]

It can be, as sometimes the sterois are just " masking " the inflammation. It would be worth calling the hospital to tell them, they may want you to stay a bit longer on the steroids? But might be with that chat x personally if I go below 15 mg I suffer, everyone's different and yes I do agree we don't want to be on them too long, but if your sore up its best checking xx

[nomoreheels]

Seems like the steroids have reduced your inflammation then if your pain is returning now you're tapering. When I was first diagnosed I was started on a short course of deflazacort (a corticosteroid) whilst the HCQ did it's work & along with NSAIDs by the time I'd tapered I was pretty well controlled compared with the day I was diagnosed.

Now I need a low maintenance dose because when I get to the end of tapering I flare, similar to what you're experiencing otherwise unmedicated.

So yes Carole, this is normal, particularly as you've not started your meds but if you don't think you'll start on your meds any time soon contact your Rheumy team (or GP) to let them know that your pain has returned, they may instruct you to stop tapering & go back up to your originally prescribed dose until you're seen again.

[CTrigss in reply to nomoreheels]

Thank you for that, I think work are getting worried I'm either in pain or suffering side effects of steroids I.e. Fatigue norsea etc

[nomoreheels in reply to CTrigss]

If you're fatigued & nauseous do contact whoever prescribed your steroids. Both are indications of unmedicated RD/disease activity, with tapering your steroids & not being on your meds just yet. I hope they can start you on your meds soon as they do take a while to work, or they might ask you to continue on steroids until the meds take over, just guessing but as I said in my previous reply that's how I started on my meds.