Nerve issues and Prednisolone

[Bod88]

Hello

I have cervical spondylosis at 3 levels and bone spurs trapping nerves on both sides.

This is causing pain when the nerves get inflamed.

I have NOT been offered injections on the NHS (symptoms not bad enough) and I am just taking painkillers and seeing an osteopath privately.

After an MRI, I was offered injections privately but they are too expensive.

I cannot take NSAIDs and do not want to take the gaberpentin which has been prescribed by NHS GP.

My question is, does anyone have any experience of taking an oral steroid such as prednisolone to reduce nerve inflammation which may help pain as it would ease pressure on the nerve? and did it work?

I am keen to avoid gaberpentin at all costs and looking at all solutions.

Thanks

B

[OSTEOARTHRITISRA]

No not personally with the oral ,I know the gabepentin situation etc and pregabalin

As they say only helps 1/7 etc and side effects

Everyone different though

I'd maybe consider if not tryed if doc prescibes etc

Gabepentin did not work for me but does for some, But I'd not do without the

Pregablin Now, lyrica

It's a godsend

600.g max dose spread out 200 mg doses

Everyone is different though

P.s i found specialist and doc ,once you have tryed these meds etc and don't work etc , they may change their tune and try the oral steroid

[Bod88 in reply to OSTEOARTHRITISRA]

Thanks for the reply. I'm glad the Lyrica worked for you. I will probably see a pain specialist but good to hear about other peoples experiences.

[Bevvy]

Steroid tablets may help because they reduce inflammation. However doctors will limit how long you take them for because they are nasty little tablets that can have serious side effects.

Not sure why you won’t try medication offered by gp or at least tell gp and ask for something else. Some people manage well with Gabapentin and find it helpful.

I take duloxetine for nerve pain and for me it is very helpful.

[Hidden]

hi Bod88. I also have cervical spondylitis and pinched nerves in neck. I was never offered prednisone. I find muscle relaxers and butalbital helps sometimes. I also wear a soft cervical collar when needed. The collar helps more than the pills. I can’t take nsaids. I have a memory foam cervical pillow. I am not ready for injections. My neck hurts alot since Christmas so I can relate. Feel better.

[Bod88 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the reply. I haven't come across muscle relaxers as an option so good to know this. I also have cervical memory foam pillow and this helps keep a lot. Hope your neck feels a bit better soon.

[Hidden]

do you get painful zaps or stings on back of neck?

[Bod88]

Mainly soreness in neck, maybe the occasional zap but nerve issues mainly in both shoulders, arms and hands..

[Haz58]

All I can say is prednisolone steroids work for many problems but and it's a big but...they do your bones no good at all. I had to take them for Rheumatoid for 3 months and ended up with a T9 compression fracture with no idea how it happened, much more painful than nerve or RA or osteoarthritis. I still have to take them now and again but only a short 5 day course. Yes they are brilliant but can cause more problems that are even more painful. That's why docs like to try other things before them. Amitriptyline is good once in your system and nowhere near as bad as steroids.

[Bod88 in reply to Haz58]

Thanks for sharing your experience and words of warning regarding prednisone. I can now see why it may not be top of consultants lists when dealing with inflamed nerves.

[Loramay in reply to Bod88]

please don't consider prednisone it's given me osteopenia I have broken my pelvis and back turning over in bed and I am very reluctantly having to take them for the shortest time possible for rheumatica and you have to take a tablet once a week to counter act this which can rot your teeth and give you ulcers of the gullet I take gabapentin which is 100 times better than this

[Aoibheann in reply to Haz58]

Hello Haz58, can you please tell me more about Prednisolone and the problems they may cause. I was on them a few weeks ago taking 9 twice daily for flu and they were pure magic, absolutely no pain.

Wishing you a very healthy and happy new year.😊

[Haz58 in reply to Aoibheann]

It's long term use that causes problems. They thin your skin, it's happened to me, damage your bones, happened to me and can result in osteopenia/osteoporosis. Cause cataracts which I now have and optician said probably due to pred. They work great for pain and inflammation, I felt so much better while taking them, but you feel hungry so tend to eat more then put on weight. I did even though I tried not to.

You must taper off them very slowly else your adrenals can stop working and this is very dangerous.

I had no side affects whilst on them and they got me through a very very rough time, I could not walk, shower, dress or anything before taking them. But I have had issues from taking them for a few months. But...I can walk now.

If you need them you need them but you aren't told of potential side affects of long term use.

I wasn't but how I was I don't think I'd have cared anyway I just needed help.

Doctors will always try other meds before steroids.

[Aoibheann in reply to Haz58]

Thank you for that. I already have osteoporosis and cataracts. I’m in so much pain now that I wish I had some Pred. Hopefully 2025 will be better for us all. Take care. 💕

[Haz58 in reply to Aoibheann]

Is it from fibromyalgia? My sister and a cousin have that. Nasty. I wish you a happy and less painful New Year? ♥️

[Aoibheann in reply to Haz58]

Yes fibromyalgia, spondylolisthesis, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. I’m supposed to be going in for spinal surgery in the next few months, but I’m not going to put myself through it as I’m not very good with surgery and anyway it’s a risk. You have a good 2025.💗 👍🏼 🙏

[Viklou]

Hi, I had an inflammatory nerve condition called idiopathic lumbosacral plexopathy, plus severe stenosis of the spine disc issues. I had 3 courses of pred to calm the plexopathy which did really help. I'm also on pregabalin and tramadol for the disc issues long term. I'm under a Neurologist and about to see a neurosurgeon regarding the physical spinal issues. The pregabalin and tramadol now keep me functional

[Bod88 in reply to Viklou]

Thanks Viklou. Did you have any major side effects with the pregabalin/tramadol combination and how much did it dial down the pain? This looks similar to the gaberpentin/cocodamol combination that I have been offered.

[Viklou in reply to Bod88]

Mainly weight gain sadly but I was definitely more mobile and the pain much less after the Prednisolone. To me the pain management and mobility was the main objective which it did. I'm working on losing the weight in the new year as I want to ride my horse and look ok doing it lol

The pred gave me energy and as long as I took them early morning I was able to sleep. Don't take them at night. I'm always tired as I have other issues but managed short term steroids is ok.

[OSTEOARTHRITISRA]

May I add ,I do sometimes get tired with the pregablin ,that's my main side effects with myself ,everyone's different though ,interesting to see viklou side effects if any ,when severe im allowed to take 2 early evening and miss the morning dose ,under docs instructions, I was on the above combination with tramadol as well , before seen pain nurse ,got tramadol halted and pregabalin increased same time no tapering ,again everyone is different though , the tramadol helps lots as well ,I'm not sure ,but they do tend to try the gabepentin first before the pregabalin to see if works ,some get on with gabepentin some get on with pregabalin it's usually one or the other ,I got gabepentin first ,gradually getting dose increased to see wot suits uoto 2700mg a day ,done this before halted to pregabalin, the above post combination does work for some as well ,hope you find the right treatment soon

[Viklou in reply to OSTEOARTHRITISRA]

I moved onto Pregabalin after Gabapentin, the tramadol is slow release taken at night. My Pregabalin has just been increased as the pain was stopping me sleeping properly. The pain management team I must say have been really good and a lot of it I've learnt to deal with this through them. They gave me something called the 10 steps to dealing with pain. The main one being not to look for the why it's happened but more about dealing with it mentally, one step at a time. Also pacing yourself and don't worry if you can't do something one day when you could the day before

[OSTEOARTHRITISRA in reply to Viklou]

Great advice ,pain management teams are good as well happy new year when it comes everyone

[Aoibheann]

I suffer with spondylolisthesis, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. I was on the highest dose of Lyrica and on Tramadol. Anyway 3 weeks ago I was in hospital with flu and I was prescribed Prednisolone 9 tablets twice daily. They were miraculous, neither ache nor pain.