PMR and costochondritis

[bumpermac]

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas....had a great time with family and felt pretty good except for costo niggle. Boy oh boy ..the calm before the storm....I am in such pain with costo ..sternum, ribs and back and now my shoulders have started....stupidly I changed bed linen after family left......On pred taper at moment 20mg for past week down from 40 4 weeks, 30 i week . I really dont want to go up again as rheumy is not convinced its PMR apart from after steroid all tests negative. I wonder could this be Costo alone which Ive had for about 2 years just taking hold. Any advice please Shoud I take an NSAID with a stomach tab or is it not advisable with pred. Paracetemol doesnt budge any pain. Feeling so sorry for myself I know I sould like a moany minnie !!!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Just the odd dose of an NSAID taken together with food should be OK - although some people have very delicate stomachs and can end up bleeding very easily so don't do it much. It should also be less of a problem if you are on omeprazole or something - but again , everyone is different and sometimes even that doesn't help.

What did the doctors tell you to use for the costochrondritis? Heat or ice and TENS are all suggested and things you could try fairly easily.

And what were your symptoms in the first place? Because when I looked up treatment it mentioned Bornholm disease which has muscles aches and pains - very PMR-ish! Was that considered?

[bumpermac in reply to PMRpro]

Many thanks for replying . Bornholm is unlikely as I gave had my symptoms on and off for 2 years or so. Had really bad glute tear and then shoulders and buttock pain started . Fought against pred for about year but gave in about 6 weeks ago ! I suppose I doc thought pred would help costo but not really effective . Might try difene later worried that tum might react have pantoprazole tho so will take that first . Talk soon