Bruising and cortisone

[Loco99]

I have had PMR for about four years and am on 4mg of prednisolone. I am doing well apart from niggles with my Achillies tendons and one knee. I go walking twice a week and have come up with a new symptom, severe bruising on the inside of one of my ankles after walking. My Achillies tendons are OK and only a bit stiff in the mornings and my ankles are slightly swollen because we have had very hot weather recently. After walks I usually try and rest with my feet up.

Has anyone else had anything similar? I wonder if this is steroid related? And also why only one ankle is affected. It's not really that painful but it looks very dramatic.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I think that is something to run past your doctor. I have pale bruises on my shins - but they are there most of the time and I am on an anticoagulant as well. If it were steroid related you would have expected it to be worse at higher doses.

Careful with the achilles problems - pred is notorious for making tendons delicate, especially the achilles, and don't ever mix in a quinolone antibiotic - the combo is lethal to achilles tendons!!

[Loco99 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you very much for the reply, I watch out for quinolones now but I'm not sure whether I was given them in the past. I am also on a statin which supposedly can cause Achillies problems too.

[grannma]

Dear Locco99, I am experiencing problems with my Achilles' tendon, also. I have a very painful lump that has developed on the back of my heal. I believe this is due to pred, but that is my own diagnose . And, I have experienced a lot of scrapes that bleed when bumping into something normally harmless. I have TA (GCA) and am currently on 11 mg. of pred ...one year later. So, you are not alone and I was glad to read neither am I :/)

[Loco99 in reply to grannma]

Hello granma, the painful lump on the back of your heel could be a heel spur. They are calcium deposits that develop on the bone. They can develop near the Achillies tendons. I have them but they are not too bad at the moment. I found the best treatment for my Achillies tendons is gentle stretching exercises and wearing shoe inserts that I got from a podiatrist. It really pays to wear good shoes with arch support.

[grannma in reply to Loco99]

Thanks so much for your advice! i will let you know my exercise outcome!