pmr pain supplement

[43086]

I am on 1.5 pred which i consider a low dose is it ok to take naproxen , like 1 a day when shoulders are acting up

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Naproxen is a NSAID and, as such, should not be taken alongside Prednisolone, as it can add to the risk of stomach problems. Personally, I preferred to stick to the right Pred dose that controlled my inflammation rather than add in any other medication, although I know there are some people who say that paracetamol helps particularly if they suffer withdrawal pain following a reduction in steroid dose. Paracetamol did nothing for me in my undiagnosed days, so I didn't see the point of adding that either.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

As Celtic says - the correct pred dose would be more to the point. You are on a very low dose - is 2mg better? If so, what's the matter with taking that? If symptoms are starting to reappear you are risking it turning into a real flare and having to return to a far higher dose than at present to control the inflammation. Once you are below 5mg the side effects are minimal - but the risk of gut irritation remains and Naproxen has its own side effects.

Also, consider whether the shoulder pain is because you are either doing too much or doing things to aggravate shoulder problems. Your muscles and tendons/ligaments are still affected to some extent by the underlying autoimmune disorder that is the cause of the symptoms we call PMR. And your history of taking pred also has a role to play.

[raymck]

My GP gives me paracetamol 500 mg tabs to block out pain after steroids. It works pretty well on 1 per diem for me. No nasty effects after several months. Have reported this before as a GCA victim with one eye lost. Just repeating again for what its worth as I know some pills have bad side-effects! Hope you find one that suits. raymck

[lfu2]

Hi 112567,

I take naproxen when and if required. I am on 10mg pred and have never had any problems. The above advice is sound, but everyone is different. My naproxen was prescribed for me by my consultant for a similar problem, with the proviso... 'try it, if it causes problems, stop it.' It is not meant to be a daily medication, just when required, and it works for me. But to echo the above, getting on the right dose of pred would probably be more advantageous.

lfu2