Back in sunny Spain!

[sooWOO]

I am finding the sun every afternoon has certainly helped cheer me up about slowness of dealing with recovery from PMR. In November the advanced practise nurse at my local surgery in UK supported me in going back to 15mg pred daily to combat the severe joint pains that had flared up again when I had reduced to 12.5mg as recommended by the rheumatologist, But I have been on this dosage since Oct. so now I am trying this week 15mg one day and 12.5mg alternate days. So far this week it has worked well and am not suffering any great pains. Just had call from the local hospital in Torrevieja to see the rheumatologist on Monday . This could be an interesting comparison with the decisions of the rheumatologist I saw in UK last September. I will keep you all posted.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hope it works for you, but might be an idea to ask for 1mg tablets to be prescribed. They certainly make reducing easier - although 2.5mg reduction from 15mg is a recognised drop, it can be just too much for some. Plus you'll need 1mg once you get below 10mg.

Enjoy the sun!

[sooWOO in reply to DorsetLady]

Yes I am thank you.

I know about 1mg tablets but at the time of prescribing I was going down the 2.5mg reduction which proved too much so I am hoping that the meeting with the rheumatologist on Monday can clear up the need for my doctor here to understand the gradual reduction needs of the condition. My doctor actually prescribed 10mg tablets when I was supposed to reduce by 2.5mg. Fortunately the pharmacist realised the mistake and changed them for me. PMR is not a well-known condition out here so it will be interesting. But there again, I had never heard of it before I contracted it.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to sooWOO]

like most of us!

[Whittlesey in reply to sooWOO]

I believe part of the problem w Dr.s understanding and effectively treating us, is the rarity.

Unfortunately in the U.S., it is too often, -- "here is the pill, now feel better"

?

"You don't?"

"actually, no."

"oh"

-------

[Whittlesey]

Hi sooWoo,

Best of luck!

Sunny Spain sounds wonderful.

6 yes of GCA, NYC, U.S.

stay on the to path to health!

Whittlesey

[sooWOO]

Thanks for your reply. I am finding that sitting in the afternoon sunshine seems to be really beneficial. We also enjoy the great social life we have here. This past week is the first whole week that i have woken in the morning without aches and pains since last July. I saw the rheumatologist today and she was very positive and of course now wants me to have the battery of tests for her own recording and update since the tests I had in UK. As she worked in London for some time she is familiar with NHS reports so was pleased that I took a copy of the UK diagnosis.So only 3 weeks and all the tests and xrays will be done in 1 morning, following up from the blood test a week before and I see her straight away the same morning.

Where are you when you come to Spain? We are in Torrevieja.