Upping Preds briefly - right or wrong?

[Maz48]

Hi guys, saw a different Dr on Friday. Have been suffering with much more severe thigh & knee pain for the last 3 wks after a strenuous but enjoyable coach tour of Scotland. I have been down to 6 mg Preds for several weeks & she wants me to go up to 10mg for a week, then drop to 7.5 for a week & then back to my 6mg for a couple weeks. Seems extreme to me. What do you guys think? Maz

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi Maz48,

Probably what might have been suggested on here. She seems to have a good knowledge of PMR. Hopefully it should work for you.

Please let us know the outcome.

[SheffieldJane]

I think you might get away with a short lived boost of Prednisalone without set backs. Sitting in one position for an extended period is a killer. Good luck! She sounds like a clued up doctor, keep her!

[Maz48 in reply to SheffieldJane]

Dorset lady & Sheffield Jane - yes not seen her before, that's probably why I was so surprised at her advice as so different from the other Drs.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Seems worth a try - though it may not help if the soreness is simply due to overdoing things. But without trying - you can't know.

[piglette]

It is probably what I would do. You should be able to drop with no real problem if you just go up for a short time.

[Maz48]

Tks guys giving it a go anyway. 🤗

[Doralouise77]

I was down to 6 (first PMR then GCA) and got excruciating back pain...nothing like I had experienced with PMR the first go around......rheumy ordered Pred to 20 x 1 wk, 15 x 1 week, 10 x 2 weeks and then back to 6..... it has worked beautifully ......good luck....

Cheers

[Hindags]

I am encouraged by your experience with upping the pred for a short Period and back down to 6 in a month. I have to try to remember that scheme. Hope it works for me when the time comes.

[PMRandRA]

Oh, yes, sounds good to me. I have the knee thigh syndrome in my right leg and it keeps on collapsing like a rock fall. The sound of the bones cracking is horrific and the pain is hideous. I am going to up my dose to 15 and follow your doc's advice. (Thought it was osteoarthritis, but obviously it is PMR!)

Please keep us informed so I can follow you! ☺️

[Marcy47]

I have had thigh pain in left leg since last November, then last Tuesday woke up with stabbing pain in left buttock, found it difficult to walk or do any bending at all. I upped my Pred from 8.5 to 10 to see if that helped, it did help with the thigh pain but not the back. So on Friday I went to a Chiropractor who found I had 2 "locked" lumbar vertebrae, the muscles around them were inflamed and pressing on the nerves, he has treated that and 2 more sessions should sort it out. Lots of cold packs on my back and Paracetamol every few hours. I have to take hubby to hospital for MRI scan tomorrow as he has been seeing strange things, a result of his brain hemorrhage in 2008 which affected his optic nerve. What do they say "It never rains but it pours" Keep smiling, xx

[PMRandRA]

Try cherry capsules Maz. They may or may not subdue internal inflammation, no one is allowed to make such heinous claims since the EU decided we are bad people to use food and not poisonous pills to fix us.

Anyway, it's an idea. If you look at Barnabus's thread, you can see more. ❤️

[Maz48]

Sounds good, will try anything!

[PMRandRA in reply to Maz48]

I know exactly what you mean Maz! 😝