Pain medication

[Klah]

I have never tried any medication for the pain of PMR, except an occasional Tylenol, which dies not have much effect. I thought pain meds were ineffectual for PMR and could possibly destroy your liver and/or stomach. Do they work?

[Hidden]

Certainly for me painkillers do not touch PMR pain. For fibromyalgia and chronic back pain I take 800mg tramadol and co-codamol up to 4 times a day and amitrypiline. And in the past have taken ibuprofen for breakthrough pain for OA. All these come with their own issues regarding exceeding dosage or taking indefinitely. Liver for first two in particular (tram/paracetamol) and stomach/gastric for NSAIDS. None of these pain killers touched the "New" pain I experienced when PMR started...which was concerning. Pred reduced the PMR pain significantly and allowed me to be a bit mobile within 24hours. The other conditions have taken their own toll on my mobility over the past 10years. Without pred I would probably be housebound at the moment so for me it is a great helper!

[lesley2015]

I was on Acoxia for a while, it helped my pain but as I have other possible conditions I am confused as to what it helped! However, even though I was taking tablets to protect my tummy, lansoprazole, I developed a stomach ulcer so had to come off them.

Heat for the short term helps my pain, a hot bath or heat pad.

I have not found anything else for the pain ......

Best wishes

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Not in my experience no. And there are people on the forums who are on heavy duty pain meds for other problems and they don't touch the PMR pain - just pred does that.

[Grants148]

Prednisolone relieved the pain and dibilitating symptoms of PMR that l was exsperiencing ,l always hoped l would never have to take steroids,but there is no alternative and l could not have carried on as l was..

[SheffieldJane]

In a sense Pred is an extremely effective painkiller. I get the odd headache or arthritic pain and take paracetamol sometimes. It’s not so much that they are dangerous, they just don’t work on PMR pain.

[Lochy]

I take the odd paracetamol and it works for niggles when I’ve overdone things. At my recent rheumatologist appointment she suggested various pain killers like codeine and other names I forget that wil not go through my liver. I have very elevated LFTs hence they’re all worried about my liver! She wanted me to have pain killers to aid my tapering. I’m going from 10 to 9mg at moment. Haven’t got the prescription yet so not started so don’t know if it will help. Overall I’m feeling good it’s just neuralgia type pain in my biceps but I feel it’s caused by overdoing the yoga and Pilates !!

It’s such a fine line knowing what pain or niggle is what!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Lochy]

"She wanted me to have pain killers to aid my tapering"

If you find something that really works - do tell us! Because it will be a find worth sharing. And I am sceptical...

Doing 0.5mg and slowing it down has no side effects - and usually works.