Doctor and dentist appointment yesterday

[Flrchrs]

Went to see the doc yesterday. Their request to do with osteoporosis .whilst there asked for a blood test as i had a flare up last week, was down to 3.5mg ,went up to 5mg.

He told me i shouldn't do that as it could be other things causing the pain like sprains /old age!when both shoulders and tops of both legs (sit bones) .i think it's pmr . Since increasing its a lot better but not good first thing in the morning

one thing i would like to ask .should i increase it further as i still get pains first thing in the morning these usually get better as i get more mobile? Will be starting back to work in three weeks time .early starts so need to get mobile again. Been off for four months hernia op. Physical job gardening. Nothings been done in that time so will struggle . Think its time to retire .long time till old age pension .11 years away😢

In the afternoon dentist. Check up went okay just my molar with the abscess he did want to touch as i'm on AA. Be resolved waiting for an hospital appointment .quite attached to it but causing a lot of pain.

I phoned the osteoporosis society .Gave some good advice on tooth removal whilst taking AA .and the osteoporosis of my spine

Coffee time

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

I think we ‘know” what is PMR pain and what is something else. I certainly knew the difference when my arthritis pain resurfaced!

The difference between 3.5mg and 5mg may be helping your PMR but I doubt it’s going to make much difference to other things. And it’s not going to cause any problems in the side effect lines.

If you are having problems first thing, and you need to be mobile then for work, you could either try splitting your dose, taking some last thing at night - that should help the early morning. Usual split is 2/3rd morning, 1/3rd night - but it’s experimenal, what suits you. Or you could take full amount around 2am ready for the 4am onslaught of cytokines- but if you’ve got to be up early might not be best idea.

You’ve got 3 weeks to give either a try!

Good news that Osteoporosis Society helpful.

[Flrchrs in reply to DorsetLady]

Hi

Will give it a try .experiment.

Thank you

[jinasc]

One question, how long on pred for PMR?

[Flrchrs in reply to jinasc]

Almost 2 years now .started on 15mg .been up and down a bit .better since my partner bought me the per book and that lead me to this forum.

PMR came on after an hernia operation.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Never come across a sprain that responded to pred. And there is a fine line between pain due to PMR and old age - they are keen enough to blame any pains on age when we are looking for a diagnosis!

The abscess is likely to be poking at the PMR - so a tad more is a good idea. I do wish some doctors would put their brains in gear and accept that often we know rather more about our bodies and PMR than they do!!!

[SheffieldJane]

I admire your spirit and bite back if you’ll excuse the pun. My arthritic pains are very different in nature to PMR pains. I would trust my own judgement. If you are 11 years off retirement then “ old age” is not even a speck on the horizon. Also I would dispute the assumption that any pain can be put down to just old age. I hope you have at least got antibiotics for that abscess. It cannot be left. What advice were you given by the Osteoporosis society?

Any chance of you taking on a young person as an apprentice to learn the gardening trade and to share the burden of the heavy work? There may be some scheme via the Job Centre whereby you might be able to do that - day release for college etc. Outdoor work was immensely popular amongst the young in my jobcentre day’s, many moons ago.

All the best. Jane

[Flrchrs in reply to SheffieldJane]

Hi

Yes I'm hoping for a 3day week in July as another gardener is retiring at a smaller garden .Will suit me. PMR pain is very different to other pains well one's I've experienced any way.

Osteoporosis society have some research documents on their site about tooth removal whist on AA and steroids .the nurse recommend being referred to hospital as taking both medications puts one into a higher risk. The dentist obliged .so waiting for an appointment now.😁

[Hidden]

Hi finches

I recently had an abscess on a crowned tooth. It drained itself with warm water salt gargle a few times a day. Sadly it loosened the alreAdy wobbly tooth and a couple of weeks after it came out. I wasn't happy to loose it but now I realise it had been causing pain in my face for several years. I refused AA but take adcal.

I hope you get satisfaction from dental approach. As I say my tooth was already wobbly for 4 or 5 years and dentist had said it might not survive. Hopefully your tooth stronger pre abscess.

Good luck!!

[Flrchrs]

Hi

Quite firmly in there.one next to the wisdom tooth.not sure about the benefits of AA .also take adcal .

[HeronNS]

I note you say you are on AA. That, too, can cause pain. Described as "severe muscle, joint and bone pain". If you think this might be the cause of your continued pain, is there any chance you could ask your doctor if you can stop the AA for a few weeks? I've heard of other people who stopped taking AA and their pain went away relatively quickly.

[stellafmdm in reply to HeronNS]

Yes AA did that to me and I stopped it at once. I told the GP who OK'ed it, but Rheumy thinks I'm still on it. I'm not going to enlighten him!

[Flrchrs]

Hi

I did stop for a while as my dentist would liked me to stop for six months .Then had a dexa scan T-3 .Doctor wanted me to start taking again .That was last week.

I think what with operation .tooth playing up and being told I have osteoporosis .stress may not have helped.

[GOOD_GRIEF]

Just wondering...did you get a script for antibiotics? In my experience that make a big difference in dental pain as the abcess reduces. And the infection should be cleared up before they do any oral surgery to keep the infection from spreading.

[Flrchrs in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

Have taken a course of antibiotics which have helped take the pain away

[PMRinsdca]

Can you tell me what is AA that you are taking?

[Flrchrs in reply to PMRinsdca]

Alendronic Acid was being lazy. abbreviating the word 😁

[Lee1945]

I can only suggest you take guidance from your rheumatoligist. The prescriptions are issued to reduce pred in a set manner. I am not sure why so many try to do it themselves when they have a rheumy. You will get there in the end.

My rheumy advised me to increase my walking a bit more each day which is working very well. Just remember to pace yourself and take rests after exertion

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Lee1945]

"I am not sure why so many try to do it themselves when they have a rheumy"

Because if you asked you would find that many people DON'T have a rheumy (nor any other doctor) who has provided a reduction plan that works. Many have been given totally unreasonable instructions such as to reduce to zero over a period of a few months, even weeks. A lot of GPs try to persuade patients to reduce the same way they would with acute use of steroids - and it simply does not work in PMR which is a chronic illness. And an awful lot of people have found the forums for exactly that reason.

Some have a rheumatologist they can see at the drop of a hat, especially in the USA, but that doesn't mean we all do. There are people in the USA who don't have a rheumatologist either but in the UK it is normal for a GP to manage PMR patients, even if they did have a single referral just to get a diagnosis. Even then, you might have waited months for that appointment and it isn't unusual for the gaps between specialist appointments to be 6, 9 or even 12 months. Which is no earthly use if you have a flare - for whatever reason, but especially because the reduction plan took you to too low a dose.

[Flrchrs in reply to PMRpro]

HI

I seldom see the same doctor .the one i see the other day was useless .i do see a rheumatologist every six months .she give little advice on reducing dose .last time didnt even bother with a blood test.time before i had an injection into the shoulder blade . painful and a waste of time .couldnt raise my arms due to pmr.find theres far more adice on here.

i manage to get a good walk intoday feel better for it .might just have a glass of red wine although did read it takes 15 mins off your life in todays paper .ah well 15 mins less of pmr!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Flrchrs]

It is the EXCESS isn't it? Do you think they have any concept how people think of it? If I pop my clogs 2 years early because of my very enjoyable glass of wine it may save me from a long period of deterioration or even dementia.

We decided we liked the units the USA quote...

[Jud666 in reply to PMRpro]

Hi PMRpro

You are so right. I had been getting very mixed messages from my GP re AA and steroid dose. So i asked the rheumatologist i saw originally for a private telephone appointment. We spoke for ages on the phone and everything came a lot clearer. As a pensioner i don't have endless money but i felt this was very worth while. I realise not all specialists do private work. Jud

[GOOD_GRIEF]

Because even though you and doctors may think so, doctors don't know everything. That's while medicine is called an "art" and a "practice".

And many rheumy's don't have experience with PMR/GCA at all.

So we're basically left on our own to treat ourselves.