Sorry but do painkillers help?

[JulieR2]

Hi everyone

I think I have successfully reduced to 2.5 mgs of pred. It’s taken me this long to recognise that every time I get to the next reduction level I have 7 to 10 days of worsening symptoms until I even out. I now know this is the withdrawal. This time I started taking co codamol only 2 at night. This has really helped me sleep which in turn has helped me more generally. The question I have is, is it really the painkillers that are helping or is it psychological. Either way if it works I am happy! But thought PMR pain doesn’t go away with pain killers

Hope the sunshine has helped perk everyone up

[suzy1959]

Co-codamol doesn't affect either my PMR pain or my OA pain, but it does help me sleep when I am in pain, which sounds like what you are also experiencing?

[JulieR2 in reply to suzy1959]

Thanks I will settle with the sleep for now night my co codamol call

[Hidden]

The codeine will help you sleep, but taken in high doses for a long time can be addictive. However the dose you are getting from codamol is relatively low.

[Hollyseden]

I take cocodamol sometimes too. Not regularly or the maximum daily dose. I do find they help aches and pains which are not PMR related and I'm glad to have them. I find them much more effective than paracetamol.

[SheffieldJane]

The fact that nothing works for PMR/ GCA Pain except Pred seems to be the received wisdom on the forum. However, I think that painkillers can help in just the way you describe and I would carry on. I can’t take codeine, but I imagine it would help you to sleep.

[PMRnewbie2017]

Hi. There is no pharmacological reason why Co-codamol or pain killers should aid sleep. As already stated co-codamol contains codeine and in the UK is available in forms containing either 8mg or 15mg. Doses for pain relief on its own are usually 30mg. Because codeine is an opioid it is addictive and you will develop a tolerance to it. When I was working I had several elderly patients over the years who took paracetamol (acetaminophen in US) to help them sleep and I've also found it works! Perhaps you should consider switching to plain paracetamol? Just remember it is tough on your liver so max of 8 tabs in 24 hours and to be honest at any dose it's not really a good idea to take it every day. The liver is a major organ of drug metabolism and we're already bombarding it with pred plus other drugs. Hope this helps.

Ps.one member said taking their dose of Adcal at night helped with sleep. I found that helps a lot.

[PMR2011 in reply to PMRnewbie2017]

Good for you for figuring out Pred withdrawal pain vs PMR pain! I suspect you may sleep better because it is relieving the pain since you suspect the pain is not PMR but withdrawal pains. I find that my muscles get very “irritable” every time I taper and I have lots of muscle spasms, which in my back are particularly painful. Phys therapy, massage, magnesium lotion and Tylenol seems to do the trick. Until the next taper!

[JulieR2 in reply to PMR2011]

Thanks I hadn’t heard of magnesium lotion. Can I buy it at a chemist

[PMR2011 in reply to JulieR2]

In America at a health food store. Pretty a chemist in Britain would have it.

[JulieR2 in reply to PMRnewbie2017]

Thanks for the advice I will be careful.

[Hindags in reply to PMRnewbie2017]

When I was younger codeine made me very sleepy, as in the old cough remedies that contained codeine. Now it makes me jittery. I take plain acetaminophen at night when I'm achey, or sometimes during the day, and I find it helps. But I take it for what seems like rotator cuff or bursitis or myofascial pain, not PMR pain.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi Julie

A slower taper in future might stop the withdrawal symptoms - that’s why various ones were developed. I used following

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[JulieR2 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks Dorset lady as I am getting so low now I think I need to try something different. I have decided from here on in I will go down by half a milligram each time.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to JulieR2]

Good idea. Much easier on body as well - as you get lower, each reduction becomes bigger in percentage terms. So smaller steps reign😉

Good luck.

[daworm]

Does it matter? They help me, most seem to say they shouldn’t, most probably haven’t tried them...”the opiate thing”...don’t over do them, use as needed would be my advise.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to daworm]

In moderation no worse than any other drug. I use for my arthritis, but all I’m saying is they don’t work for PMR nor GCA.

[JulieR2 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks so much I will be sticking for a while at 2.5mg! It’s so easy to think that all the answers and full recovery will come if only I was off prednisolone! But I do know I still have PMR Also I know I have come such a long way in the last 12months. I even lost 4lbs in weight last week! So as you say slowly slowly unless you are of course MB

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to JulieR2]

Oh yes, well I’ve just answered his latest missive!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Steroid withdrawal pain isn't PMR - it is your body protesting about not getting the dose of pred it expected.

[JulieR2 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks I get that just the focus of getting well is sometimes skewed by the focus on prednisolone