I was diagnosed in August of 2017 with PMR. I am currently down to 6mg of prednisone daily. I was diagnosed with diverticulitis about a month ago and given a weeks worth of antibiotic and sent home. Last Friday night the pain was so bad that I went to the hospital and was admitted. I was on an IV with antibiotics with no food or drink for 3 days. After a day or so of a very soft diet I was sent home with once per day levofloxacin and 3 times a day metronidazole. My knees and shoulders are so stiff and sore now. Worse than they’ve been for a long time. I have two more days of these antibiotics. I think they are causing the painful knees and shoulders. Could that be? I am so tired of not feeling good. This sure sounds like I’m feeling sorry for myself. I guess I am. My husband brother died unexpectedly and I’m not sure I feel well enough to go to the services. There is a meeting Monday to start hospice for my last living aunt and am not sure I will feel well enough for that either. Woe is me! I just want to feel better. These antibiotics are doing me in. Sorry for the sob story!
Woe is me!: I was diagnosed in August of 2017 with... - PMRGCAuk
Woe is me!
Oh Lanakay
Things really are not good for you at the moment, are they.
Metronidazole is a bad boy Antibiotics it does a good job but often makes you feel poorly. I’m not so sure it’s the Antibiotics giving you stiff/painful knees & shoulders, it’s more likely you don’t have enough Cortisol in your body to cope with everything that’s been going on.
We take Pred each day & after we’ve been on it a while, we need it to do two things, keep the inflammation of PMR at bay but also to keep us going at a normal everyday rate.
However, you have a lot going on Medically, you’re also or slightly below the Physiological Level of Pred. Did the Doctors not suggest increasing your Pred while you have been so unwell? It might be worth speaking to your Doctor before the weekend.
As regards the Hospice Meeting & the Funeral Service you may just have to send your apologies as you are so unwell yourself. If, however you speak to your Doctor & he decides to increase your Pred you may well feel differently in a day or two.
I wish you Well Soon 💐
Kind Regards
MrsN
Thank you. Sometimes it just helps to vent. Mrs Nails you just “get it.” My family does try but they can’t understand the frustration that comes from just not feelin well.
Yes & when you’ve finished venting, you don’t feel quite as bad.
But remember what l say about the Prednisolone & getting some advice about it.
Take Care & keep us updated as to how you’re feeling 🌺
Firstly, stop apologising! You have every right to feel hard done by. Having one’s bloody flooded with these antibiotics can be horrible and I know cause more general systemic symptoms than is acknowledged. Just because they are helping you get rid of the infection, doesn’t mean they’re nice and not exactly gin and tonic, but you know that I’m sure. So patients feel like they are being overly dramatic when they feel like death warmed up. Pushing yourself through these other things is probably a step too far and would be for most people. Hang in there and be a proper invalid for a bit. 💐
Oh dear lanakay. That's rough. If you were still in hospital the expectation from yourself and others would be you were not well enough to attend these events. In my view you are still recuperating from the from the issues you were admitted to hospital for and will be for a while yet. It sounds like you are also going to have to recover from the treatment too. On top of this you are still being treated for a chronic illness that has impacted your life for 18months. Sometimes we need to be reminded and remind our family and friends that infection etc impact us significantly. I hope you all come to a common agreement that you are debilitated at the moment. Feel better soon🌻
Thank you. I have decided to just do what I feel up to and no more. I have accepted that I just can’t do it. Don’t know what I’d do without all of you.
Hi lanakay, I too had a bout of diverticulitis about month back. I was put on the same medicines as you. I also had a very difficult time while on the medications and until 3 days after I stopped. Gradually, everything retuned to my pre diverticulitis self. I was on 9 mg of Prednisone at the time and, although, I was tempted to increase my preference dose I did not as the Dr who diagnosed those medicines told me they are nasty and have their own demons. I would, however, check with your Dr if things don't get better after a couple of days of your last dose or sooner if you are worried about it.
Oh, it so good to hear from someone who has taken these antibiotics. Yucky tummy, terrible taste in my mouth that I can’t get rid of and shoulders and knees and hips just ache. By the middle part of next week I should feel better. Thank you for giving me a light at the end of the tunnel.
Your poor body is negotiating major stress, physical and emotional....and dare I say you’re adding guilt to that pre-existing burden. I think a squidge more pred is called for. Plus rest, rest and rest! No funerals or hospice meetings. Self first in this instance or this will all continue to drag you down.
Then there’s those AB’s, a proper mixture, and metronidazole particularly eliminates anaerobic bacteria in the gut, so give consideration to getting your gut flora back to normal.
You are confirming what I’ve been thinking. Thank you.
OH had an encounter with diverticulitis at xmas - and he took a while to get anything like. You were in hospital for a few days - it will take a few WEEKS to recover to any decent state. You aren't responsible for your aunt - especially if you aren't well. And whether you attend the funeral or not won't make any difference to your BIL. Your husband may appreciate your support - but he won't if it means it makes you ill afterwards.
And I think a bit more pred is called for.
Points well taken. I think I have worried about taking care of everybody else for so long that it’s a hard habit to break without feeling guilty. I’ve gotten better about it since PMR came into my life but guess I could still do better. Thank you.
Probably applies to many of us........maybe why we’re here?
Ditch the guilt! Now is the time to take care of yourself and let others take care of you too. Anyway you can't get back in the driving seat until you are feeling way much better. I feel very sympathetic to all you are going through but as soon as you take a break to relieve the stress and maybe up the pred dose for the duration, your body can regain strength to get better. One good thing about PMR is that it forces us to be a bit more philosophical and to learn to go with the flow.
You are right. I did not go to the visitation last night and won’t go to the service this morning either. I am just not well enough right now. I’ve had to make some changes. I have to take care of myself right now.
Hope this message today is finding you in a better place. Having an additional illness on top of PMR can be the last straw. A bit more pred for a few days is not going to set you back if you need it. You've quite a bit going on right now. Treat yourself as you would a dear friend who's suffering. ❤️
Thank you. I decided to skip all the activities and stay in my nightgown.
Agree good choice - sometimes we have to break a habit of a lifetime and put our own health first. Sometimes no one will really understand but that doesn’t matter - you will be doing what is right. I think as we all go down this Pred journey we have to re evaluate and sometimes work with different rules and priorities than before.
Oh wow, that is a lot to be dealing with. I’d be inclined to up the Pred for a few weeks. I’m just a couple of months ahead of you, diagnosed April 2017. I was down to 3.5 when I got a bout of cellulitis. It caused a flare and I had to go back up to 6. Down to 5 now. Other infections and antibiotics, not to mention the grieving and stress you are suffering, would set you back. You need some help and extra Pred would be no harm. I hope you get the support you need. G. X
I am finally admitting I need some extra help. I did not go to the service this morning. As soon as I said I wasn’t going I felt better. Got some hand rails for my toilet too. That’s a load off the knees! Thank you for telling me not to be afraid to ask for help.
Well done. Weird how once decision is made there’s an almost physical weight lifted.
I am 58 and had a raised toilet in my new bathroom. Suggested by the builder. I get anything I can to make my life easier. I perch on stools in the kitchen when I am doing thing. Hope you had a good day 🌻
I’m 72 and have a cleaning lady every two weeks and a Roomba for in between. I loving the new arms on my toilet. It’s way easier on my knees! I stayed home all weekend and didn’t try to fight my way through all the activities. Actually it felt rather empowering.
It is. It's good for your recovery too.
Dear Lanakay,
If you can get through all this without a flare up, you are "Queen for the Day", or should I say Queen for the Year.
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