Letrazole and prednisolone

[irisweeder]

Saw Dr last week who wants a faster taper due to the 2 drugs what I want to know if slight pains will become worse or should I just accept slight pains to protect bones

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Without a lot more information it is very difficult for anyone to say anything really.

Whatever your doctor wants, if the reduction takes you to a dose of pred that is too low to manage YOUR current disease activity then you will get a return of pain. That is the nature of the beast.

[irisweeder in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks hopefully a quicker taper will work and bones are protected

[YuliK in reply to irisweeder]

I wish you luck, but I think you will be back here in a few weeks. 👏

[Hidden in reply to irisweeder]

I will keep my fingers crossed for you. A faster taper equals more chance of a relapse I'm afraid. Obviously bones are vital but so is quality of life as you probably understand better than me. Is there a definitive reason why Dr wants you to taper so fast other than protecting bones? There are a few members who have probably had similar health issues so it would allow us to give better information if you fleshed out the context. You don't have to say anything you don't want to. 🌻

[Soraya_PMR in reply to Hidden]

Letrazole does nasty things to bones, peek at the link I shared.

[Hidden in reply to Soraya_PMR]

Yes I had a look. Nasty and important. It also causes muscle pains etc. You know how such side effects are commonly overlooked...statins etc.

[Soraya_PMR in reply to Hidden]

Yes I’m hoping this potential cause has been ruled out for Iris 🤞

[Hidden in reply to Soraya_PMR]

Typed at same time. 👍

[Soraya_PMR]

Letrazole is an Aromatase Inhibitor.

There is a syndrome called Aromatase Inhibitor induced Arthralgia (AIA). Has this been ruled out for you? How long have you been on Letrazole? Has anyone suggested a 2 week cessation trial?

“AIA presents with symmetrical joint pains, most commonly affecting the wrists, hands, and knees. Carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger may be common complaints as well. Other symptoms may include morning stiffness, myalgia, and decreased grip strength. The median time to onset of symptoms is 1.6 months, though it can range from a couple of weeks to more than 10 months. Symptoms tend to peak at ∼6 months. “ from here, a really good read: academic.oup.com/annonc/art...

This also may be of interest, it suggests that pred relieves AIA. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2...

[SnazzyD in reply to Soraya_PMR]

I had that with Letrozole after 4 weeks and muscle pain plus severe short term memory loss

[Soraya_PMR in reply to SnazzyD]

Really? Could you have likened those pains to PMR.....ooops! Sorry, you’re GCA only? Rats! Would have liked to know how similar they are.

[SnazzyD in reply to Soraya_PMR]

Yes sorry, it went shortly after I stopped it. Getting out of bed in the morning was an ordeal.

[Soraya_PMR in reply to SnazzyD]

Ah-ha! So quite a similarity then. Did you have to stop taking it because of those side effects?

[pollymarierose]

I was on 70 mg of prednisone and my rheumy wanted to do a fast taper because of the dangerous side effects. She wanted me to drop 20mg every 3 days, which I noticed immediately. I had nausea, diarrhea, I had difficulty walking again low grade fever. Then 3 days later, I dropped another 20mg. Maybe I'm an exception, but by the 6th day my husband had to call 911 because I fainted twice in an hour. Ambulance ride to hospital and I was there overnight. My blood pressure was 78/50 and I was severely dehydrated. Emergency doctor agreed it was from too fast of a reduction.

I don't want to scare you, but I didn't listen to my pmr/gca friends when they warned it was too fast and I wish I would have.