Brufen is helping

[JulieR2]

Hi everyone

I wondered if I could get your opinions. After starting steroids again in August (I too was driven to focus on getting to club zero! ) I have stayed at 5 mgs. I paid to see a consultant who basically agreed that I had some sort of inflammatory rheumatic condition! He also agreed the course of action I had taken to restart and reduce quickly had been the right approach.

The stiffness I now have is all focussed around my neck. It feels like extreme tension and I had been waking up at night when I needed to turn. My legs are now okay and all symptoms seem to be in my upper body. I started taking brufen a couple of times a day and this is really helping. I had had bursitis in my hips earlier this year and brufen helped then.

I wondered if the pain I have is actually the PMR or another side effect of the condition as has happened previously. I am 54 and have had PMR 3 yers roughly.

It seems strange that I started with typical stiffness in hips and shoulders and now all symptoms are in my upper body.

Thanks in anticipation of your opinions

[Blearyeyed]

If you are finding Brufen relieves the neck and upper body pain it may well be some other type of inflammatory or Nerve / Muscle Pain that is causing the extra problems and your current Pred dose is dealing with any PMR Flare that was triggered by the other Pain issue you may be suffering from.

Did your Private Consultant suggest any other Pain Relief for whatever Rheumatoid or Inflammatory Condition they were considering , or did they suggest a more specific diagnosis?

Did you have any x-rays on the neck and back?

If not , it would be advisable to discuss these new Pain Issues with the GP and request some.

Have you had a Dexascan?

Or any checks for Osteoporosis issues?

These could be beneficial too.

It is possible that the areas affected by PMR increase or change dependent on which part of the body is suffering more Stress and Tension triggers.

It's important though to rule out other causes , and get them treated efficiently so that they don't continue to cause new PMR activity.

In the meantime continuing with the daily course of Brufen sounds like a sensible option.

Take Care and Keep us updated.

[HeronNS]

Maybe it really is extreme tension. My physiotherapist found I had really tense spasmed muscles in my back and told me that in vulnerable people this sort of "bad tone" can even lead to spinal fractures, so your pain could well be this and a good physiotherapist has techniques to release the tension.

This could be in addition to other issues, but even if you are started on pred again, or another condition is diagnosed, do look into the possibility of bad tone. I have had on and off again chronic back problems for years, and since treatment by my magic physiotherapist I am like 98% better. This particular issue was nothing to do with PMR.

[JulieR2 in reply to HeronNS]

Thanks so much I haven’t had a dexascan. To be honest I have given up on medics but will follow this up

[HeronNS in reply to JulieR2]

I didn't mean to imply that your pain was compression fracture, I see my words are a bit ambiguous, only that it shows how powerful these muscles are.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I agree with Bee and Heron - muscle tension can cause a lot of referred pain and ibuprofen may well help with that. Worth exploring with a physio or sports/therapeutic massage therapist