Well, with your help, courageous Forum, I will start my 'scary' (to me) taper tomorrow. I'm on 24 methylpred and Actemra...and will drop off 8 mg for three weeks, then cut an addtional 4 mg for three weeks and so it goes....he is hoping I am off in 3-4 months...we shall see. I'd told him I'd be happy to coast on 20 but he said my body wouldn't take it.
Now, I have to elevate my legs....but wanted to share this...right now both of my legs are in zinc wraps because of edema and poor bloodflow, PVD, to hopefully take care of one ulcer and avoid another. The picture below is something they are going to measure me for next week....velcro, soft and easier to apply than compression hose. See, on the left I have had two hip surgeries and my right ankle is fused and has a rod in it....these are overlapping wraps that are doable...flexibility is an issue. The office is going to order them for me so they will be half the price they are on Amazon.
Well...time to put the body in a prone position!!! Rest tomorrow and two root canals on Thursday....and then I'm done for a bit.
👬👬👬👬👬👬👬👬👬👬👬👬 I'm so thankful for all of you!!! The Forum Rules~!!! (It is just 8 pm here...sleep well)
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Grammy80
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Are you saying that you have PMR and you are hoping to drop from 24mg methylpred (equivalent to 30mg pred) to zero in three to four months? That sounds rather fast to me. Perhaps the Actemra will help.
I hear you.....and with the help of the forum if I think the taper is bumpy....I will speak up. My rheumy feels that much of what I feel is because I am on all this methylpred. Since I have previously, some years back, had stomach and bowel issues....I am taking the taper and the Actemra a day..week..at a time. You could say day by day....thanks 🌸💗🌸
Bit by bit you are ticking your list. Can you remove those rather clever looking zinc wraps for a shower? Let us know how your taper goes. It does seem ambitious to me. Do you agree with your doctor’s reasoning?
Good luck at the dentist - I hope he/she is a gentle/ reassuring presence.
Actually, I agree with you...no medical background of course but not in a hurry for any flare...who is? I feel I have to go day by day with the Actemra and methylpred....BUT.... right now I am feeling decent, better than before. If I have an issue...then we shall see...I won't just go 'silently into the night'...not with all the support here!!
The image that I posted is what I will get next week. The doctor applied the zinc wrap yesterday to my left leg and I cannot get it wet, strictly sponge baths. Yesterday they also put a compression tube on my right leg but I had to take it off about 3 am....pain and burning. I'm no woos when it comes to pain either....I danced at my son's wedding on a cracked femur...then had surgery.🤦♀️ Rheumy believes leg issues, ulcer etc. are caused by the methylpred....so we'll see.
I'm taking my pillow to the endodontist....one root canal at 11 am...then they go to lunch...and I will lie down in their reception area...second procedure at 1. Thankfully, I have dental insurance but they called to tell me to bring $525!
I feel good today so I am thankful...I'm going to make out my taper calendar...IN PENCIL~!
In a perfect world?....there would be the Forum and I'm so thakful and grateful!!!! 💗🌸💗
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Me and - this time not - my gp.
Methotrexate - not for me
It's me again...finally.
Hello, I'm new to posting.
New pain, flare or new issues?
