Could reduction of pred cause this pain?

[skipspmr]

Have been on 4.5 mg from 5 mg for 6 weeks. Bad pain in upper back of left leg when walking last 2 weeks and pain in back when getting up or in and out of car. GP can't find anything wrong. I'm wondering if this is PMR related? Should I try 10 mg for a couple of days?

[Hidden]

Obviously you can get other injuries and problems that the pred may have masked. But it could be a problem with your changing gait and movement. Have you had that pain at other times? Have you tried stretches and otc pain killers. A few weeks ago I couldn't straighten my right leg the hamstring was so tight. It took a good 10 mins of stretching to ease it off. But that made my opposite ankle hurt and swell up (again) as my gait changed.

[PMR2011]

Scoopitup is right. Can try over the counter pain med and if that works it’s likely not PMR. I had various issues such as myofascial pain in upper back, sciatic type pain in leg/hip and osteo thumb aching when tapering. All of which was managed with stretching, massaging (gentle) exercises etc. Sometimes it feels like we’re peeling back the layers of an onion as we taper! You never know what the next layer will reveal!

[Hidden]

One advantage of Pred is it masks the ‘Old War Wounds’ but as you reduce they reappear, but also in the time you were on the higher dose other things develop. As Scoop says have you tried an OTC Painkiller, that sometimes can make a big difference.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Does the upper thigh pain radiate to/from the buttock?

[SheffieldJane]

I have painful difficulty getting in and out of the car, I’m on 4 mgs. However, pain up the back of your leg sounds like Sciatica which usually runs from the buttock to the back of the thigh. A good physio would give you gentle stretching exercises, my doctor offered stronger painkillers. You could experiment with an extra 5 mgs to see if it melts away, but neither symptom sounds like a direct PMR symptom -it maybe related to weakened muscles though. The 5 mgs can be stopped in a few days and you can return to your normal dose.