PMR Predisalone reduction problem.

[David4345]

Diagnosed with PMR back in 2019, have presently reduced down from 20mg to 3mg per day.

New problem is pain in buttocks thigh and leg on left side.

Is reduction of Predisalone likely to be the problem.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It could be - but one-sided pain may not be PMR. What you describe could be piriformis syndrome - that affects buttocks, and traps the sciatic nerve which tracks down the thigh and leg

[David4345 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for your reply, am presently under GP but looking for any other info that could be relevant, which your reply may be of use .

Thank you for your interest.

[DogAgilityObsessed in reply to PMRpro]

That’s interesting as it describes much of my initial pain and some breakthrough pain I’ve had. Would pred work on that as well as PMR inflammation?

[David4345 in reply to DogAgilityObsessed]

taking Predisalone at present although a low dose, which is not really making much difference.

Did not have these pains when I was on higher dose, believe it may have something to do with pains I’m getting now.

May end up going back on higher dose Predisalone.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DogAgilityObsessed]

It does for me although more direct local treatment is better. Myofascial pain syndrome is caused by the same inflammatory substances as PMR and is now considered by some to be part of the picture:

jrheum.org/content/46/12/1552

The difference is that the inflammatory effect is in the muscle fascia (the transparent skin covering large muscle groups that you will be familiar with from joints of meat or poultry) and in knots of hardened muscle fibres in large muscles, usually in pairs of trigger points on either side of the spine in the shoulders, about waist level and in the low back about where the baby's dimples are. These irritate the rest of the muscle causing tension and even spasm in it and also nearby nerve leading to referred pain in the areas they supply: up into the neck, around the ribs and into the legs, mainly as sciatica.

Just raising the oral pred dose may work but it isn't a good answer if it isn't the more generalised PMR effect.

[piglette]

Is it sciatica?

[David4345 in reply to piglette]

GP has already said it is Sciatica, but medication is not making much difference, particularly at night still walking the floor much of night.

[PMR2011 in reply to David4345]

There are some great simple stretching exercises on the Internet that can really help sciatica. It helped me when I had leg/butt pain. It slowed my taper but didn’t stop it.

[piglette in reply to David4345]

I have found no drugs help sciatica apart from a glass or two of cognac! What did help was physiotherapy. Sciatica can be excruciatingly painful.

[David4345 in reply to piglette]

Your a person after my own heart, nothing wrong with a good stiff drink.

But would also like to find a way out of this pain for good.

[piglette in reply to David4345]

I know how you feel.

[Captainjonny]

Before I had a PMR diagnosis, I had had a herniated disc (not unusual at age mid-60s) and leg pains were put down to this and/or considered "sciatica", periformis etc. I have a feeling our PMR at least contributes to these as we "stiffen up" - at one point I considered a walking stick. Anyway, as I've posted before, I have found back exercises to be very helpful alongside the Pred. My son is a personal trainer so has helped with my choice ... mainly to address the periformis, then the hamstrings and calf muscles and the so-called "core". Nothing too dramatic. Not sure what age you are, David, but if you can stretch those muscles you may find it helpful. I wish you well.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Captainjonny]

I found Pilates was a tremendous help with the back muscle problems.

[nickm001]

You got lots of good suggestions on exercise and stretching. I just wanna add another way to relax that area. I use tennis ball and while laying on my back I position the ball just under the area impacted and then press or rock back and forth to release tension in the muscle. The muscle you are trying to relax is deep muscle, close to a hip bone, so it needs lots of pressure to reach it. Do both sides, to make sure that whole area is free from tension.

[Meggsy]

I had similar pain and found appropriate piriformis exercises on the internet as mentioned by PMRpro. I did them religiously and they pain eventually went.

[David4345 in reply to Meggsy]

Thanks for the recommendation of the exercise treatments.

Have started them today and after couple of routines already feel tremendous improvement, hopefully this will continue.

[Meggsy in reply to David4345]

👍🤞