What do you all use for osteoarthritis pain while on pred?
Tylenol doesn’t do much. I’ve used ibuprofen a few times which seemed to help but wary because of taking pred. I’m stuck at 13 mg. And have been having a lot of pain. GP ordered X-rays showed osteoarthritis in sacral joints, hips, and lower back but not sure what’s going on. Also having neck pain, right side,
into occipital area.
Heating pad provides some relief
No longer on Pred - but I’ve found this cream helps massively with OA pain - assume you can get in US - probably on Am...... that’s where I get it.
You might want to check with doc first - but personally I
prefer it to another drug - cannabidstore.com/product/s...
Thank you!
My doctor prescribed voltaren topical, which I used once, had a gut bleed, so obviously contraindicated in my case, but I have acquaintances who use it and say it helps. Active ingredient is fairly heavy-duty I think: diclofenac. On the other hand all nsaids interfere with cartilage renewal so in the end I think using them is counterproductive. Physiotherapy, exercises to strengthen supporting muscles, and living with pain....
Yes I know I need to strengthen my muscles. Have not gone to therapy because of COVID. I stared a YouTube chair exercise program but have really been backsliding the last few months. Hope to do better going forward.
I've been doing my level best with my poor knee and am in the process of finding a brace to stabilize it so I can start walking again. I can't believe less than a year ago I was able to walk forty minutes to the physiotherapist's clinic, and back home again, and now I have to drive. 
I am not enjoying this latest stage in the downhill slide called old age.
I had PRP injections (Platelet-rich plasma) last year, they take your blood out, centrifuge it and reintroduce the plasma into your knee. I thought it had not worked and then a year later having had a new hip I noticed that my leg was stiff but no knee pain, in fact I had forgotten about it.
What is PRP and what is it supposed to do? Is it something which might help Mstiles ? Does it actually make new cartilage? Apparently I have deteriorated cartilage, which should be cushioning the various knee joints, and this is causing inflammation which in turn makes the tissues around the knee swell and then I have pain and stiffness because the extra fluid is limiting range of motion. It is MUCH better now, from physio and rest and exercises but very little walking. I need to walk to maintain mental health and bone density, so it's been a real problem. Ongoing, off and on, mostly on, since the end of April. A brace is supposed to stabilize the knee so that weightbearing, as in walking, doesn't cause more damage but they are having an awful time finding one to fit me as I really don't want to have to spring for an overpriced custom one.
My knee X-ray says I have severe tricompartmental degenerative change. ie I have osteoarthritis. This is what they say about PRP:
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy uses injections of a concentration of a patient's own platelets to accelerate the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints. In this way, PRP injections use each individual patient's own healing system to improve musculoskeletal problems.
My doctor said that it should soon be available on the NHS, so perhaps it actually is thought to work. I currently pay for it myself. It is pretty pricey though.
That sounds like my knee. I have swelling which my GP says is part of the knee trying to regrow the cushion that’s deteriorating ??, and recent a lot of pain and more swelling behind the knee too. I was walking 15-20 minutes each day. I need to go see an ortho and get X-rays but haven’t because of COVID and just being fed up with doctors and problems!
I will ask about the platelet therapy when I do manage to go.
Thanks for the info piglette
My GP hasn't even looked at my knee, even at an in-person visit when I mentioned it again. She just kept pushing for me to use voltaren until I pointed out my stomach bleed history and the fact that there is a family history of brain haemorrhage. I've been relying on my physiotherapist to help and still considering whether I should get myself on a list to see an orthopod with a view to knee replacement - the two waiting lists (seeing the doc and getting the op) are both so long obviously I have to do as much as I can in the meantime.
I have the same in my hip which pre lockdown was symptom free as I was exercising regularly so the muscles were supportive. Would encourage you to self refer to local NHS physio which I did online. Was sent exercise sheets, have had one face to face and regular video link appointments. Physio says it will be a long road to build the muscles again but I hope worth it. Good luck.
Morning, being on Pred knocks out a few options, ie the NSAIDS. The only other pain medication I use is Co-Codamol 30/500 which works for me but I know it doesn't agree with others. Voltaral didn't agree with me at all and the various creams I found to be totally useless. Keeping up the physio and gentle, sensible exercise is very important. Peter
What is co-codamol? I’m in the US, my GP hasn’t mentioned it as an alternative. I’ll ask about it. Thanks!
Hi there Guess this isn't going to help much as it is what you are already using. in the US one of its versions is marketed as Atasol Codeine and Tylenol 3 and Tylenol 4 which I think has 60mg of Codeine.
Pinched the following fromWikipedia
8 mg of codeine phosphate per tablet (e.g. Tylenol 1 in US/Canada)
10 mg of codeine phosphate per tablet
12.8 mg of codeine phosphate per tablet
15 mg of codeine phosphate per tablet (e.g. brands Tylenol 2 in US/Canada, Norway, Australia (multiple brands), United Kingdom)
20 mg of codeine phosphate per tablet (Prontalgine in France, Empacod, South Africa and Zimbabwe)
30 mg of codeine phosphate per tablet (e.g. Tylenol 3 in US/Canada, ratio-Emtec-30 or "Emtec" in Canada, available elsewhere in capsules such as Tylex or in tablets/caplets e.g. Solpadol, Kapake, Panacod and Zapain).[1]
60 mg of codeine phosphate per tablet (e.g. Tylenol 4 in US/Canada, and generally contain from 300 mg to 1000 mg), 1 gram of paracetamol per table
I have an arthritic hip which is always painful, I take one cocodamol 30/500 three times daily, it does help. I tried ibuprofen but the bp went up , tried topical but that didn't help. Hope you fi d some relief.
Hi, i also use a heat pad, i find that helps, plus co codamol. The Dr wanted me to have Morphine i refused . Im now on pain patches , i started off on 10mgs and have just this week gone up tp 20mgs i also have chronic Arthritis in my pelvis hips etc ,so i have two things going on. It takes the edge off . Hope this helps .
I am occasionally taking one heavy, 1,000-1,500mg of Tylenol, and then lie down for at least an hour. It seems to help a little. Most of the time I just lie down to rest my body. I put up with the discomfit/pain in order to lessen dose of prednisone. I am not bothered with pain at night, just the usual couple of bathroom visits. I am down to 2.5mg of prednisone, which helps lower the eye pressure.
Glad it helps you! There are so many warnings about taking Tylenol I’m cautious although my GP said I could take it everyday, but it doesn’t help much. Such a hard time with this disease figuring out what is causing which pain!
My GP said not to take Ibuprofen, and could take up to 4000mg of Tylenol a day without harm. I have never taken more than 1500 and very very rarely, because it doesn't seem to give much relief. I find exercise and rest the best medicine. 
Of course a lot depends on each of us as an individuals how much pain/discomfit we are to bear
Yes Tylenol didn’t do anything for me either. Yes test, exercise when possible, also heating pad seem to help the most.
GPs can be very cavalier with tylenol/paracetamol. Yes, the max recommended dose may be 4000mg/day - but that is for younger patients. A friend of mine in her 80s was persuaded by her GP that her pain was OA and she should take paracetamol instead of the very low dose of pred she had achieved. Less than a month after starting the paracetamol she had a routine blood test - where the liver values were such that an emergency ultrasound was ordered. All OK - entirely the paracetamol. But it does go to show - it is a nasty drug too.
I agree completely, that s why I take it only occasionally and then never anywhere near the limit
I'm right there with you. I have a lot of osteoarthritis in my neck and lower back as well as some other problems. Early on I got some relief from steroid injections in my back and neck. However, most recently I am getting a significant amount of relief from nerve ablation in my neck. My suggestion is that you see a pain management doctor who can perform these types of procedures. Additionally a TENS unit can be a lifesaver. It works by confusing the brain. the brain can only think of the TENS unit stimulation and can't recognize the pain.
My GP did recommend TENS. did you have X-rays or other tests to figure out it wasn’t PMR pain but arthritis?
Oh I've suffered from back pain for 15 years. But then one day (4 years ago) I had new pain and I went to my GP who tested my inflammation markers and diagnosed me with PMR. The pain of PMR is somehow different than the arthritis in my back and neck. And I don't know how to describe the difference but I'll try. Arthritis is more of a sharp pain and PMR feels more dull much like the cramps I used to get when I had my period. But of course not in the abdomen. The main place I noticed it was in my upper thighs and girdle area.
Yes the pain does seem somewhat different. I’ve been confused as I’ve had pain popping up all over that I never had before, plus some that seems like the pain I had in the occipital area before I was diagnosed with GCA.
trying to get it sorted!
I used ibuprofen, cautiously while on pred, with food, and haven’t had any stomach problems..I have tapered off pred now 3 1/2 years on it, pred covered up a lot of my OA pains...now it’s all up to OTC meds for OA...
I've been off since August, stayed a long time at 2 then 1 & 1/2 , finally 1mg then I stopped, I still get some pains not sure what causes it, still some PMR hanging around or just old age and OA...but I figured if I feel the same without prednisone as I do at a low dose I may as well drop the prednisone...although at times I think maybe I should be back on at perhaps 5mg or less...prednisone really didn't cause me much side effects and at a lower dose I doubt very many at all, but it has to do something too, if its no better at a low dose than ibuprofen or meloxicam, both of which I have tried, then whats the point...sometimes I feel like I should go to a really good medical center like Cleveland Clinic or Mayo's for a really good work up and physical...hard to do now with Covid getting bad again....ive also used muscle relaxers, they seemed to help plus it helps to sleep...just don't overlap med's that shouldn't be taken together...
I know, it’s so hard to tell what’s causing pain. It must feel great to be totally off the prednisone, mentally at least. I feel I’m going backward as I was down to 8,5 last June and then in July had to increase to 13 and been there ever since...long story....fires and blackouts in California. Etc.
it’s a journey, thank goodness for this forum and all the great people on here.
I know how you feel. I am going to have aortic valve repair in December and have to make myself feel calm and not worried, because I do not want to go above the 2.5 I am now taking. As I have reduced, my eye pressure has gone down. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Do have a great day.
Hi, I live in the US too. I can understand what you are going through. I am on 10 mg prednisone for PMR. It does not help for osteo arthritis. My problems are similar. I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis recently with right leg sciatica.
Tylenol and Advil do not work for the pain. I am staying away from Tylenol with Codein. I had a lumbar epidural which helped to some degree, but actually Physical Therapy has been working the best to reduce pain --- being active is very important.
Good luck with your efforts to feel better.
Yes, when we have to, we'll do what it takes to get relief. Luckily there is help when we seek it.
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