Just diagnosed

[KatiePr]

Have had aches and pains in my buttocks, hips, shoulders and arms since March and was beginning to think I was going mad when finally I got a diagnosis 2 days ago. I've been put on 15mg Prednisolone plus calcium and vitamin D. I struggle to get dressed and put my shoes on in the morning but somehow manage to get out to walk the dog. It improves as the day goes on but then the next day I'm back to square one, hardly able to get out of bed. Wonder how long it might take for the drugs to have any effect.....

[KatiePr]

Thanks so much for that. I had been taking ibuprofen to slightly take the edge off it but now I've stopped taking it I feel worse at the moment. I know I need to be patient!

[jinasc]

Try this - take you pred with a cuppa and something to eat, (does not matter if you take it when you wake up, even it that is a 6am) go back to bed and then don't get up for at least an hour. Warm shower (don't bother with soap etc) and see if that helps. Your pred needs a bit of time to get going and the warm shower helps your muscles.

BTW Nsaids are a 'no no' with pred.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It depends - for a start the 15mg needs to be enough for the particular patient and it is impossible to know in advance. I had a miraculous result in under 6 hours - a good 70% improvement in the stiffness although the pain took longer, some pain took a few months to go entirely. But some people need much longer, up to a week or more. If 15mg doesn't do it then ask to try 20mg - the most recent recommendations from 2015 say the lowest effective dose in the range 12.5 to 25mg.

rheumatology.org/Portals/0/...

[Mary63]

I was given 20mg at the start, and had a fantastic result.....no aches or pains at all in 8 hours. But we all vary. Some people need more than 15mg. Some people get gradual improvement over days and weeks. Hope your result comes quickly and 15mg is enough for you.

[Arflane97G]

I started at 15mg and got 80% or so relief within a week. Always needed breakfast, prep, lie down for an hour, warm bath and yoga to get going in the mornings - fortunately I do not work!

[diana1998]

I was diagnosed in hospital and was started on 30mg, but that was 5 years ago and now they start you on 15mg it seems. But some people need 20mg or more.

[DogAgilityObsessed]

Hello KatiePr. How are you feeling this morning?

[KatiePr in reply to DogAgilityObsessed]

I feel a bit better this morning although I did take ibuprofen last night. I think I feel more mobile than I usually would after just taking ibuprofen. I do wonder if the 15mg dose is enough - a friend of mine who lost her sense of taste and smell a few years ago after a virus was prescribed 40mg/day of the same steroid. Mind you, she said she was positively buzzing with energy on that dose so maybe it wouldn't be good for me to have that much as I'd probably go and overdo it....!! Thanks for asking after me 😘

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to KatiePr]

Careful taking ibuprofen together with pred - each on their own can cause stomach irritation and both together increases the risk.

40mg for "just" PMR is too much, that is a GCA dose, but 20 or even 25mg may be needed.

[KatiePr]

Thanks for that. I'll see how it goes without the ibuprofen.

[Elegantprincesstype]

Hello Katie, hope you are feeling ache freer today. Same symptoms this autumn and I am going through diagnosis now. Dressing and emptying the dishwasher in the morning not fun presently, then again the dishwasher never was! Two nurofen a day seems to help, but I guess long term that's not a solution. My vitamin d is ok but I still hope that good weather next Spring will help hopefully. Best Laura

[Meggsy]

Hello Katie, I started on 15mg pred but had to increase to 25mg which worked well. I hope you are beginning to feel more comfortable.