Has anyone else had elbow pain

[Looby60]

Hi there .

I am tapering 1mg per month and dropped a mg Monday .

Over the last 4 days or so I am getting specific elbow pain on one side .

Some mornings I can barely lift anything because of it .

It lessens during the day then returns in the evening .

Could this be PMR related do you think .

Thank you any comments appreciated .

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

One sided pain is unusual for PMR - are you sure you haven’t done anything that could account for it?

Although you say you are reducing 1mg a month, you don’t actually say what dose you are on, and it’s a bit difficult to guess especially with your previous tapers.

You might just be below the dose that masked other pains before - arthritis for example - so a bit more info might help us.

[Looby60 in reply to DorsetLady]

Hi Sorry . I am currently on 11mg per day .

Not aware of any recent knocks but having said that over the last 4 weeks I popped sacroiliac joint out ( ouch ) less than a week later I got thrombophlebitis plus blood clot and infection in the leg .

So to be fair a knock on the elbow may have been missed lol .

I am guided far more by this forum than my Dr I agree .

He did say that I probably knew more about than he did via this forum .

The pain actually decreases as the day goes on but comes back late evening when I’m tired .

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Looby60]

I could be PMR - this is from mayoclinic site - but as I said it is usually bilateral , as stated -

The signs and symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica usually occur on both sides of the body and might include:

Aches or pain in your shoulders

Aches or pain in your neck, upper arms, buttocks, hips or thighs

Stiffness in affected areas, particularly in the morning or after being inactive for a time

Limited range of motion in affected areas

Pain or stiffness in your wrists, elbows or knees

Coupled with the fact that it subsides during day and then resurfaces later does tie in with PMR, as does the fact you’ve just reduced.

Might be worth going back up to previous dose and see if it helps. Let us know if it does.

For future reference -

I would suggest you don’t reduce if you have a spate of incidences you describe over last 4 weeks (hopefully not!);

Maybe try a slow taper plan - this is just one version - healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

And when you get into single figures try reducing only 0,5mg a time.

[123-go]

I was looking at your history and have just come back and seen DL's reply re your elbow pain; her question is one I would have asked. Sometimes we have a hard knock which we forget about. If your elbow pain increases during the day you may be overusing your arm and straining the joint but that's a guess and investigation is needed to determine the cause.Your GP seems very blasé and lacking in knowledge of PMR. Her aim appears to be to get you to zero very quickly but it doesn't work like that. Leaving you to manage on your own seems unprofessional. Please look at the tapering advice given by experienced and knowledgable people on this forum...DorsetLady, PMRPro-

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Doesn't have to be a knock - a twisting motion or repetitive actions can also cause elbow pain. Preparations for xmas maybe?