Pain in legs

[Bubble56]

Can I have yet more advice please? I’m tapering down to 6mg on your DSNS plan- I’ve had PMR since October 2019. I am feeling a fair bit of pain and stiffness in my legs only- other than that feel well. I keep walking approx 1 mile every day ( to keep my muscles working????) and the pain doesn’t get worse but some days my legs feel like jelly. Is this normal? I requested 0.5 mg tablets from my GP but she says they are not available and I should alternate 7&6 mg to get desired effect. Should I just stay at 7 mg for a while? Thank you , in advance, for your help.

[jinasc]

I. You can buy a pill cutter. However, you cannot cut enteric coated tablets.

2. PMR causes the oxygen supply to the muscles to be impaired.

I suggest you cut down your mileage and try just walking 15mins each way for a week and if no problems increase by 15 mins each way.

3. Nordic walking poles are a great help.

4. Gentle exercise - slowly but surely.

[Bubble56 in reply to jinasc]

Thank you for your reply- I shall go cautiously! Why did I not think of halving the 1mg pill?????

[CricketMonkey in reply to Bubble56]

You could also ask for 2.5 mg tablets and do 1x2.5 + 4x1 to get 6.5!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I'd suggest you are probably just about at the borderline of what you need - if it were me, I'd have a break from tapering for a month and see how you get on.

If you are on plain white pred you can cut them as jinasc says. If you are on enteric coated/gastroresistant tablets they come in 5, 2.5 and 1mg doses. Down to 2mg you can easily combine the tablets to give whole mgs and 1/2mg doses - and cutting a 5mg plain tablet is the easiest way to get 2.5mg doses although you can get 2.5mg plain tablets if you ask the GP - they are usually pale yellow.

It doesn't matter if they aren't evenly cut, it balances over the 2 days but is easier for the body to cope with than alternating doses to get the 1/2mg change in dose.

[Bubble56 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you for your reply, I shall take your invaluable advice.

[piglette]

You can get 2.5mg tablets which help with the 0.5mg.