I have had Polymyalgia for 5 years. The initial dose of 15mg of prednisilone worked. However when I have have reduced the dose down to 2mg the shoulder and hip pains come back .. Since covid my Rheumie has cancelled all appointments . What dose should I take to stabilise the condition ?
I am thinking of buying a new mattress . Which is the best type for this condition Soft or hard type ?
Sailboatstewart
This post gives advice on flares, but you may get away with just going up by an mg or 2 as long as long as you haven’t allowed inflammation to build up….so maybe try 3mg for a few days initially ….and if you regularly have issues when you try to get below 2mg that’s your body telling you that’s too low….at the moment anyway.healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...
Prof Dasgupta did say last year in a podcast that he keeps some of his patients at 2.5mg for long periods, sometimes indefinitely ….so don’t be in a rush to get lower.
As for what mattress, you’ll probably get as many answers as patients..like it’s personal choice..
all I would say is, the best you can afford.
Many thanks for your prompt reply
I normally go up to 10 mg for a few days to get the discomfort under control but no more then five days and then drop back down to the last dose that I was comfortable with. I hope that helps. Good luck
Many thanks for your prompt reply
How low have you been able to get to?
Hello there. 3 mg has been my lowest but I have had a few flares so had to go back up and down again.My starting dose was 15 mg and I am now on 3 mg I am going to attempt to drop Down tomorrow to 2 1/2 mg every other day for two weeks and then all being well I will be on 3 1/2 mg every day for two months before I try to reduce further 😊
If it were me I would have a few days at 5mg and go back to 3mg and stick there to see if it is enough.
And I can also say - no "best mattress for PMR" - it is the best for you. I have used very cheap foam mattresses from Ikea for years. I have just got a new foam mattress, also pretty cheap as mattresses go - it is great! I have slept on my daughters' very expensive memory foam offerings and can't say I found them any better. I have 2 single foam mattresses on a double frame - OH didn't wake me when he turned over! We also have single duvets so he can't take it all. And that means I can turn the mattress myslef despite PMR and changing the covers on the duvets is also do-able, We got used to it when living in Germany where double mattresses on beds and double duvets are very very unusual. When my husband was ill, I realised I slept better when in Germany than in the UK - and have never gone back to a single large mattress because of the advantages.
You might want to get your PMR symptoms under control before you go mattress-testing. When I was in pain before diagnosis I was trying to find something, possibly a natural fleece, to place over the mattress as I thought that would make me feel better. Never did get around to it and don't need it now. I have actually given up on relying on the mattress, new or old, firm or medium, and "making the bed" has taken on new meaning in my life as every evening I arrange assorted pillows to provide the varying support back, or limb, or neck needs.
Beds are so personal and testing them is far from straightforward. My mattress ideally needs changing but as an interim, I bought a 4" deep cooling mattress topper. I had lost lot of weight and this topper helps me not to do the princess and the pea bit. You can get foam but this is not. It has certainly made a big difference, and not expensive as things go - under £40.00. Toppers will not cure a really bad bed/mattress but do help.
tapering with alternate dose and extreme fatigue
Tapering-Leflunomide and low dose Pred.
Tapering - taking lower dose morning or evening and why?
Prednisilone 
Split dose tapering below 6 mg pred
