Can I have some advice please

PMR diagnosed two years ago, put on 20mg and have gradually (thanks Dorset Lady) been reducing really slowly with no ill effects at all. Had got down to one and a half. Unfortunately steroid induced, thought I could wheel a heavy shopping trolley and lift the heavy bags, the upshot of which pain in shoulders started to niggle again soon after. A week ago I phoned PMR helpline and helpful lady said go back up to five mags for three days and then back to one and a half. This I have done. Unfortunately, this has now brought back the original two years ago real pain in both shoulders. Would be grateful for any suggestions please.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Three days of 5mg was probably not enough - a week at least, and going back to the dose where it went wrong is also probably too low, It is difficult to say whether part of the pain originally was the start of the flare because you went too low or over-use of the shoulder muscles lifting/using the trolley. I assume you mean a supermarket trolley so you were pushing and persuading it to go around corners?

Too late to say this time - but I split large bags into smaller cotton shopping bags for transferring them from trolley to car and car to house. I also have a folding sack trolley to put a larger bag on to save so many trips back and forth,

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

Ditto to PMRpro - try 5mg for longer - this gives bit more info - healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

Hope you get back on track asap.

[Hidden in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you, we will meet up soon.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you, was doing so well too, compared to others that get in touch through H.U. Hindsight wish I had never gone to supermarket, but definitely overdid it.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

If it was just the overload - it will pass. Just a blip ...

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hope so!

[_Lori-el]

You probably didn’t stay on5mg long enough before reducing. Wait until pain subsides substantially enough before beginning reduction again. Hope you have more luck this time.

[PuttyPenguin]

Sounds like overload to me. I do it all the time! However my first question to myself - when I've overdone things - is will a good days rest make me feel better? Second question: does a painkiller work - in which case it's muscular rather than PMR? Do what you think is right but just give things a chance to settle.

[Herman99]

PMRpro and Dorset lady gave me the grear advice to increase dose by an additional 5mg and I stayed there for 10 days and when I dropped I increased my original dose by 1 mg . Its a small setback to get you out of pain, stabilise and then when ready start your reduction again. Good luck.

[Doraflora]

That’s a pain for you (no pun intended!!), but you’ve got some great advice on here.

Btw: are you in the UK, Dorsetgirl17? only I wasn’t aware of a PMR helpline.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Doraflora]

Look on the website

pmrgca.org.uk/

Click on looking for support:

pmrgca.org.uk/get-support/h...

[Crusty1949]

LiKe you, I was diagnosed two years ago. I started at 25mg/day and slowly worked my way down to Zero. During my slide I had two flare ups. One at 5mg and another one at 3 mg. In both cases I went back on 5mg/day for 7 days and 3 day;s respectively. I can tie one flare up to my second COVID vaccination. The second one I am not sure why. I have now been off prednisone for 7 weeks, with no issues. I received my booster on the 23rd. Only had the Similar reaction I get with the flu shot. Saw my rheumatologist on the 20th, she said the biggest task is to determine if the pain is PMR, prednisone withdrawal or just pain from overdoing it. So,be hesitant to jump on prednisone too fast. Use Tylenol arthritis first and see if we it helps. She believes less it better, I am 72 walk every day , my goal is 10,000 steps/day. . I dont always make but I at least get in as many steps in as I can. Good luck.