PMR or Osteo Arthritis?

[Skysey]

I wanted to update you on my recent additional health issues and ask if anyone has had experience of depo medrone injections. When I last posted I was having aches and stiffness in my shoulders,hands hips, knees and ankles. It is particularly bad after sleeping or sitting for a period of time. After walking for a few minutes the stiffness improves. I have just had a consultation with my rheumatologist and she said it could be Osteo arthritis as a scan I had some time ago revealed the beginnings of Osteo arthritis in my left hip. Strangely my right hip is far more painful! Of course it could be due to me compensating for my left hip! I asked about the possibility of PMR and she said it could be. My GP raised the question too. My consultant is arranging an ultrasound scan of my shoulders and would like me to have an intramuscular injection of depo medrone. She feels this will show whether it is PMR or Osteo arthritis. I have read the side effects of this injection. I was concerned about it affecting my eyes and the possibility of nausea and vomiting. Does anyone have any experience of this jab? I will also have another blood test to check inflammatory markers. I have blood tests every two months and the last one was fine but the one before showed slightly raised markers.

I would be grateful for any advice. Thank you so much as always for your support. It is a lifeline.

[Oboes22]

Hello, I have both PMR and osteo arthritis in my lower spine. I only have prednisilone for my PMR and this is well controlled. I don’t yet have any medication for arthritis but I can say the pain with both is completely different for me. I hope you get the correct diagnosis and suitable medication. Be positive and be safe.

[Skysey in reply to Oboes22]

Thank you Oboes 22. It was helpful to know about the difference in pain. I am glad your PMR is well controlled.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

"affecting your eyes"???? - really don't understand that fear.

tangocharlie has just written a reply about her experiences with depot medrone injections. Don't know why they have to complicate things - they could do a few weeks trial of oral pred. I was given 6 weeks - 2 weeks each of 15, 10, 5mg and stop. Perfectly safe and long enough to see how it works on the symptoms, some people need longer than others but often just a couple of weeks at 15mg is enough. My symptoms were 70% better 6 hours after a single dose of 15mg pred!

TCs reply must have been a reply to a reply in an internal thread - I can't find it!

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

Didn't see that bit in the question - I had no problems of nausea or vomiting, in fact I felt fantastic, best ever pain free and mobile time on this long PMR journey. Is she confusing it with methotrexate injections that can cause those problems?

[Skysey in reply to tangocharlie]

Thanks Tangocharlie. It’s reassuring to know that you didn’t experience any problems with your injections. Thank you for your reply.

[Skysey in reply to tangocharlie]

I’m unsure but the consultant said common side effects are nausea and vomiting. She may be confusing it with methotrexate injections. Thanks for your help.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Skysey]

webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-6160....

To be fair, they are the first side effects mentioned in this article which for me came up at the top of the google search - but another page from the same source (webmd) lists it as a very rare side effect:

webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-6160...

Believe me - that is a list of every possible effect patients experienced after having a jab, and it isn't possible to know if they were coincidence or due to the jab!

I would query how many patients she has used it in. just because the leaflet says something is common, it really doesn't mean it happens to everyone, And as I have just shown - in other sources it is listed as a rare side effect.

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

Fair enough then and thanks for the info, I didn't have any problems, in fact fewer side effects than the oral Pred, slept better, no appetite surges, no moon face .... halcyon days for me, good while it lasted, once I'd got the intervals sorted

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tangocharlie]

It is supposed to have fewer side effects - and no-one I know who has had them have had problems beside them being a bit uncomfortable at the time.

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

A bit like a kick on the leg/buttock and you need to allow a few days for it to kick in, that was all for me

[PMRpro Ambassador]

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

This is a link to the thread where TC describes her experiences with the injections

[Skysey in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you PMRpro. This is much appreciated.

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

That link seems to be to something else, not me? This was my original post a few years ago now

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tangocharlie]

It is in the middle, about the third reply down. I couldn't get a link for your reply alone

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

If you select “More” it gives a copy reply link. It saves it ( the ether somewhere) and then you can paste it wherever you want it to be -and the link then takes to that specific reply within the post (hope that makes sense).

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DorsetLady]

I'm sure it would if I weren't suffering from terminal brain fog!!! Must be the weather ...

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

..course it is 😳…

[nallufl24]

Are depo medrone injections the same as cortisone injections? Now that I’m off prednisone my back arthritis has been debilitating. I am getting a cortisone injection this week. I truly hope it helps me. I’ve had cortisone injections before GCA and I never had any of those side effects except relief from arthritis. One good thing about prednisone is I never had any pain. It covered all my arthritis

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to nallufl24]

Sort of:

my.clevelandclinic.org/heal....

But used for PMR the injections are given deep into a large muscle - usually buttock. It is the same injection I think but for arthritis they often give it directly into the joint - so the way they use it and where and how long it sheds steroid into the body varies depending on that.

[nallufl24 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks. I had never heard of that. Of course, I’ve never heard of a lot of things till I was diagnosed

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

I think that's one of the problems, docotrs are more used to one-off steroid injections into joints rather than using them for on-going therapy

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tangocharlie]

And only know the warning for joints and tendons. A deep i.m. depot injection is totally different

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

Exactly, which is why Dr D said at first I could only have an injection every 6 months, why on earth did he not realise it wouldn't last that long, rtfm! as we used to say in IT support, he just made it up without checking, luckily I did my research and queried him

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to tangocharlie]

My late hubby’s favourite saying was much along same lines …RTFQ!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tangocharlie]

Don't they all too often? Tell me anything you like - but kindly make sure it is correct first ...

I'm left to assume they can't read ...

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

Or CBA (can't be @rsed) , after all they think of themselves as infallible gods so no need to check or doubt themselves. One of the reasons I much admire and respect doctors like Dr Mackie, if I ask a question she doesn't know she'll admit it and come back to me if she can. Hopefully that is part of modern medical training too, I'll bet you have some stories to tell of doctors you used to work with!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tangocharlie]

CMA medicine - Cover My A,,,

[Skysey in reply to nallufl24]

Thank you for your reply. I am pleased to hear that you haven’t experienced any negative side effects to the injections in the past. I hope your cortisone injection stops the pain in your back. Back pain is horrible.

[Amkoffee]

I've had multiple injections into different joints over the years. Several in my lower back, neck, thumbs and knees. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. The pain relief is temporary if you get relief at all. I have also developed severe osteoporosis and have broken multiple bones mostly in my back which is where most of my injections were. Had I known it was going to get this bad I'm not sure I would have agreed to do the shots in my back. But I was also on pred for 5 years and have a family history of osteoporosis so I'm not sure that the injections in my back made any difference.

[Donaloge]

Hi,

I had a shot of Depo-Medrone in my buttocks in mid-March. It practically eliminated the pains I had had. These have returned to some degree but not to the extent that they worry me much. There were no side effects of which I was aware.

At the time the rheumatologist was very uncertain that I had PMR. I was very atypical with relatively minor symptoms. The purpose of the injection was to see if my symptoms responded to steroids.

However, the doctor was still uncertain and arranged a PET scan. That showed inflammation and convinced her that I do have PMR.

[Skysey]

Thank you so much for your reply. I feel more reassured about the Depo-Medrone now. It will be interesting to see if my symptoms go away or at least reduce after it. I am having a blood test at the end of this week to check inflammatory markers. Your information has been very helpful. I hope your symptoms continue to reduce.