One of the symptoms that I have had since being diagnosed with PMR 4 years ago is pain from sitting in a chair. This can be from sitting in a hard chair while in a restaurant, or in an office chair. By about 3 PM every working day I am in a fair amount of pain, and need to sit in a soft chair to get some relief.
I correlate this issue to PMR, as I did not have it at all before the onset of my other PMR symptoms.
It's worse/better at various times, but I haven't tracked it well enough to know precisely. I do know that I have this issue when I am having a flare, which I am having now.
I'm currently on 10mg leflunomide every other day, and 2.5 mg prednisolone every other day.
Do any of you in the PMR community have a similar issue?
Thank you for your feedback!
Written by
DaleTravis
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The pain is non-specific, it's a dull ache. I can't pinpoint an area. I have consulted with my physio who has given me various techniques to try - cushions, exercises, etc. Nothing seems to help.
When I discussed it with my rheumatologist, he said that he thought it was chronic pain/fibromyalgia -- and I wasn't/am not sure about that at all. I think this pain was masked for some time because of the higher dosage of steroids that I was on, but now its back.
I do have bursitis in my left hip, but I know exactly what that pain feels like, and where I feel it. And this feels unrelated. I have had this overall issue since before the bursitis.
That has commonalities with mine, sort of a general ache, But not fibro I'm sure - bursitis plus myofascial pain sydrome in my case I think, There are 2 different views of bursitis too
For me: I get a deep nagging ache in the groin/in the hip joint when lying down. And a diffuse ache over the entire outer aspect of the hip. Plus when it gets worse a sharper more localised pain in the groin when standing/wlaking and over/around the greater trochanter
I would agree with this - because I was only diagnosed in March this year and for years I have had various pains, I do have arthritis in both hips but it was hurting more in my left hip from sitting down when that shows the least amount of arthritis. And now, 5 months into medication that hip pain has gone, along with quite a few other niggles - not all but some and the hip was the most noticeable along with my feet. so yes, I would say thats entirely possible based on my experience.
Yes of course - I started on 15mg in March and I am on about 8.5 at the moment, I say about, I am splitting a 2.5 on top of 7.5. So 8.75? Hoping to drop to 7.5 by the end of August but tried that last month and it was too painful.
I went up and down I was on 10 and tried to to every other day 7.5 but that was way too up and down so currently I am on 8.75 and every third day 7.5. Hoping to be on that by the end of the month. This is taking WAY longer than I had hoped
From 10mg it is advised the step down shouldn't be more than 10% - the lower you get, the nearer you are likely to be to your "for now" dose. You aren't heading relentlessly to zero and with big steps it may be uncomfortable - if it isn't uncomfortable it is fine to do them though - and you run the risk of overshooting.
Remember, it isn't slow if it works! Overshooting, flaring, realising you are flaring, upping the dose, getting it under control again, that all takes time. And if it happens a few times it can get harder and harder to reduce again.
You will need pred as long as the underlying a/i disorder is active - and that is mostly longer than anyone wants or expects from what their doctor told them.
You're absolutely right - my only problem is the extra weight - I was overweight anyway and I would guess I have put on another 3kgs - when does the weight start to right itself again - do you have to be off completely to start losing the extra weight or would it be hopeful for if the dose is low the weight might start coming off? I am thinking I was on 15mg and now I am on half that so I was hoping that some of the weight might start to come off. I have been good but I do love my carbs and my wine!
The only answer really is to cut your carbs - especially processed ones. And it is perfectly possible to lose weight while on pred if you do that - but it may not go away on its own, it doesn't for everyone.
I do have pain in the hip area which is much worse when sitting down, whichever surface, so I have to keep changing from hard to soft chairs. However, mine does improve with doing the claim knee-raise exercises, so it may not be the same as yours.My BIL, who is an early-retired GP, has found the same since he stopped working and has come to the conclusion that the increased amount of sitting is causing a sort of mild crush injury. So may be!
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