knees stiffness

[zoey12]

can anyone help or have experience. I am now on 2 mg. And my knee stiffness has come back. I’m both knees. I had long before pmr. Is this to be expected. And will it put up my blood results c restive Etc. to interfere with my pmr. Should I go and get a blood test. To see how thing are. Would appreciate anyone who has experience of something similar thanks

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If it is something that you had long before PMR but pred improved it - yes it may well come back. OA symptoms sometimes respond well to pred but it doesn't miraculously cure itself and will reappear.

Whether it will put the markers up depends very much on what it is. And sometimes they lag a long way behind symptoms so probably not worth getting done unless it gets worse.

[zoey12 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you. Looks like I should monitor it see how it goes. And hold off the blood test for a while. I could do with knowing exactly what is wrong with my knees. Doctors are a bit vague. Saying osteoarthritis’s. But no proper tests done. Thanks for your reply

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to zoey12]

That happened to me - one of the first rheumies I ever saw informed me I had OA in my knee - no mention of PMR which is what it turned out to be due to. She waggled my knee and claimed she could "feel the OA", Thirteen years later here they actually were bold enough to take x-rays - and concluded whatever the pain was, it wasn't OA, there was no sign of that at all. It disappeared again and no problems since then

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

A doctor who was giving me a PRP injection into one knee diagnosed osteoarthritis in the other knee just by looking at it! Impressive these doctors!

[zoey12 in reply to piglette]

Years ago I had a cortisone injection in my knee it help for a couple of months

[piglette in reply to zoey12]

The PRP helps for a year or more.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

Crystal balls, see through skin and bone vision, able to order PMR and GCA to go away ...

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

Of course that is what these doctors have, a crystal ball.

[zoey12 in reply to PMRpro]

I wish. That was true. Ha ha

[Louisa1840 in reply to PMRpro]

Oh Pro, do I detect a note of cynicism?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Louisa1840]

Cynical??? Moi?????? Perish the thought! And piglette gives me a fair run for my money ...

[Louisa1840 in reply to PMRpro]

I'm glad someone does!!! Seriously Pro you are such a ROCK for all of us. Thanks for being there.......

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

Qui Moi? Rubbish!.

[zoey12 in reply to PMRpro]

Oh. Mmmm sounds interesting. So the knee pain was pmr. You think It sound like I need a Mir. In near future. See what’s really going on in there thanks

[Bcol]

Hi Zoey, I would totally agree (not that I would dare not to!!!🙂🙂) with PMRpro's thoughts. I've been managing OA for many, many years and Pred certainly takes away some of the symptoms at the higher/medium doses and as you get lower these symptoms will definitely start to return again. Were you diagnosed with OA before Pred? Guess markers won't rise unless inflammation, for whatever reason, is increasing.

[zoey12 in reply to Bcol]

Yes thank you. Doctor said knees had arthritis but no tests done. So it’s all a bit vague. Think at some point I will have to look into it further incase it interferes with the pmr. Thank you for your reply

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to zoey12]

If it’s osteoarthritis all you need is an X-ray to determine how bad it is…..and there isn’t any reason why it should “interfere” with PMR. Different diseases.

Many of us who had OA prior to PMR or GCA found once down to low doses of Pred the OA pains resurfaced. The OA doesn’t go away, so you need to check how much it has deteriorated in the interim.

[zoey12 in reply to DorsetLady]

Yes your right I need to know what state the knees are in for definite no guessing around by the go Then I know what I m dealing with. Also I can feel a little ach st top of legs st front. So guess that’s pmr. It’s not much. So I will see how it goes

[Bcol in reply to zoey12]

Hi Zoey, I think it will be certainly worth following up so that, if it is OA or something else, some appropriate treatment can be sorted. I don't think it's likely to interfere with your PMR or its treatment. Possibly the harder part will be deciding which pain is OA/? and which might be PMR.

[zoey12 in reply to Bcol]

Yes what pain is what. It was all going a bit worse before a got pmr. Or was it pmr starting off. Who knows. It was hard to get out of car after being in for about 20 minutes. Very stiff

[Bcol in reply to zoey12]

Think you might have give it a while to see how the pain develops then off to docs for some orther tests, x-ray on knees etc. Have you tried other "normal" painkillers , paracetamol, Co-Codamol to see if they help? If they do then it's unlikely to be PMR but something else. Beware of Ibuprofen as its not ideal with Pred.

[zoey12 in reply to Bcol]

Ok that sounds like a plan. I will try that to see if pain gets any relief. Will be interesting thanks

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to zoey12]

" It was hard to get out of car after being in for about 20 minutes"

Very PMR-ish ...

[Miserere in reply to zoey12]

The GP I saw sat back and said 'now my dear, you are getting older, so it's not surprising you have some arthritis' - patronising ..... I was 66. Once the word arthritis gets mentioned they can file you in a box and not worry about you any more. Mine did not start until I had PMR.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Miserere]

Nor mine - and a GP tried that rubbish on me "you're getting older"! I was 51 and at the gym and or aerobics classes every day during the week. Suddenly I couldn't keep up with 80 year olds in the classes.

[YorkieShowBreed]

I had some stiffness in my hands and knees before I came down with PMR. It all went away whilst I was on Pred but now that I’m totally off it, it all came back again. Its not anything that I worry about or get upset about. I just put a down to old age

[zoey12 in reply to YorkieShowBreed]

Thanks yes I hope I am like you. Just old age. Wear and tear. I would be happy to take that

[BettyE]

For me relief from OA pain was the only "good" thing about PMR. Been back with a vengeance since PMR subsided nine years ago. Pity we can't have the benefits of Pred without the downsides. I sometimes think about asking for ESR and CRP tests.

[zoey12 in reply to BettyE]

Yes you should it would put your mind at rest either way.