What is this one sided, morning hip pain?

[Prof99]

I have been doing really well, very slowly reducing my Prednisolone down and down and am now on 1¾ mg (with 20mg Methotrexate). But last Friday I woke with a terrible pain in my right hip. I couldn’t put weight on it and it took me ages to get out of bed and to the bathroom. Once I rotate the hip and get it moving, things improve but it is about an hour before I am without pain. Then, the rest of my day is reasonably normal (although I haven’t wanted to exercise as I had been). This pattern has followed for the last 5 days. I took 5mg Pred on Saturday but having taken 4 years to get this low, I am adamant that I am not going up again. If this is PMR pain, I don’t understand why it is only in one hip and why is clears during the day. Your insightful thoughts would be most welcome. Thank you.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Much more likely to be an "add-on" if it is so localised. I'd suggest bursitis but that would tend to get worse with use I'd have thought - mine does. Tendinitis maybe? Where exactly is it - hip means such a wide area to me.

Anything helpful here?

arksurgicalhospital.com/why...

[Prof99 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you PMRPro - that article gives me things to notice and think about. The pain is only on the right hand side, at the top of the large bones that create the 'bowl' - so it is upper buttock area really. In the mornings I can hardly weight bear - it took me ages to get out of bed this morning and just hobble to the bathroom. After about 15 minutes I could weight bear, although still sore. It does appear to respond to Co-codamol but I would rather not make this a daily dose so I tried going without it today, but by 8.15am when I had to leave for work the discomfort was too much so I took 2 tablets. It is only now, at 5pm that I am beginning to notice discomfort again. I might try taking the pain-killers at around 5am to see if it makes my 'get-up' at 6pm better. I don't mind doing that short term, but I if it continues I will have to seek medical advise. As Piglette says, it doesn't sound like (or feel like) my other PMR pains - which do tend to be symmetrical!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Prof99]

Very probably the attachments around the sacroiliac joint - I've been fighting that for the last 6 months but now I think I have a physio who is on the case.

In an emergency I find 800mg ibuprofen as a flooding dose and heat over the painful area works wonders. Some people do well with ice. My rheumy uses NSAIDs and something called neural therapy.

[piglette]

Does not sound like PMR. Have you tried a pain killer? If that works it is very unlikely to be PMR. .

[Prof99 in reply to piglette]

Hi Piglette, yes it does appear to be better after a couple of Co-codamol, and doesn't feel like my other PMR pains (which fortunately I haven't had for a while due to Dorset Lady's excellent slow taper advice. (Please see reply to PMRPro above). Time may tell!

[piglette in reply to Prof99]

Probably is something else, keep taking the pain killers!