GPrang to say my markers are low. My potassium is low most prob due to Steroids. We need to get you off Pred ASAP. You have been on them a long time .
Am currently on 1.5 / 1 .
am to have blood test in 6 weeks .
What about the hip pain I asked about - Not a mention.
Now what to do. Think will leave till after Xmas cos they busy and see if it goes on its own 🤔
I think that side effects from this tiny dose would be negligible, especially if they are holding your symptoms at bay. I would seek another medical opinion.
Bananas are a good source of potassium I believe.
yes and avacado and salmon. I meat all 3 . 😊
GPs are becoming next to useless in my opinion. You can’t talk to them, they don’t reply and they are never in the surgery.
1-1.5mg is tiny, even my rabidly reducing doctors stopped worrying at that point . I’d be surprised if it is enough to affect your potassium greatly, but I’m not an expert. Chug those bananas. Has your potassium been previously low?
I think it has as long as I have been on Pred. Perhaps before. Perhaps that’s just me. I will look up the results later and put on here 😊
R u on any water pills or any possible other medications that would decrease your potassium? I would ask your chemist
no only pred. Another phone call today t discuss USS results and another blood test booked for a weeks time. So will ask. 😊
"We need to get you off Pred ASAP. You have been on them a long time"
And as you well know - that has NOTHING to do with the price of butter, Nor, I venture to suggest, at that dose does it have a lot to do with the potassium level! How low is it?
healthline.com/nutrition/fo...
I will look later and put on here for you to interpret if you don’t mind. I don’t know what they mean 😊
don’t really understand but 5.5 was the potassium level.
Everything was border line.
HDL cholesterol was 2.2
LDL 2.4
😊
she may not have said potassium. All the results were out of range but I can’t decipher them. More blood booked for a weeks time. They sent appointment today. Don’t know what for. Doc said yesterday blood test in 6 weeks when ‘she says’ I will be off Pred 🤣😂🤣😂 hope I am but doubt it. Only reducing by .5
Not wanting to rain on your parade but if you try to get from where you are to zero in 6 weeks you really could be asking for trouble. That is loads to keep adrenal function hovering on the borderline - and LOADS to keep low level PMR under wraps. The lower, the slower ...
I think doc thinks once to get to 1 mg you can just ✋🏼 stop. I looked at my notes and that is what she wrote.
Sometimes one thinks I wish some of these GPs knew what we are going through. I know they are not all like that and I have a great deal of sympathy for overworked GPs, at the moment, but a little empathy wouldn't go amiss.
Neither would a little bit of common sense, and maybe more knowledge of long term Pred and adrenals….
I have just had another call from GP re a recent USS. I asked her if it was ok to take extra Pred when I go to Switzerland tomorrow as if my painful hips are a flare I could up the dose. Her reply . Of course but try not to increase. Your inflammatory makers for PMR are low.
So I can if it gets worse and if there is an improvement it is PMR . 😊
? 😳
I’m no expert but on googling ‘potassium 5.5’ it seems to be at the high end of the normal range!
This is the reason they have practice managers. You should write to the practice manager and say you are hard of hearing, so need to have a face to face consultation. Ask them to arrange an appointment so you do not have to use the phone.
they already know. But far tooooo busy for face to face 😊
oh boo!
Frustrating telephone consultation with GP
Rheumatology telephone appointment
Rheumatologist call- not PMR?
rheumatology video call this Wednesday 
Rheumatology Phone call !!
