From time-to time I wake up during the night with pain just above my ankles, usually at the front of my leg. It feels a bit like cramp, but is an unusual place to get it. If I get out of bed and walk around for a few minutes it is ok again, but it does happen quite a lot. I am currently on 4.5mg started going down to 4mg a few days ago using DSNS method. I don't think it is anything to do with starting to reduce, but maybe I need to take something to help with this. I have been at 4.5 for about 4 months now. I am on Lansoprazole 15mg, Pred and I take Vitamin D 2200 plus K2 as well. I have actually got a F2F appointment with my GP on Thursday, never met him yet, or indeed spoken to him on the phone. Haven't seen any GP for 3 years actually, so I will make the most of it for my first PMR discussion with him. Any suggestions please, and does anyone else get this?
Problem just above my ankles: From time-to time I... - PMRGCAuk
Problem just above my ankles
One suggestion I found is osteoarthritis in the ankle joint which stiffens while you are sleeping and causes pain.
Hi PMRpro thanks for your suggestion however it isn't actually in my ankle joint, but in the front of my legs just above the ankles. I am wondering if it is a withdrawal symptom now I am getting to a lower dose of Pred. It doesn't only happen when I am asleep in bed, waking me up, but on occasion it can be whilst I have been walking around for a while. It got so bad one day in both legs during last year that I almost came to a stop walking, and had to make it to somewhere where I could sit down and have a cup of tea. Within a short time of sitting I was perfectly ok again-really odd!!
Shin splints?????
What are they?
mayoclinic.org/diseases-con...
Though they are much more likely to be pain when moving - and no, you don't have to be an athlete! I thtink you probably do need to ask the doctor - just in case.
I have an appointment with my GP tomorrow, so I will see what he thinks
I assume pain that goes away when I walk around is just me seizing up as I get older.
Hi. Yes, i have been getting the same as yourself for the last 3-4 weeks and I am down to 3mgs from 20mgs over 2 years. Even if i turn over in bed it just dissappears but then comes back depending how i lay. I shall mention this to my Dr when i next visit but it is exactly how you say. Who knows what all these pains are but i just put some of them down to old age. It would be interesting to find out!! Lets hope they go away.
Do let us know how your Dr appt goes wont you
My rheumy said that as I reduce my pred my "old aches and pains" will come back. But I don't know what all my old aches and pains are - which ones were attributable to PMR! I will ask him at my next appointment if I am to expect random aches and pains like you are experiencing. I'm now on 6mg and getting tennis elbow, which is an old pain, but also some ankle pain which I haven't had before. Maybe there are some pains that have developed while you're on a higher dose of pred that have been masked by it and therefore went unnoticed until now. E.g. if you overdid it on a walk and strained a tendon you wouldn't notice?
I definitely feel strained tendon pain, that is that has been one of my major problems this last 9 months - difficult to rest a foot/ankle tendon problem when both ankles are affected and you live alone! I had no aches and pain pre-PMR - but I suspect that no longer applies nearly 20 year later 
I have experienced this odd cramp/strain/pain side and front of ankle over the last year, before my recent PMR flare up. Walking around didn’t always sort it first time - only occurring in bed at night? Not had the problem since starting on 20mg Pred.
I told my Rheumy about a pain I have been having which is just above my ankle at the front, he has organised a Dexa scan which I am having today. He said he thinks it may be osteoarthritis as my last scan showed osteopenia.
There is no link between osteopenia and osteoarthritis - totally different things. Was it osteoporosis he said maybe? Osteopenia precedes that. But OP isn't painful unless it results in a fracture.
Thank you for your response PMRpro. I was sure he said osteoarthritis but now I’m thinking you may be right and it was osteoporosis. Not sure now, all these osteos! 🤔
I know - if it wasn't confusing enough, all those words that sound the same! And the confusion between osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, also totally different things,
Fingers crossed it turns out to be neither.
Just back from having the scan, the radiographer? said it may be to check if the osteopenia has increased. Will get results in four to five weeks.
I've only once had to wait - the best time here was when my husband had his done at the same time. He had been a medical physicist, his department had the dexascanner and the radiographer went through all our results with us! Totally unofficial no doubt but fun.
You were fortunate to have such excellent service!
I will ask to have the results sent to me but the fun for me will be attempting to interpret them.
I must say that I am grateful that we have these fantastic machines available to us.
We aren't too bad at that!
Hi. I get that too. I also get tingling in the front of my leg. It’s between my lower ankle level to just below my knee. My doctor told me it’s the Pred. It’s only there when I wake up and soon goes.
You could try wearing ankle support socks in bed. I had a similar problem. I saw the suggestion in an ad on Facebook. I was sceptical, but thought it worth a try and it has worked for me! I get a much better night's sleep too! Good Luck!
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