I am currently tapering steroids, on the 06/01/2023 reduced from 10 mg to 9 mg. Rheumatologist wants me to reduce 1mg every month until down to 5mg. I was also prescribed amitriptyline by GP to help with tingling sensation in my head.
I have started with lower right back pain and have trouble getting from sitting to standing position. Just wondering if tapering would cause back pain.
Well it might if that took you to a dose that isn't enough to manage the inflammation and symptoms are flaring.
Do standard painkillers like paracetamol help with the back pain? If so, that might tend to indicate that it’s not PMR….If painkillers do help, but it doesn’t go away, time for a further GP consultation I think.
If painkillers don’t help, then yes, maybe you are reducing the pred too quickly? I tried 1mg a month and the pain came whizzing back. So now I’m doing 0.5mg per four weeks, and having got to 8.5mg, feel I am nearing the dose I need at the moment. As is always said on here, we’re looking for the lowest effective dose of pred……the idea is not to reduce by a given amount, come what may!
Good luck, hope you feel better soon x
Has the GP given you an explanation for the tingling sensation? I ask because part of my GCA symptoms was tingling across the face, which lasted for months.
I did have tingling sensations for months in my face which has now cleared. Doctor thinks tingling sensation in my head possibly nerve pain, I have been taking Amitriptyline for 3 week but no improvement.
That's interesting because my rheumy said he didn't know what the tingling was. However the doctor who gave the society a talk last Spring (forgotten his name) said it was part of GCA.
Same here rheumy says it was nothing to do with GCA and doctor says side effects of steroids.
Dr Chetan Mukhtyar maybe?..although I think his talk was later in year…
Sorry, my memory is a blank, but I remember he did say he had remembered PMRGCAuk in his will!
His will? well that’s good then…
Better not say what sprang to mind ...
Not much help, but I am going through the exact same thing right now. It's not bilateral, so I was thinking it was something else. I doubled my pred this morning, so we shall see.
I’ve got to 9 mg twice over the last year year and a half. That’s when I start to feel my PMR pains come back in my lower back. When I was reducing last year I took it really slowly. Instead of reducing weekly, I took two or three weeks to lower my dose. At the end of last year I was at 8.5mg over five days in the week. But that time my lower back pain was much worse and my shoulder pain has returned.
So I’m guessing I’ve found my limits for now. I’m back up at 10mg and happy to stay there for now.
I hope you start to feel a bit better soon!
When is your back pain worse? I find mine kicks in only at night. It's just a like a dull ache all across lower back, not muscular. I have sai from prolonged use of preds so don't know if it's low cortisol. Painkillers on their own don't touch it.
when I reduce even half Mg on the DS method , as soon as i’m on the new dose for about a 4 day period the back pains start , sometimes I have to increase a little to get control again but when I am successful it takes about 2 or 3 weeks being uncomfortable before my body gets used to the new dose , knees give me trouble also . But I do have arthritic issues as well .
Thanks for your reply. Never had back problems when reducing might be because going under 10mg. I have had the pain about a week now, will leave it another week and contact GP.
Did you say painkillers get rid of the pain in your back?
Only tried paracetamol which do not help.
Lower back pain. Not PMR? 
Lower back pain and stiffness
Lower back pain
Lower back pain
Severe lower back pain - can it be a PMR flare?
