Post leflunomide update

[Alebeau]

After upping prednisone to 15 mg my blood work came back with normal CRP but elevated ESR 36

The extreme shoulder pain was diagnosed via ultrasound to be bursitis.

Rheumatologist says bursitis can be triggered by long term prednisone. Has anyone else suffered this problem after long term prednisone?

While on leflunomide I got to 5.5 so I think I should try to get back down quickly to below 10 hut not sure how quickly I should reduce. I went to 13 so far but have the hunch I could probably get away with less ASAP.

Any advice welcome.

It was bad timing for the bursitis to start up at the exact same time I stopped leflunomide and it seemed that both shoulders neck wrists were all painful but the left shoulder was crazy sore. The rheumatologist suggested at that time to go to 15 so I did as I was desperate for relief.

After getting a cortisone shot 3 days ago in the left shoulder it is finally starting to feel better.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Strange concept - prednisone is used to reduce the inflammation in bursitis. Pred may lead to tendonitis - different thing though.

[Fgironda]

Hi ,I would RE test in about 10 days bebore making a decision to go up, down ,or stay the same then make a decision .I would not go down too fast .Good luck !!

Frank

[GinnyMa]

right now in hospital ……will reply later…..PMR pro gives good advice

[DaleTravis]

Hi,

I have been on prednisolone for the past 4.5 years, and on leflunomide for almost 2. I have bursitis in my left hip, which my rheumatologist has given me a couple of steroid injections for. He said the bursitis and PMR were unrelated.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DaleTravis]

Well I'd dispute that - bursitis is often part of PMR and trochanteric bursitis is considered the most common:

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/160...

[Alebeau in reply to PMRpro]

ThanksThat probably explains my recent attacks. Too bad they coincided with my stopping Leflunomide cold turkey as I assumed the two were suspicious.

I wonder how many of our PMR Group has suffered from shoulder bursitis?

[Alebeau in reply to DaleTravis]

ThanksThat makes two of us with similar paths.

I am also at the four and a half year mark and was on leflunomide for a year.

The bursitis came on immediately after stopping the leflunomide due to increasing neuropathy in feet and hands.

Thanks for sharing and fingers crossed the bursitis doesn't spread to my hips.

My rheumatologist did indicate that bursitis is a long term side effect of prednisone.