Not sure if I have a flare or withdrawal

[Miacaro45]

Diagnosed with GCA in 10/2020 and put on 80 mg of Prenisone ( which saved my eye sight).Following my rheumatologists orders, I tapered down to 10 mg by 10/22. I was quite miserable with arm, shoulder and hip pains that my rheumatologist told me to go up to 20 mg. I was checked out ( with blood tests) for PMR and the tests were fine. My doctor told me I did not have PMR (even though I read that you could have it without the elevated CRP or sedimentation .I started slowly tapering and am now at 13mg. Basically, I have been managing until this morning when I woke up in awful pain from my arms, shoulders and hips. I read the paper on whether it is a flare or withdrawal. I decided to take 2 Tylenol to see what happens. After about an hour the pain was not that intense but definitely still there.

I am not sure what to do.

Thank you all for being here and offering wonderful support.

[piglette]

Your rheumatologist should know that if the steroids are working they will reduce your inflammation markers down to a normal level, even if you do have PMR. It is possible that a steroid reduction could cause pain just after a reduction, but that should go away after a couple of days or so and a light painkiller such as Tylenol will help the pain over that period.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

As my link says, if the pains come on straight away and then recede within 3-5 days then it probably is steroid withdrawal…. So give it a couple more days - if it lasts longer and gets progressively worse then you know it’s a flare.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Were the blood tests that showed normal done while you were back on 20mg pred? Of course they were likely to be normal - that's what the pred is for!!!