Belated happy easter and love to you all

[Blossom20]

I haven't posted for a while, but I wanted to say how much I appreciate you all and the support I get from this forum!I'm still on 2 mg and struggling - sore shoulders mainly. I sometimes go up to 3 or 4 for a few days which helps.

I've also got periferal artery disease now which is my biggest worry. I've been on a restricted diet for a couple of months and lost a stone! Been reading a lot about how getting glucose levels down helps . One leg is better, the other one worse!

Sorry for long post!

[SheffieldJane]

Well done for losing a stone! It is nice to hear from you again, only sorry that you are so symptomatic. I don’t think short little bursts of extra Pred are that effective. It’s probably better to go up to 5 mgs for a week or two and then return to 2 mgs. This may clear out the inflammation once and for all.

[Blossom20 in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thanks Jane. I'll try that. I am just worried that the longer I'm on a higher dose the more I will be dependent on it and find it difficult to get down again...But maybe it doesn't work like that.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Blossom20]

Not really and you can take the higher dose for a week to 10 days without it affecting your adrenal function any more than it already is, But it really sounds as if you are not on quite enough pred - and ther es no virtue in that at all. If you are on too low a dose the inflammation just builds up again and you need more pred. YOu would be far better clearing it out and going back to a slightly higher dose longer term rather than yoyoing the dose as you are doing. THAT can make it harder to reduce the dose again when you keep doing it.

[Blossom20 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks Pro. I think the main thing I'm worried about is what has caused the sudden plaque build up in my femoral arteries. And could it be the pred? All through the worst times of my Pmr I felt that the oxygen wasn't getting through the hips, causing that heavy as lead feeling. Was it the inflammation and damage to the walls of the arteries? Then the cholesterol laid down to repair the damage?What do you think?

I think you said once that PAD is a common sequelae to Pmr....but I can't find that post.

Thank you, I do value your expertise!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Blossom20]

Long term systemic inflammation causes scars to form on the inside of the arteries and that probably encourages the formation of plaques. But it ll starts far earlier than PMR and pred - as early as childhood

nhlbi.nih.gov/health/athero....

[Jackoh]

Good to hear from you and losing one stone - wow! That’s impressive! Agree re not going up and down quickly it usually makes things worse long term. 💐

[tempusfugi]

Thank you for your kind Easter wishes, Blossom20. Just wanted to say that. I can't add more than the wise words given here.