ok to taper from 10 back to half mg after 7 days due to slight flareup

[Grimsbytown]

I developed a bad pain at one side of my neck & no pain anywhere else. After a blood test it showed that my inflammation rate was raised. My GP said I should raise my pred tablets up to 10mg from half a mg which I have been on for 12 weeks. My question is, is it ok to go straight back down to half mg after 7 days. Incidentally my neck pain isn’t much better & I don’t think it was anything to do with my PMR.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

You might need slightly longer than 7 days...if it is a PMR flare. You can stay on increased dose for 14 days max before it impacts on you reducing back to to previous dose - or rather just above it.

As your inflammation markers are up, did you do something to cause that - and the neck pain? and is GP going to test them again?

If you are sure it's not PMR, then probably to go back down, but you do need to find out what is causing neck pain - did you try ordinary painkillers before you increased Pred?

[Grimsbytown in reply to DorsetLady]

painkillers don’t seem to have much effect & strangely enough it’s not so painful morning & during the day & also when standing up, but the pain gets worse at night & in bed. I am having my bloods done again. The neck pain came on gradually & has got no worse since it reached the peak. Thanks

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Grimsbytown]

New pillows or new mattress recently? Although would have expected pain in morning

New furniture-and you are sitting differently? Or doing new activities that impinge on neck?

If it comes on when sitting or sleeping perhaps it’s referred pain from an issue with lumbar?

Seems odd that neither painkillers nor an increase in Pred helps - usually one or the other does.. what about heat?

[Joseph14612 in reply to Grimsbytown]

I have the same problem....fine during the day but have pain in bed. I tried several different pillows and doc sent me to Physical therapy for 3 months and made no difference. What has helped me is sleeping with a horse shoe type travel pillow around my neck.

[Grimsbytown in reply to Joseph14612]

thank you. Hope to see the doc this week to discuss

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Don't need to taper after only 7 days.

Could it be a sternocleidomastoid muscle problem?

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

physio-pedia.com/Sternoclei...

tsmp.com.au/blog/pain-in-st...

[Grimsbytown in reply to PMRpro]

I think it’s probably not PMR but muscular. Thanks

[Mansplainer101]

I was down to 4 mg when I was struck with bilateral Achilles Tendonitis which the doc speculated might be caused by the drop in my dosage so I went back to 10 for a week. Made no difference and he said it was OK to drop back to 4 again, and I did so with no adverse effects.

[Grimsbytown in reply to Mansplainer101]

thanks a lot, that was very helpful

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Mansplainer101]

I have had right achilles tendinitis and left peroneal tendinitis since about this time last year - it really is only in the last week or so I would say it has finally cleared up. They arrived after a major PMR flare but being on Actemra didn't make a speedy improvement and I had already been on nearly 20mg pred when it started.