Ultrasounds

[Kiwisufferer2019]

Hi all, this morning I had ultrasounds on shoulders neck hands and wrists because of increased pain and at the request of my Rheumatologist who thinks I may have psoriatric arthritis. Therapy who did the ultrasounds said the tendons are very inflamed and not surprising I'm in pain. I don't see my Rheumatologist until August so not sure if he'll get in touch before that, or I might have to contact him. I think I need to put my pred back to 10mg, I can't function properly with the pain I'm experiencing at the moment. A short walk and it's worse, not even half a k. The pain has become worse over the past week. Any advice welcome.

Janis

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

As my reply to other post -tendons around shoulders can be inflamed by a variety of reasons - so a bit more investigation requires there methinks. Which may not be that easy…

[Kiwisufferer2019 in reply to DorsetLady]

I hope he'll get to the bottom of the problem.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Kiwisufferer2019]

... and agree with PMRpro's comments on other thread -whole thing sounds very PMR-ish...

[Kiwisufferer2019 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you ladies for your advice, much appreciated.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Well if it is tendons that are inflamed - it is unlikely to be arthritis of any sort, it is a soft tissue problem.

I feel your pain - I have struggled with wrist tendinitis at times, At the start of PMR I struggled to even hold a cup of tea - making it was torture! When it got to struggling to hold a glass of wine ...

Is 10mg pred enough?

[Kiwisufferer2019 in reply to PMRpro]

Do you think I should up my dose? Maybe 12 for a few days and see if my pain subsides?

[Kiwisufferer2019]

Intolerable to not be able to hold a glass of wine! Although I haven't had one for a few days, just haven't felt up to it.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Kiwisufferer2019]

You are in a bad way then😔

[Kiwisufferer2019 in reply to DorsetLady]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Kiwisufferer2019]

Good lord - that would merit a visit to the GP for me! I agree with DL ,,,

[Kiwisufferer2019 in reply to PMRpro]

I will make up for it tomorrow night I am going to stay with my youngest daughter in the country, there will be 1 or 2 glasses of 🍷🍷🍷🍷maybe 3 probably not 4, I might not be able to Handel that much. ☺️

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Kiwisufferer2019]

I drank more than I usually do the last few days with a visitor - and it triggered some a/f. She's on her way home now so I'll be back to normal amounts ...

[Kiwisufferer2019 in reply to PMRpro]

Oh dear, but it is nice to have company to drink with, take care.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Kiwisufferer2019]

No a/f last night!!!!

[Kiwisufferer2019 in reply to PMRpro]

Great news, it's 6.30 am and I've had a terrible night, aching all over, I took a tramadolvwhen I went to bed, but of course it did nothing, so I'm sure it's the pmr. I've decided to take 15mg for next 3 days, then 12 for 3 days then backbto 10mg and see if that alleviates my symptoms. I can't go on like this. Janis

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Kiwisufferer2019]

Let’s hope so - and keep notes -ammunition to convince Rheumy it is PMR

[Kiwisufferer2019 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks, and yes I will.

[Ridge in reply to PMRpro]

What do you do when you have an a/f episode? I have more or less given up alcohol cos of a/f and miss it!!! I’d love to have a glass on occasions.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Ridge]

Try it - different for everyone. I have a small (110ml) glass of wine every night and it has no effect at all. More seems to. Coffee does it for some - never did in the past though I don't drink it much but I had an episode a couple of months ago after Kaffee und Kuchen" here Coffee and cake is a major tradition in Germanic regions for those who don't know.

Nearly forgot - wait it out! It only bothers me if I feel really unwell or the rate is persistently above 140, the odd brief spike is fine. Since last November I had had 12 hours a day episodes but never very high. Maybe I should have gone to the ED- might have got the notice of the cardiologist much sooner. In the end they changed my medication which has had a great effect and I'm waiting for an ablation. If I catch it right at the start with a dose of a liquid magnesium supplement it often stops, Plenty of magnesium is a good thing usually. If I go to the ED they mess about with magnesium infusions, if that doesn't work they may use medications to slow the heart rate, but they can't do much either, it is the nature of the beast. But VERY high heart rates - peristently above 140 is my limit - you need medical attention. And when it goes on for a long time it can interfere with doing much, I struggled to stand to cook during the winter - ate a lot of salad ...

[Ridge in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you. A wonderful pragmatic approach to a/f! I shall look up liquid magnesium. I have been given pill in pocket beta blocker. I am almost more concerned about taking it as I feel like ‘road kill’ the next day and it doesn’t work quickly. Coffee so far hasn’t been a trigger thank goodness but again I don’t drink much. A life of moderation!! I am off to discuss with helpful GP next week. I shall ask about magnesium.

Once again PMRpro what would we do without you.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Ridge]

I'm permanently on a beta blocker - bisoprolol low dose morning and afternoon. Don't think it makes me feel ill - the a/f can when it goes on and on though. I don't find the pill in pocket approach helps and it wasn't suggested here. I'd never had episodes longer than about 2 hours ever month or so before last November and it started up hours after the bivalent booster - the cardiologist wouldn't agree, he said it was because propafenone stops working after 5 or 6 years and I'd been on it 10 years! Switched me to flecainide and it has been very good so far. I think people get very upset at a/f - I know there is little they can do for lower levels so I use a pulse oximeter to know what my heart rate is and have a cut off point. I see no point in calling an ambo unnecessarily and taking the car isn't a bright idea really, using the train when I'm that bad is hard work! I've checked with the cardiologist - her views are the same, I'm on anticoagulation and here they consider that the most important factor,

[AuthorJ in reply to Ridge]

i have become a neatly- never wine drinker as it messes with my sleep. When I’m in the mood for it I put some pure cherry or cranberry juice ( no sugar!)in a wine glass and fill glass with water. It isn’t wine but it works for me holding the wine 🍷 glass is satisfying.

[AuthorJ in reply to AuthorJ]

also I some times put just w enough wine to cover bottom of glass then fill with water.. I get the scent of the wine 😊

[Ridge in reply to AuthorJ]

Yes! I had that this weekend. I tried a sip of rose and it was strong! Put a little in the glass and topped up with fizzy water. It was really nice! Maybe….?!

[LMali in reply to PMRpro]

a/f . . . does that mean atrial fibrillation? Is that caused by alcohol?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to LMali]

Alcohol can be a trigger and that has been confirmed with clinical studies. It depends on the person - I can drink one small glass of wine without any increase at all. Had a couple of days with more, that wasn't a good idea, not that it was bad,

[Hoopy1950 in reply to Kiwisufferer2019]

I do hope you enjoyed those glasses of wine. It has to be done 🤣

[marionofnorwich]

Sorry, missing something probably obvious but wgat is a/f

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to marionofnorwich]

Atrial fibrillation. If you see an abbreviation here you will almost certainly find it if you google it with "medical abbreviation" in the search term - quicker than waiting for us.

[GrandmaPirate]

Were you diagnosed with PMR before and at what dose of prednisolone are you now? If you felt ok on 10 mg pred. I suggest you should go back to that dose and see what happens. If initially you had a higher dose than 10 mg and now again on 10 mg symptoms are still there after 8 days you may try at 16mg and then slowly month after month decreased with 1 mg until you are fine at 10 mg. That scheme I got from my rheumy when I got a flared after cobid vaccination.Wish you symptomfree summer (at your site winter) months.