virus? or flare?

[Blossom20]

Hi esteemed ones, could I pick your brains?

I've got a horrible virus - temp of 38, chills, boiling hot, aching especially neck and shoulder muscles. Feel awful. I never used to take anything before I had PMR , but now I've had to resort to paracetamol. It takes the edge off the grotty feeling especially at night. I know that paracetamol doesn't make PMR pain better....

So what |I'm wondering is could it be to do with PMR? I always have problems getting below 2mg. But I was feeling so fine, I thought it had gone, and I just needed to wean off the Pred.

So, I cut down to 1.5 from 2 just over a week ago. My daughter has just reminded me that that is 25%. But I didn't think that mattered if the PMR had gone.

So my poor liver is coping with 4 drugs. I'm inclined to take 2.5mg pred today.

What do you think?

When I first got PMR it hit me like a ton of bricks, and felt like a virus - aching neck, coated tongue, aching all over. Any ideas?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

But I didn't think that mattered if the PMR had gone.

But you don’t know it’s gone until you have been at zero for some months and no return of symptoms.

There’s a big difference in 1/2mg as many know at such low doses - and at only 3 years in your PMR may well be quite alive and kicking.

Virus is obviously not helping-so a few days at 5mg might be sensible -and then back to 2mg -and after that use a slower tapering plan -see here -

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Blossom20 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Even 1/2mg is loads to keep PMR quiet - so 2mg is A LOT. DL already said exactly what I was going to say ...

If you ALWAYS have problems getting below 2mg, that is your body reminding you that this is the dose you are looking for: the lowest effective dose. If you want to explore whether that is now lower as 2mg is controlling it very well you MUST go really slowly.

But the infection, whatever it is, is enough to make you feel foul. And don't reduce until you are well over it.

[Blossom20 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you

[piglette]

I would say the symptoms sound very like a nasty bug and if paracetamol helps it probably is. Hope you feel better soon.

[Exflex]

At your dose of 2mg I was reducing at a rate of 0.25mg every month, not in one hit but following the DL tapering plan. On the one hand it’s reducing the percentages, and on the other it’s slow enough to pick up and reaction.