Painkillers.

[Dukeyears]

Hi everyone, it's been a while since I was on here. I have whittled myself down to 3pg pred.and have been going along ok. I do however have a question and would really appreciate any advice.I have recently been working full out in my garden, re landscaping to make it easier to manage, and my shoulders have started to be painful at night keeping me awake. My question is this. Do Difene tablets knock out the pain caused by PMR ?, I have found that if I take one about every fortnight I can live a fairly pain free life, I'm not sure but had this feeling that some time ago someone said that they do not work against PMR pains, if so I am wondering if the pains I am experiencing are just caused by the heavy work I am undertaking ( this is not a moan. I am loving it !). I would be grateful for and feedback, thank you and good luck to all.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

"I have recently been working full out in my garden, re landscaping to make it easier to manage"

Bit of a non-sequitur that!!!! Got to half kill yourself to make it easier!!!!

Ordinary painkillers rarely help with PMR pain - but if ONE diclofenac tablet every TWO weeks keeps thing on the level, who's going to complain!

[Dukeyears in reply to PMRpro]

Hi Ambassador, ha ha, yes sounds like that doesn't it, A much younger me created this half acre garden, now I'm finding I have to re-allocate the energy from huge herbaceous beds to raised beds for my more important organic veg, lots of that going on. Fortunately or unfortunately, I have been blessed with an unfailing energy, that coupled with a love of nature, keeps me going. I am one very happy PMR sufferer, albeit a bit too achey at times. Thank you for you reply, much appreciated.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Dukeyears]

Yes - can totally get the importance ranking there. jinasc of this forum had raised beds put in - loves them to bits.

[piglette]

Difene is an NSAID, we are normally discouraged of taking them with steroids and they nirmally do not work anyway, but if they help you that is good, although it may be some other ache it is helping.

Your garden sounds fantastic, why don’t you put some photos of it on our PMR/GCA Gardening site. I would love to see it. facebook.com/groups/6288051...

[Dukeyears in reply to piglette]

Hi Piglette, thank you for your reply, you have always been so helpful in the past. Yes that's the reason I posted because I am beginning to suspect that the pains are more from the 'hard labour' I am putting in outside than the PMR. I am down to 3pg and most days are good. I was wondering if there is any test that can be done to assertain as to the level of recovery I may be at?, I was diagnosed four years ago and have been left to pretty much get on with it, my pharmacist here in Ireland is brilliant, I just let him know what I need according to my reducing program and he gives me the appropriate number of pills in doses I am taking.I hope you are coping I know from your previous posts that you have had your crosses to bear. Thank you for all the time you put in to help others.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Dukeyears]

No, not really any way of assessing the stage the disease activity isat - except being able to reduce the dose of pred but still having good symptom control. And when it is gone, you get off pred altogether without them coming back.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Dukeyears]

. I was wondering if there is any test that can be done to assertain as to the level of recovery I may be at?,

Other than getting to zero and no return of symptoms….no…

[Dukeyears in reply to DorsetLady]

thank you dorset lady, i hope you are doing ok, thank you for all the help you give to us all

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Dukeyears]

Good thank you very much....😊

[Bcol]

Suspect its just muscle and joint pains from the work you are doing. NSAIDS wouldn't normally have any useful effect on PMR and although not recommended with Pred, I can't see one a fortnight can do any harm, particularly as it seems to sort out the pain and you are getting enjoyment from what you are doing.

[Dukeyears in reply to Bcol]

Thank you Bcol for your rely, yes that's what I have been suspecting. Don't think there's any hope for me to change things, I'm driven by my love of it all!.

[Gimme]

I was given diclofenac a while back, long before any suggestion of PMR being the problem. It worked as well as the pred for my stiffness, though I have never experienced anywhere near the acute level of pain that a lot of people get with PMR. Stiffness and fatigue have always been my dominant symptoms and I only turned to pred after a very acute exacerbation of pain in Jan 2023 after having flu. At that time OTC meds didn't touch it. Normally, I only get much pain from repetitive movements. I managed my PMR with NSAIDs for years before diagnosis and found that the anti inflammatory effect lasted for many hours longer after any analgesic effect would have worn off. The fact that you are able to do all that garden work just underlines how different our individual experience of PMR is. I can swim a kilometre when I have enough energy to get to the pool and I know a lot of people in the group would not be able to do that either. It would be too painful for them. That fact has made me question my diagnosis many times when reading the chat in the group. To answer your question, I think that people like us with PMR who are relatively mobile have to be careful not to exceed our capabilities on good days or we suffer afterwards. The trick seems to be to maintain your long term health by doing beneficial exercise that you enjoy without overdoing it. It is all about pacing yourself.

[Dukeyears in reply to Gimme]

Hi Gimme, thank you for your reply, yes I think you are spot on, I have often said that my problem is that on good days when Im feeling good I do too much , I am in fact my own worst enemy. I am just 87 and have been blessed or cursed with amazing energy that at times is hard to put down, like you with your swimming, until recently my much younger pals have wanted an undertaking that a walk was going to be a walk and not ten kilometres before starting out .

I think I am also like you one of the very lucky ones that dont have all the more extreme symptoms. We are very fortunate to live in a time when we can connect with all the wonderful people on this site who are there to help us through this illness. and a speedy

I wish you well, with your swimming and a speedy recovery.

[Gimme in reply to Dukeyears]

Thank you, that's very sweet of you and I hope the same for you. I'm going to try and stick with the swimming, even if I struggle with other forms of exercise. I really do think it helps the PMR, if only to keep everything moving and minimise the muscle wastage, but I also believe it helps the inflammation and definitely benefits the mental health aspects of the illness. In the long run, I think it will be core to my recovery.

[Dukeyears in reply to Gimme]

And you know your own body better than anyone, common sense and listening to your body, ESPECIALLY when it's saying, that's enough, is all you can do to help yourself. I wish I could take my own advice!!! Good luck.