At zero prednisone, almost a week

[sdowney717]

Feel a little stiff and sore in the am, but no obvious need for prednisone.

I also cut back methotrexate from 6 pills 12mg to 5 pills weekly.

Will see Rheumy second week of November. I would like to cut the meth out some more. If I don't need it, I don't want to take it.

The Plaquenil I don't mind, as side effects are nil. But there is still a financial cost to them too.

Middle fingers are stiff, have to put up with it for now. But I am sleeping better, my hands don't fall asleep as much or as painful as they were.

I do get stinging eyes every day which only a daily shower fixes, makes me think my skin is exuding drugs and it gets into my eyes. Which is another reason to cut back on the drugs I take.

[SnazzyD]

Hmm, being stiff and sore in the mornings doesn’t sound like your PMR’s inflammation is under control. I’m sure you could tough it out, it sounds like you’re determined, but the consequences might not be worth it. 11 days ago you said you felt you didn’t need the Pred. Is that because you were pain free or your discomfort was like it is now? It might be cutting both Pred and Methotrexate might be a step too far.

[sdowney717 in reply to SnazzyD]

Just a little stiff and sore, nothing at all like before when I cut back on the prednisone. I honestly feel good after couple hours after getting up. So that all goes away.

[SnazzyD in reply to sdowney717]

Ok, just be watchful. Be wary of changing too many things at once so you can evaluate which is the making the most difference.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I agree with Snazzy's analysis. Don't stick it out for the sake of it. Leave the MTX dose alone for the time being.

[SheffieldJane]

Interesting theory about your eyes. Mine have been gritty and sore for the duration. Dry eye drops help Thealoz Duo and I use Blepharitis wipes to keep them clean. My eyes look normal but it is annoying. I wonder if I exude drugs too?

[LemonZest11]

Beware the dreaded "dripping tap"! 😱

[Harrywogan in reply to LemonZest11]

I do really hate this dripping tap, sometimes you can't decide if it's dripping or not if you have any aches and pains 😞

[sdowney717]

Still at zero pred. We will see how it goes. I am adding 2 supplements, one is vitamin K2 MK7 Other is nitric oxide booster.

I was reading they may help my joint-nerve issues of my middle fingers, pulling the excess calcium out of tissues. Some tissues can become calcified.

Without D3, just K2. Too much vitamin D is bad.

amazon.com/dp/B0C6N1L71X?ps...

amazon.com/dp/B09B4DWNYQ?ps...

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to sdowney717]

"Too much vitamin D is bad."

How much vit D are you taking? Unless you are taking massive doses of vit D or have a condition called sarcoidosis, it is unlikely to be a problem.

[sdowney717 in reply to PMRpro]

Months ago for months, after my PMR diagnosis, I was taking k2 with D3 of 10,000iu, which is a lot. Plus I consume a lot of milk. I quit those pills after wondering if my finger joints got calcified.

So this time just taking the k2 ordered yesterday. I had zero, none, no finger stiffness or pain before PMR and only after a few months of those pills did my fingers start having serious joint problems. I did though have trigger finger before PMR in middle fingers, but the fingers could still fully flex smoothly all the way up and down without any pain or stiffness. The now impossible joint movement only started this summer.

amazon.com/gp/product/B08FX...

[sdowney717]

My fingers don't grate on their bones like the cartilage is gone. I don't have any pain moving the middle fingers in the short range of motion they have. I can also hammer and use tools without pain. But they cannot straighten, and cannot pull down to the palm, cannot even physically force them down. The affected joint is called the PIP joint. the other joints seem fine. It was also those PIP joints that would finger trigger lock.

I am thinking the soft tissues got calcified around those PIP joints.

[sdowney717]

My PCP when I started complaining of shoulder and hip and wrist pain, before the PMR diagnosis, kept telling me I had Osteoarthritis and ordered x-rays, which showed no OA, just normal joints. Then he diagnoses PMR and a month after had terrible fast onset of severe knee pain with getting up and he again said OA and do x-rays. I refused the x-rays and have not seen him since. And the knee pain (both) was completely gone a month later. I also found out x-rays are extremely expensive, insurance pays just half, so the hip and wrist x-ray was almost $1000. The cost is split between the doctor reading the pictures and the tech taking them. So that PCP always was suspecting arthritis in all my joints regardless of the PMR. I told him I never had any joint issues before PMR, I was completely fine and active. Right now if the middle fingers were normal, I would say I feel 95% of normal in all joints.