Update on inflammation/injections

[Purplegloss]

2 months ago I put information on the site about my upcoming injections at the top of my neck just below my skull, which was said to be Facet Joint injections, and maybe the cause of where the inflammation might be coming from, and therefore may not be Polymyalgia after all, which I have had for six years now. I had the injections by Local Anaesthetic with a two-week break in between in November. There were three injections each time, and it was pretty unpleasant as well. The injections were in the soft tissue between the vertebrae, and were a mix of steroids and something else that I can't remember.

I had been on 3.5mg for the last nine months very successfully, had a blood test yesterday, and quite disappointed to find that although my ESR is ok at 9 my CRP is now abnormal at 22.

I go back to the Neuro Surgeon tomorrow morning to see what he thinks. Has anybody else had to have this done?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The other substance you can't remember was most likely a local anaesthetic such as lidocaine which has a short acting effect or somethig else that lasts a bit longer

[Purplegloss in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for your reply Pro. I saw the Neuro Surgeon yesterday, and he and I are quite pleased with how things are going now. I no longer have any wobbly/pulse beating or foggy feeling inside my head, which is great. He said that I do have Polymyalgia Rheumatica, and the problems with inflammation in my head are not connected. The fact that my CRP went up to 22 could probably be the steroid injections changing the balance of things. I have been taking an extra 5mg for the last few days, which has got rid of the aches and pains that had begun in my hips etc., and will drop back down again fairly soon. I will then wait a while into the New Year, and start the reduction again by the slow method. He did show me the imaging of the MRI scan, and things do look a bit out of kilter to my untrained eye, and I have to begin physio to stop my problem becoming any worse, so onwards and upwards, or in Pred terms downwards. Merry Christmas to you and everyone, and a Happy New Year.