Hi,
I am currently at 4.75 mg of prednisone and I am pain free in shoulder , neck , thighs but have developed severe pain in bicep area. I thought it might be PMR returning so upped my dosage by 5 mg for a week which didn’t seem to change anything. Wondering if anyone has any experience or insights??
Hate to tell you this, but that's how my GCA started many moons ago.
As the extra doesn't seem to be helping - it might need a little longer, if it doesn't improve then you probably need to seek medical advice. You did mention a flare about a month ago, and you have reduced quite quickly.... so might need a bit more patience.
But are you sure you haven't done anything strenuous that could account for it?
Ditto to what DL has said - never discount GCA when something like that happens.
Is it both sides much the same or just one side? In which case, injury is a possibility.
Thanks. I have been doing a fair bit of physical activity. Golfing and pickleball which probably aggravated it. Just seemed that I was doing them both before with no issue. Will take a few activity free days to see if things improve. Pain Primarily on one side but both sides are affected. Interesting that GCA started that way.
Golfing and pickleball which probably aggravated it.
More than likely
Just seemed that I was doing them both before with no issue.
Yes but that was before -this is now…and if your PMR is not properly controlled you are likely to flare.
I agree with DL's comment.
I developed general pain in my arms after several months of treatment for GCA but didn’t connect it to anything. On the last few months of pred reduction the pain got worse and I struggled to do my seat belt up, get dressed, turn in bed etc. GP called re a blood test (to do with cholesterol not GCA), told me to increase to 3mg a day and be grateful because it could be worse! I did a bit of research and thought as the pain was there are 3mg + it wouldn’t help. During the last few weeks at 1mg the pain reduced and after a week off pred it’s almost gone! I’ve been working in my allotment and doing lots of wood sawing and it doesn’t make it worse.
Lucky you!!!! And equally - lucky with regard to a GP who was willing to see it could be the PMR part of GCA showing up. Do hope it lasts.
Unfortunately the GP was not helpful and only wanted to discuss my cholesterol, wasn’t interested in GCA and told me PMR and GCA are the same thing and to be grateful it wasn’t worse!
bicep and some shoulder pain have previously indicated a need for increase in pred. dutifully struggle for a bit then figure it out. not always bilateral. i go up by 5 mg for 10 days then back to original plus 1 mg,
Sorry to hear you're in pain. I've started having the same pain on my left bicep and I finally figured out that it has to do with the way I sleep. It seems I can only sleep on my stomach with my left arm stretched out and that aggravates my left shoulder. I think mine is Shoulder Impingement Syndrome. I started doing some physical therapy exercises, gently of course, and I see some relief. I'm starting to understand that not all my aches and pains are from PMR and I try some non medical approaches first and increasing Pred is my last choice. Sleeping on my back has been impossible. I hope you feel better soon!
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