arm pain and Mexican prednisone

[Fishtacoqueen]

hello,

I wrote recently that I was suffering upper arm pain and stiffness. . I increased my dose from 3.75 to 10 mg for a couple of weeks. There didn’t seem to be much improvement. . I can cope during the day but the nights are very difficult.

I’ve gone down to 8.75mg with no relief but I am wondering if I should go up much higher, say 15 mg, and then start a slow reduction( if pain is controlled at a higher dose) The rest of my body feels great and did do even below 4 mg.

During the winter I live in a very small town in Mexico where access to more sophisticated medical treatment is not available.

I needed to get more prednisone so the above is what they had. I’ve never seen green prednisone before and it also seems I might not be able to split it if I needed. Opinionion on that?

Thanks again for all the knowledge , expertise and advice.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

At the price (2 US $) I seriously doubt that is enteric coated pred and that and Lodotra/Rayos are the forms of pred that can't be split. I think that is fine to cut.

I doubt that the upper arm pain is "just" PMR, especially since more oral pred hasn't achieved anything. I wonder if it is more likely to be a rotator cuff strain or other injury or tendinitis. Your small town has a doctor who can do a physical exam? And x-rays to rule out other things? Old fashioned medicine works too! And it is possible it needs a steroid injection to calm it down.

[Fishtacoqueen in reply to PMRpro]

I will go to him and see. I might have to go to another town. So a steroid injection doesn’t interfere with oral prednisone?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Fishtacoqueen]

No, it provides a more localised treatment for certain things where the blood supply doesn't take the oral pred to the inflammation at a high enough level. The blood level will rise some briefly as the steroid from the injection diffuses out into surrounding tissues but it doesn't make much difference.

[piglette]

It certainly does not look coated. yza.mx/yza-prednisona-5mg-2...

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

Your link didn't want to work from the email but will here, Now that is interesting ...

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

That is interesting.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

Works on both for me….. but then thats HU!

[Chiqui1950]

Dear Fishtacoqueen,

Sorry for my delay in responding--- I also use prednisone and when I have asked the pharmacy about the change in the color of pred---it may have to do with differentiating the strength of the pill-- I was also told that it was a different provider---- I am hoping you are able to split the pill with a good pill cutter--- I am in Florida and my Prednisone 1 mg. are white.

I agree with PMR pro--- the fact that you increased your dosage significantly and felt little results suggests that something else may be the problem--- I recently had a flare and had to increase my dosage from 2 1/5 mg. to 10 mg. and as soon as I did this my symptoms and pain went away---

It is great to hear that the rest of your body feels healthy!! Wishing for you that you notice your arm challenges diminish and heal one day at a time---