I have had GCA for 18 months now ,& am tapering my Pred - I'm down to 5.5mg now & am doing ok. Could anyone tell me if pain in the feet is related to PMR? For the last 2 days - when resting in the evening- I have had the most excruciating, debilitating pain in one of my feet. All I can describe it as is the worst cramp like feeling I've ever had-but it doesn't go away- heat & paracetamol didn't do anything. I sat with my foot raised & eventually came to bed in tears as the pain was so bad. Couldn't get in any position in bed which was comfy but eventually went off to sleep. This morning the extreme pain has gone but my foot feels stiff & tender. I did have Plantar Fascitis about 18 years ago but this is far worse than that. It was the sudden onset of it when I was resting which made me wonder about PMR- hope I'm on the wrong track as I'm moving in a few weeks & have so much to do.
Pain in foot?: I have had GCA for 18 months now... - PMRGCAuk
Pain in foot?
Hi Janeval,
Others with more knowledge will be along but just wanted to say that I've been on prednisolone for over 5yrs now and I'm down to 2mgs.
However, from approximately 7mgs down (roughly 3yrs ago time-wise) I've experienced episodes of severe cramp in my feet that always manifest in an evening when I'm resting on the sofa with my feet up. It can last for some time, with one or another of my feet going in & out of cramp constantly.
However, I'm not sure that cramp is necessarily linked directly to PMR. I feel your current experience is potentially more likely to be linked to your previous history of plantar fasciitis.
Amongst other causes, both prolonged inactivity & using feet & leg muscles too hard can bring about episodes of cramp, as can poor foot support.....which may (or may not) be relevant based on your previous history of plantar fasciitis.
It might indeed be the re-emergence of plantar fasciitis.....the actual fascia can become inflamed and can feel painfully tight causing cramp like pain.
It would seem sensible though, to perhaps take some advice from one of your medical practitioners who'll be able to assess your pain more thoroughly, and as I mentioned earlier, others with more knowledge should be along shortly to advise you further.
It's a totally different pain to the Plantar Fascitis- although that came on when I was moving from another house & I have been lifting a lot of heavy boxes & am on my feet most of the time. Tbh I'm exhausted & I haven't even moved yet! It was when I had my feet up last night that this severe pain started & whatever I did- foot up or down, heat pack on my foot- the pain didn't subside. I hobbled up to bed but it just wouldn't go away. It was like a really severe episode of cramp which didn't go away. As I said, it was so painful I ended up in tears, didn't know what to do. I'm up now & although the severe pain has gone away my foot just feels really tender & sort of sore. I can't even walk properly as it hurts to put my foot down. I'm just going to take my Pred in about 10 mins so I'll see if that makes any difference in the next few hours. I'll let you know how it goes.
Where exactly is the pain and are there foot positions that make it worse or better?
The pain isn't in my toes or in my heel- just the main part of the foot upper & lower. I know I've not broken anything as I haven't done anything to do that! The pain is still there this morning but nothing like last night. It's not swollen either. I don't know what to do- my doctor is useless & that's if I can get through on the phone & get an appointment ( which is impossible at the moment). If it's like this or worse this p.m. I may go along to my local hospital to the urgent care unit & see if anyone can see me there. I suppose I only thought of PMR as I have GCA but I don't have any specific pains anywhere else.
Cramp can be associated with PMR (I had it badly before diagnosis) or pred. It can be due to lack of magnesium or calcium - pred lowers the level in the body by letting more out through the kidneys, Since both must be kept within fairly narrow limits in the blood for muscles (including the heart) to function properly, the body scavenges calcium from bones (why low bone density can develop) and magnesium from muscle cells which it is highest, This means that a deficiency isn't always obvious from the blood levels.
You can supplement magnesium as oral supplements - be careful some forms of magnesium can be very laxative! - or with Epsom salts in the bath or as a footbath, as topical sprays or oils. Always worth a try,
However - Snazzy may have a point, You might not THINK you could have broken anything because you haven't done anything but you do admit to moving loads of boxes, being on your feet all the time and being exhausted. It could be a stress fracture or a nerve being caught in certain positions and the pain of the damaged nerve persists. I think a trip to the Urgent Care unit is a good idea.
A friend of mine had foot pain and eventually went to the doctor. They found she had fractured the end of her heel bone and they had no idea why. She wasn’t active, a bit overweight, in her early 50’s, no osteoporosis
Scary really - you sit there in pain and think, haven't done anything, and even the doctor/nurse thinks there is no reason to x-ray (these days in the NHS at least, very keen to image here) and there you are, wandering around on a boken something!
I've just managed to get an appointment with the urgent care centre at my local hospital ( did it through dialing 111!) Going they'll give me an x ray🤞
Please give us an update when you come back.
I had an x ray- no bones broken, but my foot is very tender & swollen now. I have to ice it & sit with it elevated- which I am doing- and thankfully the awful pain I had last night has gone, but it's very tender in places. They don't know what I've done-& I know for definite I've not twisted or fallen. They also said it could just be 'overuse' as in lifting a lot of boxes & on my feet a lot, but they really weren't sure. So, I just have to wait & see what happens!
Hope it improves soon - so inconvenient, even when not about to move house.
Thank you PMR, I have some magnesium salts & I also have a spray, so I'll try that first & see how it goes during the day.
Just had a thought - I wonder if it could be Morton's neuroma? This says it can start suddenly in the middle of the night, no warning.
mortonsneuroma.com/blog/wha....
There are bits about clinical signs and differential diagnosis which might help you narrow it down to possible answers.
I had an osteopath who had Morton’s neuroma. From the explanation she gave me (at length!!) it was more in the ball of the foot down towards her toes. In fact she was quite interesting explaining it. In the end she had surgery.
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