Feels like torn muscle at 2mg of pred

[Noffiepawrent]

Hello forum friends,

I have had PMR for 2 and a half years, I am now 53 years old and am moderately active.

I have been on the journey of ‘dead slow’ tapering from 2.5mg to 2mg over the last 4 weeks.

I currently feel like I have a torn muscle in the top of my right arm. I don’t think I did anything to cause it, it’s worse in the morning before taking my pred and has been going on for 3 weeks.

I have had a blood test and my inflammation markers are normal so presumably it’s not PMR resurfacing.

Could it be a side effect of the steroid withdrawal or do you have any other ideas of what it might be…… also do you have any advice on what I should do?

Thank you all for any wise advice,

Marie

[SnazzyD]

Can you describe the pain in more detail? For example, what kind of pain, does the pain travel, is the location specific. Did it start suddenly and did you do any kind of unusual or sustained activity prior to it? What one person’s moderately active means can be very different to that of others’. What movements hurt and what things make it feel better apart from Pred?

Withdrawal shouldn’t make one bit hurt, though I did find that old injuries from long ago might hum a little during withdrawal but nowhere near being a problem enough to think about it much. Pred can make your muscles and ligaments more prone to injury and low doses was when the chickens came home to roost for me.

[Noffiepawrent in reply to SnazzyD]

Thank you for your help.

Many medical web-sites mention muscle ache as a side effect of pred withdrawal so I was just wondering if anybody thought that it might be related.

It is on one side only so probably not a PMR relapse, as supported by the blood test findings. It is upper arm pain when making twisting arm action. I have been to physio and it is a rotator cuff pull or part tear. I can think of no way I can have done that so was wondering if anybody has had a similar experience during pred reduction.

My moderate activity is gardening (deadheading and weeding rather than any heavy lifting) and walking my small dog.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Noffiepawrent]

Long term pred can make tendons delicate - and then they can be damaged with relatively minor activities. the twisting action of dead heading or pulling weeds out has been known to cause others problems.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Despite being on Actemra, when I try to go from 7mg pred down to 6mg I develop bicep pain after about 2 weeks, It worsens until I can't twist my forearms or lift anything. It is absolutely fine at 7mg! Not sure how I'd describe the pain but the position makes it seem like bicep tendinitis. Rheumy is happy for me to stay at 7mg and the Actemra.

[Noffiepawrent in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you, maybe I am having a similar reaction.