PMR flare?

[scooby96]

Hi everyone , has anyone experienced severe neck pain as a flare symptom?. Ive been on 7mg prednisone for several months and doing quite well having reduced from 30mg over the last year. Ive now had really nasty neck pain and tingling for the last week also very tired. I do get some slight neck and upper arm pain normally but nothing like this. Ive increased my pred up to 15mg which ive been taking for 5 days and it is definitely better but not gone. Any similar experience and/or advice on dose of pred would be much appreciated. Thank you

Anne

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Where exactly is the pain? And the tingling?

Something is inflamed somewhere if the pred helps - but the question is, is it localised or is it PMR having woken up? That is how my PMR has been, happy at a lowish dose for months and then it decided to come out to play again!

[scooby96 in reply to PMRpro]

its the left side of the neck mostly and down to top of the shoulder. tingling is side of neck also but travels up to ear. also numbness at the neck

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to scooby96]

SCM - sternocleidomastoid muscle tightness can do that. The question is - will the link work today!!!

youtube.com/watch?v=_BGczs_...(Not working as expected?)

[Progfan]

Hiya, yes, I have permanent neck pain, increasing when I flare. Since having symptoms of GCA the neck pain has increased, and goes further up my neck.

Pred does help. It is on my left side also.

[scooby96 in reply to Progfan]

oh thank you, do you get tingling?

[Progfan in reply to scooby96]

yes, usually as a precursor to pain. At the moment (I think I'm flaring) it is so painful and stiff in the morning that I can't turn my head much at all.

[scooby96 in reply to Progfan]

same here, have you increased your meds?

[Progfan in reply to scooby96]

Not yet, I'm trying to get through to my bloods and Rheumy appointment so he can see what's happening. Fingers crossed.

[Thelmarina]

I was the same at the lower dose and mentioned it to my rheumy who sent me to the X-ray department immediately. The X-ray showed arthritis in the neck. I now use gentle exercises to loosen up the stiffness. Just throwing this into the mix!

[Smithie49]

Hi Scooby. I'm on 7mg pred and 6 months ago developed pain like you're describing on lhs of my neck. I saw my rheumy on Thursday who thinks it is arthritis (like Thelmarina had). She has put me in for physio and neck xray ). Well our much maligned NHS found me a physio appt yesterday so I'm now doing a series of stretches as she said the muscle is swollen and stiff (that fits with PMRpro's sternocleidomastoid muscle problem) and the appt for xray has come through for this Thursday!! I was expecting to wait weeks. She has also put me in for a 2nd dexa scan and the appt for that has also arrived. I am staggered.

[Smithie49 in reply to Smithie49]

Well, I've now had it confirmed by xray - extensive disc space narrowing C4/C5 with anterior osteophyte formation - facet joint arthropathy!!! Excersizes are easing the unpleasant grinding of bone on bone 😀