back on Pred | Arthritis Information

 

I have seen another " fill in" rheumy today as mine is away ill.
This one thinks I may have RA or reactive arthritis or zero negative RA??

I have had lots more blood and urine tests and need to arrange to have both hands Xrayed.... My hands have been extremely stiff in am and my feet are very swollen. My knees are so stiff and sore , I can hardly get on and off the loo, out of chairs ect.. all this since I stopped Pred on 26th Jan.
I will post this on the RA board and see if anyone has ???
I am still on Plaquenil and MTX. Tramadol for pain as well!

I am now back on Pred 5mg.. and see what happens with my test results!!
I hate going back on Pred... but ???
gentle hugs, Lyn Thanks Mrs UK, I feel your warmth x

I was going to message you, the Rheumy I saw yesterday also said they were treating me for GCA.. thats what was on my records.
Any way I have had 2 5mg Pred and can already feel easier.
We will be able to be a couple of 5mg Pred heads together! Yep I read your progress and I will now stop and count my blessings too. You are a very inspiring Lady!
I sincerely hope the drop goes well for you and you will have a better year!
Lyn xLynn, your topic could have been written by me. Exept I have not gone on plaq and mtx yet. Awaiting my appointment with reumy. She thinks I have something else besides the (recurred, 2nd time) PMR. She may prescribe those to me.

Lyn

I took the drop to 5mg and its holding.

But the knee crashed out two weeks ago and back to wheelchair and zimmer and my  Rheumy.   This time it is Pseudo Gout.  Another thing I have never heard of, but its caused by calcium crystals.   So the treatment is Volterol and as usual, it is not compatible with pred.

So we are going to try Glucosamine and Chonditron, (Homeopathic) which they give to horses with sore knees (I don't know - I think they are called fetlocks).  It should take about 6 weeks to see if it makes a difference.

Good news is that after 7 days, no wheelchair and managing all of the mornings without zimmer.   So  with a bit of luck and a fair wind  - maybe, just maybe, that will be the last ten truck that sneaks up on me.

Lyn,  I was a bit nonplussed and worried when you mentioned they were treating you for GCA.  Have you been diagnosed with GCA  - because GCA has entirely different symptoms to PMR.   Sometimes people who start of with PMR do develop GCA, but you would soon know it, if you did as the symptoms are mainly located in the jaw, temple, head, tongue and eyes.   And GCA if not kept in check and carefully monitored can cause loss or partial loss of sight and once its gone - its gone.

Thinking of you


Hi Marianne, I stopped taking strontium renalate back in 2008 as it was causing too many problems with diarrhea and bowel incontinence.
I have since had 2, once a year, infusions of Alcast. I would be too frightened NOT to take something to help the bones.
I still have a painful wedge fracture at T10.... but I have not had another fracture so the medication appears to be working.
I have not had another dexa scan since the fracture as my Dr thinks it is a waste of time as I am being treated with the most effective medication.
Plaquenil was started approx 12 months prior to MTX and took about 3 months to know it was helping. The MTX was then added to help get off Pred but this has not worked and I am back at 5mg Pred, 100mg Plaquenil,
15mg Methotrexate and 100mg Tramadol 2 a day!..... Tramadol is for the osteo fracture...folic acid, uremide, potassium supplement, 40mg Nexium ( result of taking anti inflammatory drugs for years) and of course Mogadon for sleep....
Apart from the fatigue I am feeling pretty good and can once again do most things as long as I pace myself.

I strongly urge you to reconsider using something ' bones meds' especially if you are on Pred.
Keep in touch, gentle hugs, LynHi Mrs UK, so pleased you are ' holding ' etc.
It feels so good to be mobile and with pain under control. Certainly has made me feel glad to be alive again! I'm sure you know what I mean. I can even think straight!
I hope the horse pills are working. I have been rubbing a horse/animal liniment Rapigel... into my knees too and it works!

The GCA was a surprise to me too. He was reading my notes out aloud and maybe I just picked up on that ... it might have been a consideration in the past.
I did have flashing, zig zag lightening like strikes in one or both eyes that would last 20 to 30 minutes before I was given the Pred. I told my optometrist at the time and he said it was some kind of migraine.
My Dr was aware of this too and it has only happened again a couple of times.
I sincerely hope you are still mobile, keep moving so that truck cannot catch you!
Hugs as always, LynHi Mrs UK.....  Re Pseudo Gout.....

I have had PMR for 4 yrs, and my Mum had it at 70, that is 13 yrs ago.  Just this year, she had a slight stroke ,was recovering well, then was hit with pseudo gout.   She did not know what it was but was in such pain, knees ,shoulders ( it moved from joint to joint) that she could not walk and had to be taken by ambulance to hosp .

She was diagnosed by aspiration of inflamed joint, which ,as you said contained calcium crystals. I am writing because she was treated in hosp for 5 days. On admission with morphine (only 1 dose), but then prednisone. She is only 5 ft and weighs about 50kgs, but she was started on 50mgm of prednisone, then this reduced, fairly rapidly. On discharge after 5-6 days , i think she was down to 10 mgm prednisone, and after 1 month she is off it without any pain recurring, except her usual knee pain from no cartilage.

We were told that pseudo gout can be caused by illness, stress, dehydration, and is actually quite common, and the treatment was prednisone.

She is under stress as she is also a carer for my Dad. I certainly hope that because we have had PMR we are not candidates for pseudo gout.  I feel for you , as I know the pain she was in....she is a tough litttle cookie.....but she said the pain was unbearable.

All the best, and I hope this helps,    Zali  Hi Lyn, Mrs UK and Zali.  Sorry to hear you are all experiencing a bad spell and hope it does not last long.  I have been dreading going back on pred but after reading your posts I am feeling better about it if it should happen.  The thought of both Fibromyalgia and PMR together is making me very nervous but I do not have too much say in the matter. Lynn, I am so scared to get on the bone drugs. There have been many lawsuits. People get jaw issues (I am vain!) and now there has been a study that seems to suggest people on those so called bisphosphonates  have worse bones after 5 years. Incidents of femor (biggest bone in the body breaking) I may go on a hormone based drug called "avista" instead. I have stopped pred because of the osteoperosis but feel like sh*t. I hurt in all areas of my body. My reumy appointment is on the 30th. marianne19522010-03-25 07:08:22Oh and Lynn...here in the US we call it reclast. Guess that is the same as Allcast.They say the bones on bisphosphonates keep the old bone instead of turning over new bone and therefore the bone becomes like paste. It looks stronger on the Dexa scan but in fact it is not. Lynn, email me at Lynn, if you  have RA would the plaq and MTX not help? Or I guess it is not as clear cut as PMR and pred.Hello to all PMR family,

I have been waiting until I had my Rheumy visit to reply ect. The long and short is he does not think I have RA "" thank God""!

My Sed rate has come down and there has been a small reduction of my very high CRP. All good news now for the BUT... I need to stay on 5mg Pred for at least 6 months...stay on MTX 15mg and Plaquenil 200mg, for PMR..

For Osteoporosis, Tramadol 100mg am & pm.

The result of my hands X-ray was osteoarthritis, (I have it in my spine for a very long time.)

On a positive note, I am feeling so much better! Since coming off Pred over the previous 6 months I was getting so miserable and disabled from the pain, stiffness and fatigue.

The Pred has made life come alive again!( I am back to the Love part of our Love/Hate relationship.)

I had forgotten how good it feels to be able to get in and out of a chair, on and off the toilet, doing my own shopping.... all small things but I really did think / feel, I would remain an invalid!

So now its 5 years with PMR and its still staying with me. I will try and keep up with the forum again and wish everyone a day without pain!
Any updates of your Rheumy visits?

Hugs, Lyn



LynM2010-04-06 03:08:05Lynn, pls read my post "Coincidence"
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