As I mentioned before I had PMR 5 years ago. I went on pred and than the headaches started (neck up to top of head with painful spots on head. )Did biopsy for GCA which was negative so they decided it was not GCA. PMR went away after 2 years . It came back last july (but NO headaches) . I went to the reumy 2weeks ago and told me to go on short course of pred. 4 days 15, 4days 12.5, 4 days 10 ,4 days 7.5, 4days 5 and than 3 weeks 4,3,2 etc (goal to be stable at 2) . I did 3 days 15mg than 3 days 10mg , 3 days 7.5mg 3 days 5mg. Than the headaches, the same one as I had before started. They stopped when I went under 5 mg of pred.
I am wondering is the pred that is supposed to prevent headaches /GCA responsible for them????!!!
I am on 3 now and feel very good (knock on wood!)
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Marianne-
I too have been plagued by very similar sounding headaches. I have been on 10 mg prednisone and over for 1 1/2 years. Am now seeing a Rheumy at Stanford who is insistent on tapering me off the prednisone. He has no answer to the headache issue
Perhaps the headaches will go away also when I get off the prednisone.
What do you do for the headaches?
I have found using a massager on my head actually eases the pain!
Karen
Hi Rosey....
Since I had the PMR for a second time I reduced the pred really fast and once I got to below 5 my headaches are much better. I firmly believe it was the pred giving me headaches and not GCA. Like you my dr had no answers re the headaches.
well I guess pred does cause headaches. The sideeffects mention "intracranial pressure" also pressure in eyes which is also what I am feeling. You can read it at this website:
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/pred_ad.htm
Marianne-
I am on a taper now and having really bad withdrawl symptoms- terrible aching and fatigue. Do you have any tricks for reducing the taper troubles? I am down to 10 mg. from 12 and my body is screaming for more prednisone.
Thanks-Karen
Sorry to hear you're having trouble with the taper. You might try 11 mg. for a couple of weeks to slow the taper, or try alternating days i.e. 11-12-11-12 etc. for a week, then to 11 for a few weeks, then 11-10-11-10 etc. - the slower the taper, the fewer & lighter the withdrawal symptoms.
Otherwise, the withdrawal symptoms should clear up within a week or two anyway, if you can stick it out. Good luck!
Ruth
I feel for you Rosey.
I know you are right. But I really want to get this over with. He says he can't make an accurate diagnosis as long as I'm on prednisone soI'm going to bite the bullet and go with his taper schedule.
I am having some real bleeding problems with the prednisone so know it is harming me in some ways.
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