i'm a 50 year old female and was told i have pmr in dec 2006 my dr put me on prednisone 20mg for 7 days they down to 10 mgs it work for a while then i got more pain and he upped my prednisone back to 20mg for 7 more days and then 10 mg after that now he away and the pain came back so bad i had to go to the er and they put me on more pain meds and told me to see my dr when he gets back can many one tell if i'm going to be on this rollcoaster for a long time or will they be able to control the pain without the pain meds i can not work with the pain meds they make me just want to climb into bed for the day but so does the pain can someone tell if they are working and how do they do it
thank you vicki
Welcome to my world. I am fairly new to this, but my Rheumatologist put me on 20mg (10 am and 10 pm) for two weeks-then we started decreasing the pm by one mg every week. I did have two flare-up ( one I am just now getting out of). As I read this forum, I understand that is normal. Especially at the 10 mg only stage. Hope you are seeing a Rheumatologist. What was and is your "Sed Rate"?
I was diagonized in Nov 06-after 18 days of straight hell. My husband of 43 years, was ready to trade me in. Having to dress, dry off and lift me on and off the pot was getting just a bit to much. Prednisone was a life saver (and a marrige saver). He said he would not wipe me or shave my legs, but every things else was game. At one time all of the attention would have been fun, but when one is whinning,moaning and crying-somehow take the romance out of it.
I am at 10 and 1mg. Looking forward to decreasing again in a week. Knowing that it is going to incure some discomfort. Hate the weight gain, but will tackle that when I am stronger. This message board has been very helpful-wish that I had found it sooner. Let us know how you are doing. You are not alone in this fight
Lonna
Central California
Hi Vicki and Lonna, Too, too fast. If you go to a rheumatologist they will decrease about 2 1/2 mil per month until you reach 10 mg, then only l mg per month. You will always crash and burn if you do it as fast as your doctors are doing. It will come back with a vengence if you truly have PRM. When you reach the lower dosages you are actually decreasing by a greater percentage than the higher dosages and your body reacts violently. Lonna, I am surprised that your rheumy is reducing that fast. You may wind up having to taper more slowly. This forum has been so good for me. I hope it helps you. Good luck to both of you with this disease from hell.
yep I agree way too fast from 20 to 10?????WRONG!!
I wnet from 30 to o but it took 2years . Slow is the key to success!
So how are you all dealing with the flare symptoms as the prednisone comes down and pain issues escalate? Does heat help? and yoga? How about meditation- where you concentrate on the breath? These are what mydoctor is recommending as the first line of defense before the medications..
I've found that 2 ultram when the pain is an 8 helps a lot.
Best luck to you all.
Here's my story:
I was on vacation last summer, traveled to
I was beyond miserable and saw no relief in sight. In February, I was referred to another rheumatologist. She was leaving the country but agreed to see me on her return. On March 14, 2007 she drew new labs and called in a script for prednisone. I started on 20 mg that night and 20 again in the morning.
I FELT GREAT!!! Seven months of misery and there was immediate relief. That was my four day dose. When it was reduce the pain returned and she thought I might have RA. The challenging point is that I am 47 years old - Too young for this diagnosis. I am thankful she choose to treat the symptoms rather than follow an arbitrary standard, which had delay the process thus far.
I am currently at 20 mg daily. At first I was at 10 and 10 which affected my sleep. We changed to 15 and 5 which was better. I prefer 10 and 10 because I feel more energetic in the mornings. Sometimes I have serious tummy issues. I take Prilosec 20 mg daily, but at times find I feel "anxious."
Just recently, the last two weeks or so, I have noticed an increase in my carb cravings. Weight gain is a serious concern for me and I try to satisfy them either with a very high fiber treat, 4 - 9 grams, or a small bit of dark chocolate. I drink lots of water and switched to a sodium/potassium blend. I gained most of the weight while I was in pain. When I was first on prednisone my weight reduced by nine pounds in the same number of days. Those pounds have returned. I am not discouraged. I get up every morning at 6 AM. Awake. Alive. Aware. PAIN-FREE! I walk each morning before work, move through my asanas (yoga poses), feed the pet, have my coffee, shower and dress myself. I feel like a daily miracle.
When I saw my doctor this month I told her my concerns about getting off and feeling really bad. I have had a cold/cough for the last four weeks and sometimes I have been late with my dose. I am in immediate pain. Right shoulder and the left side of my neck. My doctor says I get plenty of time to get better and we draw a SED and CRP monthly. Of course, I think she is absolutely wonderful. Each visit she attends to all of who I am.
My particular interest in posting today is sharing my journey. It was a difficult path and if I had to do anything over, I would have ask for new labs with each change in physicians. (I was three different providers, seven different times, more phone calls than I can list, before any resolution. Oh, and thousands of dollars in test, drugs and office visits.)
Have a delightfully blessed day.