I really don't know if this is PMR related but the last two days I have been suffering from joint pain in many joints in my body. I have been taking my pain pills that I take for my back and that hasn't helped to relieve the pain so yesterday I took an extra 5 mg of Prednisone and I got no relief from that either. I sent a message to my doctor yesterday but she never picked up her messages.
Do you think I should try a higher dose of prednisone then the extra 5 I did yesterday? I'm currently on 13 mg of Prednisone and this is my third week of it. So it doesn't really make a lot of sense that it's PMR especially since it didn't respond to the extra 5 mg. Does anyone have any suggestions?
The recommendation is to take an extra 5 mg. Why not stay with the extra five for a couple more days and if you're still noticing no improvement seek doctor's advice . You simply might not be getting an expected miracle rapid improvement which so many get when they go on pred in the beginning. I'm one who improved slowly over about 60 hours in the beginning, so I tend not to expect improvement in 24 hours, and after being on pred for a while maybe our bodies respond differently now?
Clarifying - expect much improvement in 24 hours. I guess I'd expect a little.
Amkoffe, PMR normally is in muscles not joints, I would try ibuprofen or naproxen myself and see if that gives you any relief. Good luck, hope you feel better. Think positive. 🙂
Anhaga thank you so much for responding. I can't take ibuprofen or Naproxen because it causes me a lot of stomach upset, vomiting Etc. And you might just be right that I need to give it another day. I did try to contact my doctor yesterday but she never responded. That really surprises me because she is very good about contacting me back right away. So I'm assuming she and her nurse were out yesterday because the email I sent stands opened. I just made an appointment with immediate care. That's kind of like going to the doctor's office. It's not quite the emergency room but they're open when doctors offices are closed. I'm suspecting that they may just up my pred but I don't know. You would think with my opiates I wouldn't have a problem with it but holy cow I'm in a lot of pain.
amkoffe, can you take aspirin or bufferen?
Yes I can take aspirin. That might be a good idea
I know a lot of doctors say PMR is "joints" - but that has never been my experience.
It might take a few days for 5mg extra to help and I suppose it might make sense to see if pred helps before you speak to your doctors, it removes one unknown.
Yes, it was first used to alleviate rheumatism. And Bufferin Buffered Aspirin, is easier on the stomach.
That would be my first choice. Good luck. 🙂
Hi amkoffe
The Synovial joints attached to muscles are affected in PMR....so yes your joints can be affected with PMR...you need to take the extra 5mg pred for more than a day to get results..give it five days to a week and see if the pain improves...best wishes...
Most PMR patients start on around 20 mg. So it sounds as though you are on a low dose. I agree with those who say wait a day or so before seeing results.
Hi, Yes the joints are affected with PMR I have it alot mainly in the morning but I have it.
There might be different kinds of PMR. I always felt untreated PMR, before I knew what it was, felt like the pain you get from excessive exercise, only it never went away and gradually got worse and worse. Joint pain and stiffness to me is different and attributed, accurately I believe, to osteoarthritis. And yet, like you, many do feel PMR as joint pain. I vaguely remember reading something about it having to do with the synovial fluid, or whatever the space in the joint is called where the fluid is produced.
I do hope the medics are able to accurately diagnose the problem if the increased dose of prednisone does not relieve your pain. If only our collective will that you soon feel better were enough to bring you relief. Do let us know how you get on.
I do have OA in a few joints and tendonitis in my right elbow. But these pains are in many other joints that have never hurt before. Particularly in my ankles are hurting really bad. And on the top of my right foot is a bone that has arthritis in it. But it's both feet that are hurting.
Yesterday morning I went to Immediate Care. The doctor there gave me a choice of a steroid injection or a 10 mg prednisone increase to my 13 mg for 5 days. I chose the injection even though I knew it wasn't going to last long because I figured it would fix the problem quicker. Well it did work yesterday the rest of the day my joints felt better. I was hoping it would last all weekend but it's now Sunday at almost 2 in the afternoon and my joints are killing me again. I'm going to take another 10 mg of Prednisone today and tomorrow and I the doctor's office will be closed tomorrow for Columbus Day so it will be Tuesday before I can talk to my rheumatologist.
How do you feel after the 10 mg of Pred? Amkoffe have you tried turmeric? It is suppose to help with inflammation, I take it, do not know if it helps, but currently I am PMR pain free. Think positive Lady, this journey does have it bumps. 🙂
No it didn't bring me any relief and I have spent the entire day laying on the couch in pain dreading when I have to get up to go to the bathroom. I've been putting ice bags on various joints but that really doesn't help much. I can't take turmeric I've tried it and it just made me nauseous. But I appreciate the suggestion. I wish tomorrow was not a holiday because it's going to be Tuesday before I can talk to my rheumatologist. I really thought that injection would last through the weekend not just one day.
I'm so sorry you are feeling like this. Has your doctor suggested any other diagnosis?
She's as stumped as I am. I've been tested for everything under the sun and nothing's coming up positive except for the PMR inflammation tests. I believe I have Sjogren's even though my blood test came back negative which does include body aches and pains and I don't know if it affects the joints or not. But like I told her I won't have a lip biopsy done just to get a solid diagnosis. Because in the end all you really do is treat the symptoms and I'm already doing that. My doctor also tested me for rheumatoid arthritis it was negative but since she said that a percentage of the population will test negative even when they do have it she put me on some rheumatoid arthritis medicine. And I took it for 6 months and it did not help so she let me stop it just recently. (And don't think I haven't thought that maybe quitting it was a mistake. Maybe that's what was keeping my joints from hurting so bad. That thought has crossed my mind) I've asked her about fibromyalgia on our last visit. She didn't say whether I have it or not but she said that the treatment is medicines that I'm already on for other reasons. So if you can think of anything else I am all ears.