2 weeks ago my doctor prescribed )prednisolone 300 as PMR is suspected. I already take Arcoxia 90 and Gabapentin 200. Yesterday I went down to 200 prednisolone for 1 month. Feel pretty rough and just wondered if there would be any advantage ion stpping the Arcoxia altogether or reducing the dose. When I first started the steroids the pain eased dramatically . Any comments would be helpful.
Sorry Ann, but could you just clarify the Pred dose for us? And a little detail about any other co-existing auto-immune illnesses would be useful, do you have Fibromyalgia?
Hello Ann
Yes, like Nefret, I am wondering what you mean by "300" of Pred. Do you mean 30mgs which you have reduced to 20mg? If so, then that it much too large a reduction in one go which is why your pain has increased again.
The dramatic improvement in your pain when you started the steroids is likely to be taken as confirmation of the PMR diagnosis by your GP.
Your question as to whether you should stop the Arcoxia should really be discussed with your GP as it depends on the condition for which it was prescribed. However, if it's a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, it may be a bit rough on your stomach together with the steroids.
So sorry typed in the wrong amount of Pred. Should of course be 30 mg which has now been reduced to 20mg for a month. I have been on Arcoxia for just over a month this time but also had it prescribed two years ago and took it for several months then. I have had two knee replacements since 2010 and they are both fine.i have taken different anti inflamitory medications for quite a few years ( I am 74 ) I may be wrong of course but feel that PMR may have been developing for some time as my mother had it for many years and now my sister was diagnosed with it a couple of years ago ( she is 8 years younger) I do not have any other health issues.
Hi Ann, I am told by my GP that PMR is more likely in women, however, I am male and was diagnosed 2yrs ago. I am 65.
Just like others, (I started on 15mg of prednisolone), and the pain relief was dramatic and within 2 or 3 hrs of taking the first dose. I have been on a reduction plan over the last 2yrs, and was reduced to 1mg in September and into the beginning of October. I then stopped. For a few weeks I was fine, then started to get pain related to PMG. I saw my GP 3weeks ago, and he took blood, and then put me immidiately on 15mg of Prednisolone but said he intended reducing rapidly. I took 15mg for 7 days, then reduced to 10mg for 7 days, and now I am down to 5mg until I see my GP in 2weeks. So far the plan is working, and I am mainly pain free.
Hello again Ann and thanks for explaining that
So as you say you are feeling rough, then it does point to having reduced the starting dose of Prednisolone too soon and by too much. If you are still in pain, then perhaps you could try increasing to 25mg to see if it helps
Personally I would prefer to be on a sufficient dose of steroids to control the inflammation than add in a NSAID like Arcoxia - from my experience in my first undiagnosed year, anti-inflammatories are not much use in either reducing the inflammation or controlling the pain of PMR, plus they are generally not advised to take alongside steroids.
Hope you feel better soon.
MrsO
Alan
Better luck this time - sounds as though you're doing fine already. Don't be in a rush to reduce from 5mg - I was kept there for very many months - unlikely to be any side effects at that dose anyway. Good luck.
MrsO