Hi, all,
Advise needed please, I posted recently about this flare that started three weeks ago due to me doing far too much gardening.
Thank you to all for advice and support on that post.
At my wits end with this and have felt very ill.
I asked the Dr last week if I should increase pred from the 10mg I seem to have been on forever, he said no and advised me to increase pain relief.
I spoke to another Dr today who said exactly the same.
Do ignore them and increase prednisone, or have yet another, painful and upsetting week.
Any advise would be much appreciated.
Julia
Hi Julia85224,
I have had PMR for 13 years. I too had a flair following a week of intensive gardening and golf. Was taking 11mg of pred at the time. Tried increasing by 1 mg at a time and didn't get any relief of inflammation until I reached 15mg. I believe that if you are stiff and in pain with PMR you are not getting the inflammation under control. However, if you have seen 2 doctors who gave the same advice, I strongly recommend that you try it for a few days. If you still have no relief you go back and discuss it with them again. Many GP's do not see many PMR patients and therefore their knowledge is somewhat limited. Good luck, the prednisolone is there to help you reduce the inflammation of PMR.
I think to deal with a strong flare like this advice is to increase by 5mg for a few days to see how it goes. It sounds to me that you are past the point of one or two mg working. Also, are you being sensible and treating yourself as gently as if you really do have the flu?
If it works it's supposed to be relatively easy to taper back down to, or close to, former dose but I can't say I've done this myself.
Julia85224, I had a bad flare in the spring. I was on 8 tapering to 7 and had to go to 30 to get relief. Just had a minor flare at 15, jumped up to 20 for three days felt good drop to 17.5 for a couple of days then 15 still good. Few more days on 15 and will start a modified DSNS to 12.5, I am doing 2.5 because that what my Rheumy wants. I will do that till 10 then 1 mg DSNS.
Good luck, but I will not reduce if I have any PMR pain.
Definitely ignore them...increase the prednisone. You will get excellent suggestions on this forum from people who have been through this; can't overdue the gardening as you will not recover as quickly as you did before. I do that over and,over and over again😊 Take the prednisone & feel better!
With 3 weeks under your belt I would start to wonder if it's a flare at all. Maybe your body doesn't like being at 10 mg and it needs more. I wish doctors wouldn't learn that you cannot control the pain from PMR with analgesics. I take Percocet and morphine every day for a lower back condition and even that does nothing for my PMR pain. I'm not going to tell you to raise your Prednisone without your doctor's advice. But I would sure be on his rear end about letting you do it.
It may not be a flare - it may just be your muscles are still recovering from the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) you caused with the gardening. Even after 3 weeks it is possible. Your muscles remain intolerant of acute exercise despite the pred managing the PMR symptoms side of things.
However - amkoffee has touched 0n the other side. It may simply be the dose you had got to is no longer enough, not even necessarily a flare. You COULD try a few days of 15mg and see if it makes any difference, you don't even have to tel your doctor until you have your answer. If it the PMR I doubt you will get any relief from their precious painkillers - pred is the painkiller in PMR.
julia85224, how are you doing? What dosage are you on? You and only you know what your PMR pain feels like. After 2 flares a major and a minor, I know what feels. I remember what I felt like before I was diagnosed. So think, listen to your body, then take enough Pred to relieve the PMR pain if that is what you have. Good luck, be proactive, think positive. 🙂
Hello Julia.
I do agree with others when they say Dr's don't have a good understanding of PMR. Prednisone is the treatment for PMR. Like one of our other friends I take Tramadol for back pain. It has no effect on the PMR. Perhaps you could up the dose and see if you feel better which if you do then you will know that it is a flare and you may need to be on a higher dose for a wee while. Not good if you are suffering PMR pain is a big pain in the proverbial which needs to be managed well. You take care. Kath
Hi,
Many thanks for you're advise,
apologies for late reply, internet rubbish at the moment.
I decided to increase by 5mg, and feel a lot better, I was reluctant to do this sooner as it has taken me so long to get to 10mg, with two failed attempts at 9mg.
I have also developed osteoporosis in hips and lower back and didn't want this to become worse.
I thought I would continue with 15mg for four or five days then drop to 10mg.
12.5-10 was awful and don't want to repeat that.
Thank you again, and I hope you are well.
Julia
Many thanks for you're reply.
Couldn't cope with another day feeling rubbish , so I have increased to 15mg for a few days.
Certainly feel better at the moment, but certainly not gardening.
Hope you are well.
Julia
Hi,
Many thanks for you're reply.
I may try you're suggestion in a few days.
Hope you are well.
Julia.
Good Julia85224, I had to stay on 30 mg for about 6 weeks before I was normal. Only 3 days on minor flare. See how you feel, then make a decision. Good luck, think positive and try to smile. 🙂
Many thanks for you're reply.
I have increased it, couldn't cope with another day of feeling so ill
My own fault, landscaping, tut tut,
Never seem to get my head around if I feel really well, I am not really and mustnt do too much.
Hope you are well.
Julia
Hi,
Thank you for you're reply,
I have increased it and feel much better.
I was beginning to think this maybe something else, mind works overtime in the early hours.
So I thought increase the dose if it helps I have my answer.
Hope you are well.
Julia.
Hi,
Many thanks for you're reply.
I so didn't want to increase the dose, but had to in the end.
I hadn't thought about the Doms,
I was really silly with the amount of work I did, and won't be doing that again.
I will try the increase for a few days then hopefully drop back to 10mg, anything above that and I don't sleep.
Hope you are well.
Julia
Hi,
Hope you are well,
I have increased dose to 15 from 10, and hope that doesn't the trick.
I am sure like all of us, any flare makes you feel ill, but this has scared me, it seems all the more horrible when you live alone.
Thanks again,
Julia
Hi,
Many thanks for you're reply.
I have increased dose and feel much better.
I don't think I manage this condition mentally at all, and I need to.
I will see how the next few days go.
Hope you are well.
Julia.
I really would recommend you try smaller steps down - no reduction should be more than 10% of the current dose but 1mg is quite enough for many people. It isn't a race and going slower is often faster in the long run.