I'm wondering if insufficient prednisone dose can cause actual damage to muscles (or nerves or whatever).
We all have different pain level tolerance. So some will take prednisone only if their pain is at the screaming level and others will take enough that they are essentially pain free.
But can the person with high pain tolerance actually permanently damage themselves by not taking enough prednisone?
Insufficient pred means not all the inflammation is being eradicated - and unmanaged inflammation in the body increases the likelihood of damage to the affected parts, in the case of PMR and GCA to the blood vessels. Long term low grade inflammation also increases the risks of developing several cancers.
On the other hand philoso4, too much steroid may cause steroid induced myopathy, less frequently with Prednisone, more frequently with fluorinated steroids. Just keep active listen to your body, try to keep smiling 🙂
Can I assume that you take sufficient steroids to totally eliminate pain and stiffness? Or do you strive for some kind of balance?
philoso4, I stayed on 30 mg, till I was pain free, I am very active walking twice a day. Reduce my dosage only as I am pain free, currently tapering to 17.5. Smiling !
The result you get with the starting dose is your guide. Whatever that is - you look for the lowest dose that achieves the same result. Some people are pain-free, others are never pain-free.
I guess I am lucky in my misfortune, Eileen H, when Rheumy wanted me to reduce after the flare, I would not until pain free, which did happen and I have been pain free since. Walking with a smile, hoping to regain my balance so I can ride my bicycle. Still smiling 🙂
Eileen,
The first dosage of Medrol made me feel 20 yrs old (63 years younger than actual age). I can't imagine any dosage could do that again.
After going through ups and downs over the first couiple of months I settled into a tolerable level of stiffness. I have never had a real "flare" - no wall-climbing-groaning-teethclenching that I had before medrol. But at a level of around 6mg and lower I do notice that inner thigh muscles feel very much like they did during active PMR. Weak to the point of not being able to walk nearly so fast as normal.
I'm writing all this just to let you and others know that the guidance you suggest for proper level of medrol is not possible for me to use as a gauge.
It may be that we all have different experiences and even use different terms for what we feel.