Hello again -
I have been treated for PMA and Temporal arteritis since last January and am currently on 7 mg/day of prednisolone with a view to trying to reduce 1mg every 4 weeks as suggested by the rheumatologist. I am 71.
At present the worst side effect for me has been easy bruising and thinning of the skin. The slightest bump or friction on shins and arms produces dark purple bruises due to subcutaneous bleeding. Also - even a mild scrape (eg from a cardboard label on trousers which I was trying on in a shop) can cause the skin to break and bleed. My rheumatologist tells me that this will improve as I reduce the dose but this does not seem to be happening. What are other people's experiences of this? Do I have to get down to a much lower dose before I see an improvement or will this problem persist even when I (hopefully) manage to come off the steroids?
I would be grateful to know what other people think.
Purple cat.
Hello Purple cat
Like you I have PMR (since 2007) and GCA (since 2006) and I fully sympathise with you as regards the bruising and thinning of the skin caused by the steroids. As I have reduced the dose (now on 1mg), I am finding that although I am still bruising easily, they don't appear to be in such vivid colours! My skin does still scratch easily but I feel it will take some time after discontinuing the steroids for the skin to recover completely. As for a year or so after discontinuing steroids we are told to inform anyone treating us that we have been on steroids, I'm assuming that means it can take that long for the body to totally recover and that probably applies to our skin as well.
You have done really well to reach 7mgs after 9 months but although the rheumatologist has advised you to continue reducing by 1mg every 4 weeks, you should be aware that when you get to 5mgs it is very often difficult to reduce below that dose without increasing pain. The recommendation, therefore, is to then stay at each dose for 3 months to avoid causing a flare.
Very best wishes for continuing successful reductions and do come back and let us know how you are getting on......even more importantly when you do come off the steroids, please come back and let us share your good news.
MrsO
MrsO
Hello again Purple cat
I meant to add (it was late at night - grey cells shut down!) that I take Wheatgerm every day mainly as a boost for my skin as it contains Vit E and among other essential vitamins it also contains calcium which is an added bonus when on steroids! I haven't tried it but the Health shops sell wheatgerm oil and I have often wondered about giving it a try together with my moisturiser. Perhaps either of these suggestions may help with your skin problem.
MrsO
PurpleCat
I have GCA only and it has taken me three and a half years to get down to 3mg per day.
You have done well to get down to 7mg from being diagnosed with GCA in January this year.
You ask specifically about bruising and thin skin.
Easily bruising and thin skin are also part and parcel of the aging process. So when you are thinking it is all down to steroids - its not so - it is exacerbated and its a nuisance. And if, like me, you easily bruised all your life, it can seem to be a major problem.
Talk to your Pharmacist, tell them about every medication you are taking, including non-prescription and then ask them if Arnica tablets and/ or cream are compatible and try Arnica for the bruising.
Just remember one thing, steroids and all that comes with them, are keeping your sight.
:bubbly:
Hi all!
During this afternoon's online reading session :lol: I noted the following piece of information in a chapter in a medical textbook dealing with the treatment of GCA and the use of the so-called \"steroid sparing\" drugs:
30% of patients who got off steroids in less than 2 years had relapses of GCA and/or PMR. An even higher relapse rate was noted for patients who were on steroids for less than a year.
There have been some trials of the idea of using very high doses of intravenous steroids at the start of treatment of GCA for a short period until the inflammation has been totally controlled (on the basis of the ESR values) and then changing over to longer term lower oral doses. This has seemed to offer a promising way of dealing with a nasty disease which threatens your sight as it was associated with good recovery rates and few relapses.
These points do suggest to me that it is very important that the inflammation in the blood vessels MUST be got under control at the outset for a successful longer-term result - and that it is a mistake to be too hasty in trying to get off the steroids.
Purplecat - I do hope you aren't THAT purple :lol: - despite your concern about the bruising I just wanted to agree with MrsK here. My mother-in-law never took anything much (she would have saved the pharmaceutics world a fortune, one tablet of anything and she showed most of the adverse effects!) but in later years she barely had to touch something and she had a bruises all over and had very fragile skin. GCA is one of a group of illnesses termed as vasculitis which means inflamed blood vessels. If the little blood vessels are damaged as a result they are likely to be more fragile and bleed more easily.
We do tend to blame everything on those awful steroids - but for some of the things I notice, I personally couldn't tell you what was from the PMR and what was from the steroids as they overlap so much! In my case, most of the things that appear that might be from steroids according to the list of side-effects actually disappear if I up the steroid dose a bit so they are probably PMR!
EileenH
Thanks Mrs O, Mrs K. and Eileen H
I agree that the bruising is probably as much due to skin ageing as it is to the prednisolone as it occurs predominantly on arms and shins - those parts of the body that get the most sun exposure over the years (so sun damage maybe - and I have to confess to being a real sun worshipper when younger). Also - I did bruise fairly easily on those parts of the body before I was taking steroids - though since the steroids it seems ten times worse.
Anyway - thanks again for your thoughts on the matter.
Best wishes - Purple cat.
PS - no - I'm not that purple - I belong to a choir called Purple Cats!
How to rebuild your skin and make it thick again.
(reversing the effects from prednisone).
2 things to take:
horsetail extract pills (1 pill 3x a day) -
and collagen pills (1 pill 2-3x a day).
take both of these for atleast 9 - 12 months and your skin should be back to normal (yes it takes time to rebuild, but it does work.). and most doctors will tell you there's no cure - don't believe them.
as a side note, be sure to drink twice as much water when taking horsetail extract . it seems to dehydrate a little and cause a little constipation. but drinking more water alleviates this.
WARNING: Do not take ANY supplements until you have consulted your pharmacist about safety. It doesn't matter whether they are "natural" or not - they can still be dangerous in combination with other substances, both prescription medications and other supplements.
That of course also applies with new prescription drugs - and the pharmacist is the person to check with. They spend 7 years just on pharmacology, most doctors may have done 7 months part time. I ended up in hospital when a GP gave me an antibiotic that doesn't go with pred and it took a long time to recover - I was on crutches for 9 months until the achilles tendon recovered. I do my own searches now - always!
Eileen
How king till you see any improvement ? I've been doing this fir 2 months now no improvement yet
Yes, I too have been on steroids since July 2013, and like you the slightest knock or brushing against something, comes out in a bruise, I started on 20mg and now on 8mg,but the aches are back in my arms and shoulders, and now they are appearing in my wrists and hands,ankles and sometimes I am finding it very hard to walk
I am eternally grateful to the forum. My poor old legs have been in
a purple snit for so long, at 3mgs of prednisone nothing has improved.
Thanks to those who told "their story" I can now be a little more tolerant
and hope we all return to "normal" soon. Thanks again.
Having to edure pain comming of steroids is not that bad i have copd after long heroin use. heoin users go through this pain every day of there lives. Just think that your not alone and drop every 3 days think it will not kill you but make you better.
I bought one of those wooden wheeled massage thingies the other day with the intention of massaging my forearms daily. Once was enough, I now have purple bruises all over my forearms.
Do you have PMR/GCA? If so - if you reduce the pred dose you are on every 3 days you will be back at square one in very short order. I note from your profile you are a "beginner" - before telling people to reduce their medication I think you had better learn a bit about PMR and GCA.
Would you tell someone with an underactive thyroid or rheumatoid arthritis to reduce their dose of medication that is keeping them functioning? I trust you wouldn't - and in PMR pred is the medication that keeps us functioning. The only available medication that keeps us able to walk and do normal daily tasks. In the case of GCA it is protecting us from going blind. We all hope one day the disease will go into remission and we won't need it. But in the meantime we would be in pain every day of our lives - not from taking heroin but from the illness.
If you HAVEN'T got PMR or GCA then why are you making this sort of statement here?
Really not a good idea - for more than one reason! With pred you're risking the bruises and with PMR you are risking making your muscles rather uncomfortable! Many people with PMR can't tolerate massage because the action on the muscles can release cytokines and apparently cause a flare in the symptoms. If you are used to massage then you tend to expect it I suppose and don't worry about it as much but others can't cope with it.
I have experienced exactly the same thing, even went to a vascular surgeon
to ask if I had vasculitis and was told - no that the condition was due to the
ingestion of prednisone and would improve as I decreased the dose - however,
I am now down to 3mgs and there's no improvement. My lower legs look dreadful but I have no pain, my concern is could this happen elsewhere and cause irreprobable damage. I am 87, had PMR for l8 months and have reduced
very slowly allowing my body to adjust; this is my only concern and hope it
will eventually resolve itself, otherwise I am relatively healthy for my age. May
I suggest that ones' eye sight be monitored carefully as I have recently been
diagnosed with glaucoma which can be caused by prednisone. I am using eye
drops to reduce the high pressure and am doing well. Giood luck to everyone
and a big thank you to those whose wisdom is expressed on this forum, it is
greatly appreciated. Seasons greeting s to all. Judygirl.
Heroin use/abuse is a matter of choice. PMR/GCA/RA are not.
Eileen can I ask what antibiotic was taken with prednisolone? I have a swelling on the Achilles' tendon it came out of no where? I am not a sports person sad to say so now wondering? Also I have an arm where the skin is very thin and bruises easily. Also itches like mad when hot (I'm menopausal too!) so hot weather causing real problem. Keep putting it under tap. But both are sending me a bit mad at moment!
Sorry I also meant to add that I have been taking steroids on and off for years as asthmatic. My arm is due to steroids taken topically for eczema. My other arm is fine so I know how bad the right arm is affected. Thanks to all who reply. 😊
Yes, I have the same problem, but it seems that other people have the same problem, I know a lady who takes Prednislone on higher dose than we do, she tinks it is great she says she feels great on higher, dose, she does not wear skirts, only trousers and long sleeve blouses she is about 85yrs old.
personally I cant wait to get off of them I am reducing at the rate of 1 mg per month so next month it will be 5mg I was initionally given for PMR but then with a change of Rheumi it was discovered that I did not have PMR but Fibromyalgia plus crystals in my joints, As I also suffer with COPD I am advised to take a few days on a higher dose of Preds