Polymyalgia Rheumatica *

Hi Charlena,
I'm tagging our polymyalgia rheumatica members here. @johnbishop @Robert43DAP @kiltlady @sherw @sallyann @madge have you got some thoughts or experiences to share with @charlena about her husband's newest symptom?

Hello @charlena - sorry to hear that your husband is having pain. I was diagnosed with PMR back in 2007 and was on 20mg of prednisone for a year and then per rheumatologist directions started trying to reduce the prednisone dosage. It took close to a year to finally get off of it. I had to reduce the dosage by 1mg every 2 or 3 days and I was going back and forth for awhile. I finally was able to get off of the prednisone by reducing the dosage .5mg every few days. Even then I went up and down before I was finally able to get off of the med without having any pain. When I had pain it was generally at all of the joints hips, shoulders, hands, knees. My PMR went into remission towards the end of 2009 but I think it might be coming back as I have been having shoulder, arms and hand stiffness and pain along with the small fiber peripheral neuropathy in my legs and feet. I was planning to setup an appointment with my rheumatologist to see if my PMR might be back. I hate going back on prednisone but it is better than the alternative. Good luck.

I had these symptoms and was on methylprednisone after surgery to treat Addison's disease then was switched to 15 mg of hydrocortisone bid then tapered to alternating 10 mg and 15 mg every other day then For 2 weeks then I went down to 10mg and 7.5 mg every other day for 2 weeks, then to only 5mg of hydracortisone for 2 weeks then I tapered down to 5mg and 2.5 mg alternating every other day for 2 weeks, then I stayed on 2.5mg for 3 weeks then I tapered to half 2.5 mg tablet 1.75 mg) and full 2.5 mg tablet every other day, then went down to 1.75mg everyday, and then every other day for two weeks, then I stopped. I still had major pain and my hip/back started acting up so I received a steroid/cortisone injection in my hip abductor region and started taking over the counter Zyrtec - D 12hr and Naproxen 500mg X 2/day. This got rid of all the joint aches I had.<br>

I've had RMD for several years and would like to get off of taking prednisone even though I am currently on only 2mg per day

Hi Bethog28, Can you describe RMD? Do you mean Rhythmic Movement Disorder?

Sorry!<br>I made a mistake - I meant PMR or Polymyalgia Rheumatica...<br>

Thanks for the correction. I moved your messages to this existing discussion about PMR (Polymyalgia Rheumatica). I think you'll appreciate connecting with @jasonkwellls @johnbishop and @charlena. They can share their experiences with predisone with you.

You may also be interested in reading and joining in this discussion - Diagnosed with PMR 2 1/2 years ago. How do I manage the extreme pain? http://mayocl.in/2c0mXSO

Hello @bethog28 - I would talk with your doctor and ask them for a titration schedule to try and get off the prednisone. It took me over a year to get off prednisone for my first episode of PMR which was from 2007 to 2010. I got to where a 1/2 mg tablet would get rid of the pain and went back and forth from 1 mg to 1/2 and have to go back to 1 mg after a couple of days until finally I could do 1/2 mg and then stop taking it. My. PMR was in remission until a month or so ago and I started taking 20 mg prednisone which got rid of the pain. I am titrating down again and currently at 15 mg. Hopefully you can get off and your PMR will go into remission for a long, long time. Good luck...