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Anyone have discomfort or pain when tapering off prednisone?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Sep 22 7:45pm | Replies (144)Comment receiving replies
I've been on prednisone for PMR for 3.5 months now. 20 mg to start, down to 10/12.5 every other day. My symptoms never went away completely. I'm dealing with finger pain/stiffness, wrists, and shoulders in the mornings into the afternoons. I feel badly complaining because it's bearable compared to full blown symptoms of PMR! However, I did not have these aches and pains pre-PMR. The rheumatologist started me on Methotrexate last week so we shall see if that helps after a while. Good luck on your journey and hang in there!
Replies to "I've been on prednisone for PMR for 3.5 months now. 20 mg to start, down to..."
Apparently most of us have age-related arthritis that has been masked until now by our natural production of cortisol. As we taper, and the prednisone is no longer sufficient to suppress the symptoms, we experience various levels of discomfort until (hopefully !) our cortisol production improves to again keep the inflamations in check.
All this presumes that your prednisone treatments have been of sufficient dosage and duration to put the PMR into remission. Until and unless that has been achieved through testing, starting a taper program will probably not be successful, and the pains might be PMR and not those which are better treated by something other than prednisone. Best of luck to everyone.
How are you getting on with Methotrexate regarding side effects
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I am right where you are also-
Hoping metho helps- I wake daily in pain with my prednisone now at 10mg- it is like you said bearable but not comfortable- I hate to see myself in 20 more yrs!