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How long does prednisone take
Been on prednisone(10mg) for over 3 months now.Seems to be improving but then out of the blue ,a night from hell.Pain and stiffness so bad ,i can barely move.Mostly in my back.usually takes 4-5 hours to feel a little better.Is this a normal part of it.I do have low bone density in my spine .
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Without knowing your particulars it is my understanding that prednisone will relieve most pain at the right dose. 10mg is rather small starting dose. Mine was relieved in about 4 hours. That was after suffering for 3 months for a diagnosis. If the prednisone is not working then I would recommend further testing. You may have some other condition.
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2 ReactionsThese are questions for your doctor. Back pain may be something not related to PMR.
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2 ReactionsEveryone is different. I started at 10mg. It took about three hours after taking it in the morning to feel pretty good. Rheumatologist increased to 15mg and it was perfect didn't wake up in any pain.
It was about the 3 month mark that I started splitting my dose due to extreme hand pain in the middle of the night. There are several discussion threads on the pros and cons. However back pain for someone with low bone density should be investigated with the Doctor as others have suggested. You need to get off the Prednisone as quickly as possible because it will make your bone density problem a lot worse. (I'm sure you know this already). Assuming you have a PMR diagnosis, has your Doctor suggested Hydroxychloroquine or Methotrexate to help wean you off the Prednisone ? Doctors don't put much emphasis on it but most of the sufferers here swear by the benefits of a carefully controlled anti-inflammatory diet. It took me years to work out what foods I had to completely eliminate but it's finally starting to pay off.
I started on 20 mg after going undiagnosed for almost 1.5 years. I felt significant relief within hours and complete relief within 1-2 days.