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Day 4 of prednisone and happy! Stay at 15 or go up to 20?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: 12 hours ago | Replies (63)Comment receiving replies
It is so incredibly helpful to have all of you to reach out to!
I will be 66 next month. Recently, I was put on a 4 mg. Dose of prednisolone with 6 pills the first day 5 pills the second day etc. by the time I was up to day 6 the pain was back full force! This was from a Spine Specialist, who did not get it at ALL! Three days ago with the help of a wonderful Rhumatologist who diagnosed PMR after talking to me for a few minutes, he put me on 30 MG. (10X30) a day of prednisone, which he increased yesterday to 20 in the AM and 20 in the PM, since I still could not sleep from the pain! He plans to decrease as necessary.
Anyone else have no feeling in the tips of all ten fingers? I wonder if it is connected at all?
Replies to "It is so incredibly helpful to have all of you to reach out to! I will..."
@remargulies Very likely you have neuropathy in your fingers from the systemic inflammation in your system. I have it on the bottom of my feet. My neuropathy has gotten better slowly.
Your dose of prednisone is getting up there. I started on a high dose as well and moved to 20mg within two weeks. I hope you can come down quickly since prednisone at that level would cause me to not sleep at all. Anything higher than 20mg robs me of sleep and begins to play with my mind big time.
@remargulies
Hi. I’m 69, male. Dx’d at 68,
Nov. ‘25. My PCP, who treats about 2-3 PMR patients/year, put me on a 6-day Steroid Pack, like your Spine Specialist did for you.
Days 2, 3, & 4, I thought I was cured (felt like Superman.)
I went back to him on day 8, using a cane again. This is important, he told me he was testing to see how I reacted to the 6-day Steroid Pack. Because I felt like Superman (no pain) on days 2, 3, & 4, then the pain returned fully (hips, neck, shoulders) on days 5 & 6 of the Pack (less Prednisone) and days 7 & 8 were back to severe, he said he felt certain that I have what’s known as PMR. He didn’t not get it, he didn’t want to diagnose me until he read my bloodwork lab results from last week (E-sec rate and CRP which were over the top) and see how the Prednisone affected me. He then explained the disease, handed me a Mayo Clinic printout explaining PMR, and the rest is history. That’s how I found this website. I wish he’d told me that Prednisone might kill me (side effects.)
I may be wrong about your Spine Specialist, but I’m impressed with how he treated you, unless he abandoned you. PMR responds to Prednisone fast, and there really isn’t any other test. Bloodwork can be normal and still one can have PMR. He started me on 20am and 20pm like you. He kept reassuring me that the fingertip numbness and tingling is a Prednisone side effect. If you can’t sleep at night, try 25am and 15pm. Prednisone can prevent you from sleeping. I was given a sleep prescription and tapered to 20am and 15pm almost immediately. I needed sleep.
I’m glad for you that you are now with a rheumatologist that you like.
The people on this site are all winners in my book. Lots of experience on here. People having PMR and GCA, willing to share their experiences, what works for them, who respond to questions and concerns. Wishing you the best as you get through this.
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@remargulies
Inflammation in your shoulders could be causing tingling and numbing sensations in your fingers. I experienced that before PMR diagnosis and sometimes now while tapering down on prednisone. I'm using 3mg LDN at night to help me sleep.