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Steroids not going in remissions. METHOTREXTATE//??????
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Sep 14 11:26am | Replies (7)Comment receiving replies
@bren0718 Your experience is encouraging! I was diagnosed with PMR in March of this year and prescribed Methotrexate late June. Mistakenly thought that after the concurrent prednisone taper I was on in July, I could go without. The first 3-4 days were okay but then the pain and stiffness came back full force. Rheumatologist upped the Methotrexate dose to 10 tablets all at once/weekly and prescribe 10mg prednisone daily. I've felt pretty good and more "normal" since. Have an appointment this week and plan to ask about lowering the prednisone dose. Kind of afraid to, but I know the docs don't want us on it for too long. But I do wonder: How do I know that the methotrexate is actually working when I'm taking the prednisone?
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@bandorino
I was on 5 mg of prednisone for months and could not taper any lower because it was too painful. I started the methotrexate, it took a couple of months but all of a sudden I felt better and then very very slowly ( I did 1/2 a mg at a time) I would lower it about every 2 months. I knew the methotrexate was working when I could taper with very little pain. I was off of prednisone for 2 months and the symptoms slowly started coming back. So my RA put me back on 2 mg of prednisone
It took 2 weeks but I gutted it out and now I’m feeling a lot better. Will start tapering again in a couple months. My goal is back to 1/2 mg prednisone and then stay on it for a long while. Then I will start tapering the methotrexate. It is a long very slow process but the prednisone is not harmful to my bones at this dosage so I’m ok staying here for a while.