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Wait 4 flare to happen B4 starting Kevzara or ?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Sep 29 2:37pm | Replies (27)Comment receiving replies
@petermccarville
Thanks very much for responding. The 25mg Prednisone totally took away ALL my PMR pain, and ALL my chronic pain from my spine (especially neck/upper back, but have other pain issues as well). Since starting to taper (tapered from 25mg to 22.5mg-felt only a little of my chronic neck/upper back pain and some "feelings" in the areas where the PMR was but it wasn't that type of pain). Then tapered from 22.5mg to 20mg last Saturday (12th). Since Saturday I've started to feel even more of my "old chronic pain" but also more areas where the PMR pain/symptoms were, but it's still not anything like the level of pain or symptoms like I had prior to Prednisone. I'm thinking it might be the normal process of my body starting to "feel any pain" again, and maybe feeling the areas where PMR symptoms were but I don't know. I'm trying not to overreact as if it means it's definitely going to get worse because it might not. I'm trying to take it a day at a time regarding whether I'm truly feeling any "flare" type symptoms or pain before I let my Rheumatologist know. The minute I'm sure, I'll be on the phone and Medical group portal.
It sounds like a good idea to have the Kevzara. I'm betting that my Medicare Advantage insurance will do the same, deny, require other meds first etc.
It would be fantastic to not have any flares all the way down and not need Kevzara. May it be so for me!!
So glad you were done in 10 months. That's great to hear.
Blessings.
Replies to "@petermccarville Thanks very much for responding. The 25mg Prednisone totally took away ALL my PMR pain,..."
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@boomermeg . Sounds like you got the logistics taken care of. Let's hope the body cooperates and does not flare. When I was tapering, people on this site told me that a flare was something that lasts and gets worse over a weeks time. If it stays the same or starts to wane, then it is not a flare. I did have some trepidation and worry as I tapered. That old "what if..." and "is that PMR". I too have non-PMR pains but they were more noticeable when I was down in the 2-3-4 mg ranges. In fact, I know these pains well and that helped me realize that it was more of an adrenal issue/old past pain issue and not PMR.
I followed an international protocol with the treatment and taper. It was a 15 to start. On it for 1 month, then 12.5 for a month, then 10 for a month. When I went from each of these I worried but the 10 was working and in fact, I felt like PMR was leaving me around 8-9-10 mg. I told my wife that I think I "had it on the run". Just a feeling like I was kicking its ass. After a month of nine, I started to do three weeks between tapers. When I got down to 4-5 mg, I did every two weeks by a 1/2 mg. It slowed it down but made for a smaller percentage of drop each time. It is all up to you. As with many on this site, I recommend slow slow on the taper. Be solid with the efficacy of each step before you drop to the next level.
Good luck to you. We on this site are very sincere with our care for each other. It is such a bizarre club to be a part of. 🙂