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← Return to PMR flare at a drop from 8 to 7 mg of prednisone?
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PMR flare at a drop from 8 to 7 mg of prednisone?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Dec 2, 2023 | Replies (44)Comment receiving replies
Hey there..According to my doctor I have been a bit outside of the classic symptoms since starting this back in December last year. My initial symptoms were pain in both legs, hips, lower back, and an inability to walk without dragging my legs. Legs felt painful and as if they were encased in concrete. Several months ago I added a bit of pain and stiffness in my shoulders but nothing big. So now I am flaring and it is once again in my legs. Not as bad as last december but it came damn close over Thankgiving when I was trying to navigate the airport.
Are your arms and biceps where your pain initially started.
Replies to "Hey there..According to my doctor I have been a bit outside of the classic symptoms since..."
thanks for your question -- i noticed symmetrical stiffness in both shoulder and hip girdle at the onset . When on sub-par dose of Prednisone (15mg), the shoulder stiffness lingered more than the legs - so for example i could get out of bed and take a walk while waiting for hte arms/shoulders to get back to normal range of motion. Maybe right now "soreness" is a combination of Pain AND stiffness ! LOL.
This description from https://www.uptodate.com/ is where i first read about the "gel phenomenon"
"Morning stiffness and the gel phenomenon – Gelling, or stiffness with inactivity, is a hallmark of synovitis in the systemic rheumatic diseases in general, but in PMR, this phenomenon can be notably severe. Morning stiffness in PMR is invariable; its absence excludes a diagnosis of PMR. In untreated PMR, morning stiffness can last into the late morning or afternoon. After inactivity, such as after a longer car ride, stiffness can recur. Nocturnal pain is common.
●Functional limitations – Proximal stiffness can result in difficulties with activities of daily living, such as pulling on a shirt or coat, hooking a bra in the back, donning socks and shoes, or transferring from the supine or seated position to standing. The intensity of the gelling phenomenon, coupled with proximal stiffness, can be such that patients may require assistance with morning dressing."
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I was dragging my legs after having an infection while on methotrexate and prednisone. It was an "acute onset" neurological change along with some of the worst pain imaginable.
One thing led to another ... antibiotics first and then an MRI which revealed severe spinal stenosis of my lumbar spine. A neurosurgeon was consulted who said I would need emergency surgery which he would do except for all the prednisone I had been on. The infection needed to be treated first.
The surgeon was also concerned about osteoporosis. He wasn't sure there would be enough "good bone" to hold all the hardware that would be needed to fuse my lumbar spine. I had a Dexa scan done that was "normal" except for "too much bone" in my lumbar spine. The surgeon didn't think there was that much good bone and much of the bone would need to be removed anyway.
I protested and said "I didn't know that I had a bad back." I admitted to years of severe back pain BUT prednisone always relieved the pain.
I still have not had the emergency surgery. The incident happened nearly 10 years ago. I took 60 mg of prednisone and the pain stopped. The neurological changes improved but I never had a full recovery. Both of my legs are weak, numb and I have foot drop on the right. I can still walk but not for any distance. I use a rollator for distance and to be able to sit down when I need to.