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Increasing unrelenting pain - PMR?
I am not sure where to put this question so feel free to move it. After about a month of the usual symptoms of pain and stiffness I was diagnosed with PMR in early July , saw a rheumatologist immediately and was put on 20 mg prednisone. By the end of July I was down to 15 mg. I still had some pain…moving all around ….but manageable although I was still having to add Tylenol and Advil to the mix. Stayed on 15 mg until mid Aug and then went to 12.5. The pain worsened and I went back up to 15 within a few days. Early Sept decreased to 14 but quickly had to go back up to 15 again. We live in Nova Scotia Canada and are having a pretty major hurricaine…no power, lugging buckets of water, very stressful time and physically demanding. The pain got so bad I bit the bullet and went back up to 20 mg😫😫 on Sept 24th. However my major concern is the pain has not resolved at all. It is only in my right knee (10) and some in my thigh and calf…(4). I find it scary that the prednisone increase has not helped. Could there be something else going on ?? Any ideas????
Sorry to be so long winded….
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Sounds familiar. When you are ready to reduce the dose I've found it pays to go very slowly .ie @ 1mg alternating with the old dose so say week one 10.10,10,10,10,10,9 then week 2 10, 10,10,10 10, 10 9 and so on.
I too have multiple reasons for pain and my rheumy had me go for further tests because he was sure it wasn't PMR. I think he is right because my biceps no longer hurt. It helps to have a set of muscles that the only problem is PMR. My legs, I'm sure have multiple problems. The neurologist did an EMG and found no real problems but my vein specialist found plenty of closed off veins in both legs. I'm still looking for all my answers. Hope you all find yours.
Update on unrelenting pain
I posted a while ago about the hurricane and my unrelenting psin in my groin areas snd ability to weight bare on my right leg. Ended up in hospital for a work up yesterday. Here is the shocker. On July 4 I had X-rays if my right hip which revealed a ‘benign changes attributed to mild arthritis and normal aging.’ Yesterday my new X-ray revealed ‘severe arthritic changes in hip leading to destruction of hip. Candidate for total hip replacement. First X-ray July 4. Second X-ray yesterday. That is just over 4 months. The radiologists could not believe it.
Chapter 2. An orthopaedic surgeon friend’s mother was diagnosed with PMR in the spring. Fully active woman, did everything. A couple of weeks ago was having difficulty walking. Had X-rays. Is now waiting for a knee replacement.
I know you guys will think this is one of those crazy stories but believe me…all fact. I am totally stunned…
Hi @elizabethjoan, I'm so sorry to hear that your new X-ray shows that you are a candidate for a total hip replacement. That can be unsettling to have that happen in such a short time frame.
You will notice that we merged your post into the previous discussion you started here so that members can follow your PMR journey and read your latest update.
-- Increasing unrelenting pain - PMR?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/increasing-unrelenting-pain/
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1 ReactionThanks John. Hoping to hear from others.
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1 ReactionElizabethjoan, perhaps it will help to hear from others who have had hip replacement also, which I have, two years ago. I'm 76 now. It went very well and I'm glad I did it not that most of us have any choice. It sounds like you may have had complications in your joint that sped up the degeneration. I hope the lab cultured the fluid and didn't find anything. (Sorry, retired lab person I always think like that.) Find a good surgeon, check the reviews, and buy the gadgets they recommend. They do help and you will use them later.
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1 ReactionThanks for this. I guess that is the next step. I will speak to one of the surgeons hopefully tomorrow. Yesterday was Avery bad day. Now taking dilaudid, Advil, Tylenol every 4 hours and it just takes the pain from 10 to about 4.
Thanks for telling me about your success with the ip,replacement.
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1 Reaction@elizabethjoan One sign that you're dealing with PMR is that you have symptoms on both sides of your body. I think you are right to question if your knee pain is PMR.
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1 ReactionWhere are you feeling your most pain? This is tricky. For the hip socket, it will be more toward the groin, which isn't what we think of for our hip. (The outer side) If you are feeling it there (and it is tender to the touch) it is probably trochanter bursitis, which I have and it is very annoying. Will change your gait, which leads to other problems. Legs are complicated.
I'm having the same symptoms. They started me on 10 then 40. I did well for a few weeks and little pain, they cut me down too 20 and the pain came back and now I'm up to 60. I still am having pain. It scares me too taking CBD drops seems to help numb it.