Can anybody tell me what the unpleasant side effects I can expect from use of pred steroid medication?
Am down to 11 mg a day and am so concerned have been taking for two months and can't see how I could be free of them altogether.
I'm now into about 8th month at around 10 mg, despite instructions and warnings from Rheumy. I'll stay as long as it takes but I'd like to know at what dosage and how long it takes for some of the side effects to leave. I'm speaking about things such as memory problems, tremor, purpura, balance loss, etc. I'm sure I won't see any improvement at 10, but it would be nice to look forward to losing some of the worst when I can get my dose smaller.
View 68 RepliesI know that this is not a serious or worrying problem but it is puzzling... And I was wondering if anyone else has experienced it. It has made me laugh, which is always a good thing and a novelty for a steroid side effect.... I am presuming it is a side effect.
I started on 15mg Prednisone in July 2014, I am now 70 and for these 70 years I have had straight hair.. Very straight hair.... 2 weeks ago, while reducing to 8mg, my hair became wavy / curly... What?... It hasn't changed in texture at all but what's with the curls?
Does anybody know, will my hair stay like this once I come off the steroids?
i have treated by prednisolone medicine (steroids)for my optic nerve problem @ my age 23 to 25, nw my age is 31, will this steroids affects my marriage life
View 1 RepliesMy symptoms started in mid-December. I went on 15 mg prednisone on Dec 31 but had only very slight improvement, then to 20 mg on Jan 5 (a week ago). After great improvement for 4 or 5 days (nearly pain free), the sharp pain came back in the arms yesterday (worse today) and hips are starting to hurt again. Alas! Any comment?
Also, when the pain is localized (like 2 x 3 inch area of arm), do muscle rubs or icing help reduce the inflammation?
I had an interesting experience during the 8 weeks I was untreated and misdiagnosed for PMR a year ago. I am a light drinker, but after 4 weeks of debilitating pain in more joints than not, I decided to go out on Cinco de Mayo (Mexican celebration) and try to numb my pain. From 6 pm to 10 pm I consumed the equivalent of 8 oz. of tequila, 4 straight, 4 in margaritas, with mexican food. Came home, still in pain, went to bed. Awoke @ 4 am, no longer significantly intoxicated, got up, and walked around with NO pain. The reduction in inflammation lasted till late the next afternoon. This temporary reduction in pain and inflammation pushed me to search harder for a remedy. I had lost hope. Please check my bio for additional info, if you like. I have since found additional data that alcohol users have significantly reduced rates of Rheumatoid. I do not suggest alcohol as a remedy, but I have no idea what the mechanism was that suppressed my inflammation. Could this be a path or clue to mitigation of PMR outside of prednisone?? Anyone have any similar experiences? Was it the alcohol, and or maybe the agave (source plant for tequila)?? It was not drunkenness, there was a definite repression of inflammation. I did not try it again, as I don't like to drink that much. Lower doses (2-3 oz.) did not have the same effect.
View 49 RepliesThis morning I woke up with my right side of face all swollen, red and my eyeball is leaking. The right side of my face, jaw, temporal area and neck have given me problems for months and months before the doctors diagnosed PMR and GCA. They still have not done anything the really confirm GCA and I am worried that I may have had a mini-stroke as I woke up all numb in the right side of my head one morning and slowly the numbness went away and then pain was horrible. I have pain in the right side of my head 24/7 but the SWELLING appearance is new. Should I be going to the hospital?
View 15 RepliesI am affected by red eye for almost two years and used 3 to 4 steroids prescribed by doctors( But then I was not aware of the rebound effects it can cause ) and one of this steroids (Fluorometholone and Tetrahydrozoline HCl) has really caused some damage in my right eye. On 23rd June I had color Fundus Photography on both eyes And luckily the test shown that it is not rebound effect which I am suffering from. And after some trial and error I have found that it is nothing but Cigarette smoke which is causing all those problems. That is I am an eye allergy patient.
now my medicines are Alcaftadine 0.25% and systane.
How much they can help me to get rid of this allergic problem?
"In fact I would like to know if eye allergy is curable?
And I have heard that by injecting the allergen agent into the eyes starting with a low amount and gradually increasing the amount immunity can be achieved. Is it a option for me to Inject tobacco in this way, while tobacco is poisonous. If no, than what are the alternative treatments. Do not advice to give up smoking. I am not being arrogant here I know it shall be impossible for me.
I love fruit and eat plenty,also i have Manuka honey, my question is as we have to be aware of diabetes should we be aware how much we eat, does our body process natural sugar in a different way to processed sugars.Just a thought, been awake and up since 5.30( and was hungry so thought have some fruit before breakfast then thought am i having too much)
View 19 RepliesI've been experiencing some aches and pains over the past few days, it started off with aching in my wrists up to my elbows, now my joints in my legs and ankles are aching, also a bit of a stiff/ sore neck and top of spine is sore. In general my whole body is aching, feels sore to touch, throbbing and from time to time can get sharp pains. I don't have any rash as yet.
I have been in contact with chickenpox lately so didn't know if Id caught anything from that at.
I was thinking about PMR and although I am very nearly stable on 10 mg Prednisolone it is a knife edge dose. I still have many side effects from 4 years use of the steroid. In some kind of order they are:-
Muscle wastage, fatigue, lassitude, thinning of skin, easy bruising, cuts which take an unusually long time to heal, glaucoma, dry eye, exacerbated and premature cataracts which necessitated operations on both eyes to replace the lenses, virtual permanent stiffness and loss of motion in neck, constant shoulder and back pain, balance problems and now a recent discovery which I believe to be bronchiectasis. The last manifested itself with a slight productive cough I have had for about a year, with a shortness of breath which is steadily getting worse. Initial exam by GP showed no ‘crackle’, X-ray was ‘normal’ blood ‘normal’, whatever that is. Have seen this GP who gave me a course of amoxicillin (5 days) which did nothing. Then just left me to get on with things, no follow up, nothing. Not sure what to do next. I can see any one of the other doctors at this particular practice and am thinking to see one of them soon; well at least I can try for an appointment, currently 2 weeks!
Now the latest manifestation…..Shingles. Or to give it its proper title
Herpes Varicella-Zoster. A particularly painful affliction caused by the chicken pox I must have had as a child. It has affected the left side of my scalp, my left forehead, eye and face; I am not a pretty sight! By the time I knew what it was it was too late for any anti viral medication so will just have to let it take its course. Existing on Paracetamol, Codeine, Neurontin and the occasional Tramadol. All of these analgesics are for a short time only, don’t want to get hooked. Managed to see a doctor reasonably quickly about my eye who sent me to the eye unit at my local hospital, ophthalmologist examined the eye and gave me the all clear, phew!
On top of all this I have the daddy of all flares I put the cause of this down to the trauma of my new affliction. My immune system is compromised due to the daily use of 10mg. Prednisolone which I have increased to 15 mg. for a short time. It appears that any kind of trauma either emotional or physical will set off a flare.
I wondered what causes a flare in other sufferers from PMR/GCA and do they do as I do and increase the dosage of steroid and try to rest? Or is there a magical cure I should know about?
Long ramble I know but strangely feel better for writing it, apologies if you think I’m wasting your time, or a hypochondriac. (I’m not).
To my knowledge I have never had chicken pox. I have been taking Pred for three years and am now down to 3mgs from 15. My granddaughter is with me with chickenpox. Should I be worried please?
View 24 RepliesI was told years ago i haf fibromyalgia but now my blood work shows a high sed rate
View 31 RepliesBackground: I am 66 years old and have suffered first attack in mid November 2015... I have been fairly active person and have done some triathlon in the past, so not being able to get out of the bed on my own was pretty shocking to me... It took about one month to diagnose PMR and I started medication (prednisone) at 15 mg/day mid December.
If there is an interest, I would like to post about the progress in recovery, with special attention to exercise. I am seeing specialist every 2 weeks and complete blood work is done to monitor inflammation caused by PMR.
I would like to post what I have done thus far and future progress in (hopefully) successful recovery.
Has anyone tried Q10 supplements, and are they alright to take with pred.
View 33 RepliesI have recently had blood tests again and have a low esr. I have symptoms of pmr and discussed these with my gp. I begged her for prednisolone and she reluctantly agreed but only one week. I felt great! I was walking normally, getting out of bed for the whole day where I was bed bound a lot before, just felt so wonderful having so little pain in my hips and shoulders. My blood tests came back normal and she said she cant give me any more and is referring me to rheumatology again. The pain has come back, my hips are crippling me my shoulders are so so painful again and nothing else has worked, just the prednisolone. My orthopaedic specialist may give me one more injection in ten days, vpbut that will be the third and he said 3 is the max so I should have relief for 3 weeks, if previous injections are to go by but after that.
View 42 RepliesFor the last week or so, I have been getting short of breath, and very dizzy, feel like I am losing my balance, and my heart is racing. I have never had panic attacks, and this seem to start strangely enough when I have been reading....and then the weird feeling lasts the rest of the day.
Is it possible it`s the 11 mg pred I`m on? (have been for 4 years) Just can`t pin down what`s causing it! My blood pressure is ok....not diabetic...
I am wondering if gum inflammation is related at all to the PMR, GCA. I will see the dentist in a couple of days. Thanks.
View 6 RepliesDoes anyone know whether cannabinoids have been clinically studied for PMR? There has certainly been a study that shows they may be effective against the inflammation in other diseases. Google: cannabinoids and inflammation.
View 2 RepliesJust wondered if anyone on here has trouble with their Achilles Tendon? First thing after resting a while and if I've walked far too much they get very very stiff and painful! There doesn't seem much flexibility in either ankles. I didn't have problems with them when I was first diagnosed with PMR, only now 10 months into the condition and in 7 mg of pred!
View 7 RepliesI have been a regular migraine sufferer for 34 years, averaging about one per week. I've been on prednisolone 15mg for a few weeks now for PMR, and not the slightest hint of a migraine. Could it be down to the steroids? I'm not happy about taking them, but maybe every cloud does have a silver lining!
View 10 Replies