Severe backache

[ingemlb]

Just wondering if anyone else has had excruciating backache centre of back as part of pred withdrawal/tapering?
Mine started on and off with intermittent twinges shortly after reducing the pred. Then the twinges turned into sharp pains that take your breath away. Feels like my back is breaking. Today it became constant no longer intermittent. Have just taken a pain tablet so will see what happens. But in general the withdrawal symptoms have practically put me out of action
as recent blood tests came back looking good (no active inflammatory disease) I don't believe it would be a flare.

[mishb]

Sometimes pred withdrawals can be so debilitating that you just have no option but to increase it a little bit, to take the edge off.
it's just not always textbook symptoms.

I'm certain that your specialists wouldn't want you to be in this much pain during a pred decrease, withdrawal symptoms or not.

I would go up 5mg or even 10mg and then try a drop of 2.5mg again in a couple of days time.

What amount are you on currently?

[ingemlb]

Thanks Michelle. I am now on 25 mg. I took 2 Panadol osteo and that helped with the pain. Will see if I can manage on that. If not will see if increasing pred fixes it but I am terribly keen to cope with a lower dose

[Alysia]

I don't remember reading here about backache as a result of pred reduction. only about headaches.
you should better go to your doc to check it. I am sorry for your pains. get well soon

[ingemlb]

Funny enough Alysia I read about Flank pain as part of prednisolone reduction. Also under withdrawal symptoms they list joint pain.

Another thing I don't know is if inflammation in bones shows up in blood tests. I apparently have a lot of inflammation in my bones which was discovered during a bone scan in hospital. I may need to have another one done if this pain doesn't improve.


Also had a very bad hypo yesterday which was rather disappointing after having reduced the insulin and no hypos for a few days. So if this doesn't' settle down soon I think I'll just go back to hospital and let them stabilise me there.
Anyway woke up without pain this morning so .. touch wood. Hope it stays this way today.

[windchime]

Inge try 27.5 mg and see if that stops the pain rather than all the way back to 30 mg. It's possible that you're tapering too fast. I know that I've tried to get to 10 mg three times and every time I make it I can't take the pain and have to up it back to 20 mg and start all over again. This time I've been tapering at 1 mg every two weeks. So far so good as I'm down to 11 mg. It's slow, but better that than the pain. Just a thought.

[Alysia]

Funny enough Alysia I read about Flank pain as part of prednisolone reduction. Also under withdrawal symptoms they list joint pain.

Another thing I don't know is if inflammation in bones shows up in blood tests. I apparently have a lot of inflammation in my bones which was discovered during a bone scan in hospital. I may need to have another one done if this pain doesn't improve.


Also had a very bad hypo yesterday which was rather disappointing after having reduced the insulin and no hypos for a few days. So if this doesn't' settle down soon I think I'll just go back to hospital and let them stabilise me there.
Anyway woke up without pain this morning so .. touch wood. Hope it stays this way today.

I am sorry for giving wrong info. thanks for your clarification. I am glad that its over. I hope that other things will get better soon

[BookNut]

Funny enough Alysia I read about Flank pain as part of prednisolone reduction. Also under withdrawal symptoms they list joint pain.

Another thing I don't know is if inflammation in bones shows up in blood tests. I apparently have a lot of inflammation in my bones which was discovered during a bone scan in hospital. I may need to have another one done if this pain doesn't improve.


Also had a very bad hypo yesterday which was rather disappointing after having reduced the insulin and no hypos for a few days. So if this doesn't' settle down soon I think I'll just go back to hospital and let them stabilise me there.
Anyway woke up without pain this morning so .. touch wood. Hope it stays this way today.

I have minor, but chronic pain in my right hip/flank area. It is quite livable with occasional chiropractic adjustments. It started from a bad fall on ice when I was only 18. Anyway, the one blessing of being on pred for me is that the back pain disappears for the length of the taper. After I am off for a few days, back it comes. But, given the choice, I'd rather be off the pred. Maybe your doctor could recommend a good chiropractor or massage therapist. Lots of quacks out there who don't know what they're doing. I am blessed because my Primary Care doctor is an integrated medicine practice, and there is a good chiropractor and massage therapist in the group. My PCP pulls no punches. If she does not aprove of a particular practitioner or physician, she tells me that "I wouldn't send my ex-husband there!". Very blunt, but I can count on her not to be wishy-washy!