First trial meds wears off,

cindyjonas

Hi all,
I have been quiet for a while.

I finished the first trial of steroids tablets on Tuesday and the wrist pain is back so much that it's unbearable, gp rang me today to ask how it went. I told her that after 24hr of taking them I could feel so much of a difference but since my last 40mg of tablets the pain in wrist is back, stiff fingers in morning's are also back. I thought that steroids were working for weeks. But she confirmed that tablets are literally working only when you take them. Great.

I still wait for an appointment to the rhuma as the surgery forgot to send the referral.

I never expected to be so much in pain so quick. Pfffff, and of course the weather is not making things any better.

dreamdaisy

Oral steroids are not (and I suspect never will be) the answer. I found them so much better than the injected sort (which are capable of lasting for weeks if they suit) but I spent most of last year weaning myself off due to the long-term risks (and I am still amazed I could be so mature). If you dropped from 40mgs to nothing then I am not surprised the pain returned because 40 mgs is a large-ish dose and the withdrawal should be more gradual than going from that to nothing (even if you weren't on them for long). DD

cindyjonas

The GP wanted me to try them as I am still waiting for an appointment, and did give me a massive dose to see if it was arthritis related pain.

She couldn't give me injections as I got so many joints affected but to be honest I don't know how I'm gonna cope without medication until the appointment.

I'm in agony and that's not nice at all, I have an upset tummy due to the meds. She has aalready warned me that within a year I would not be able to lift or grap stuff. GREAT ! I am just upset that the pain came back so quickly (she admitted that she didn't told me that before trying because she wanted me to try them to have a kind of result for the rhuma. Now I can't have any more because they are only for short term and still weeks away of an appointment.

I am so disappointed

dreamdaisy

First off she is a GP. She knows a little about a lot (that's their role) and therefore not in a position to foretell the future simply because no-one can. Everyone's arthritis is different in how it presents and in what it does. I hope you get the referral to a rheumatologist soon (I guess that is what you are waiting for?) and lplease let us know how you get on. DD

salamander

Hi there, I don't know how long you were on the 40mg dose of steroids for. However, I've frequently been given a short term course of 30mg for asthma/bronchitis - usually 7 days and stop, to no ill effect.

I wondering if the tapering thing is for more long term use. Certainly, when I first got diagnosed I was on 15mg then dropping down to 2.5mg over a period of weeks but wonder whether that was also to keep a level of drugs in my system.

Anyone have the answer to that please?

Colin1

Hi Cidy you never said the name of the steroid tablets you got
Colin

cindyjonas

Hi Colin,

Sorry i have been very very quiet, went to belgium to see my family and see if this pain will go away if i am not working but NO it hasn't.

The medication i was taken was PREDNISOLONE 40mg daily for 7 days.

The pain went away within 40 hrs but returned within 24 hrs of stopping.

I finally got a call to see the RHUMA so hopefully they will sort me out soon because it is unbearable, im so tired