Steroids

Knee20

Hi I have been told I have arthritis although I have been told after blood tests it is not Rheumatoid Arthritis. It is in several joints knees ( I had one knee replacement in 2020) ankles back hips ribs and getting progressively worse- eg leg and back stiffen after activity

I have also been advised I have neurological issues ( neck and back)

Standard painkillers ( paracetamol) do not provide any relief and I do not really want to use Gabapentin or Pregabalin as I am concerned re long term effects.

Does anyone use oral steroids to help with arthritis pain or possible inflammation. ( I am not sure how I can check for inflammation but I do know leg that stiffens most is always hotter than the other one)

Ellen

Good Morning @Knee20 welcome to the online community.

I see from your post that you have Osteoarthritis in several joints and are in a great deal of pain which is not being helped by paracetamol. Many of our members take Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories alongside painkillers - for example ibuprofen. Do you take them I wonder?

Steroids are also anti-inflammatory you are quite right, but do come with certain risks I am attaching some information about them while you are waiting for our members to share their own experiences:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/steroids/

and this is a Q&A:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/your-experiences/your-questions-answered/your-questions-on-steroids/

Best wishes and do let us now how you get on.

Ellen.

stickywicket

I hate taking meds but, after a lifetime of RA and OA I have a drawerful😉 i think most will have the potential to cause long term side effects but we have to balance that against damage done by leading a more sedentary life. Steroids are actually some of the worst culprits for long term problems. have another chat with your GP.. And ask for physio advice.

frogmorton

Hello @Knee20 welcome from me too

I think you could be right if the joint is hot it is usually inflamed, (have you tried ice in a tea towel on it?), but I also wonder whether you are on any NSAID? Like Ibuprofen or naproxen?

Steroids are great and for some work amazingly well into a joint. Oral steroids too in the short term, but they absolutely have their downsides.

My own daughter was on them for some time for leukaemia she got very depressed on them, had a proper chipmunk face, HUGE stretchmarks on her body. These kind of returned to normal (stretchmarks are now silver not pink) after she stopped taking them, but other damage caused by them could not be so easily fixed. Specifically she got Avascular necrosis in her joints and ended up having hip surgery and her shoulder replaced at 18 and 19 years of age.

To be fair she was on an exceptionally high dose of steroids for a very very long time and was still growing at the time. We would be more likely to have osteoporosis as a consequence I think.... It wouldn't stop me taking a short course if my Dr recommended it, but I think this is probably why 'they' don't like us being on them as a permanent medication.

By the way I myself took gabapentin for a while at the highest dose and had no problems with it at all although it didn't help either!

You know what? we are all different and in my experience it's trial and error finding what helps us as individuals.

Best of luck