prednisone withdrawal and joint pain

Isn't that also a side effect of Remicade? I haven't been on it yet, but I thought that's what I heard. Could also be joint issues from Crohn's all on it's own. It's hard to say, but I'd make sure and bring it up with your doc. Whatever is causing it, I sure hope it goes away soon!

I'm down to 10 mg of pred, and I get minor aches and pains. I think I'm just paying more attention to every day aches though, since I know I'm tapering down.

Hello, have you been on pred for a long time? When I stopped taking Prednisone after 6 - 8 weeks I had terrible joint pain, I am also taking Remicade, but I do not believe it is from it, my GI Doc, said it could be yes from Pred, I did a test, I took 5mg of pred and the pain have pratically disappeared. I still have joint pain, but they are not so bad anymore.

I have joint pain but got worse when I started the pred 2 weeks ago, on 35mg now along with Humira biweekly. My knee has a shooting pain every now and then and I rememebered it from the last time on Prednisone and also get charlie horses (muscle spasms). I am really hoping as I taper it goes away soon. Who knows between meds and the disease and aging it all combines I think.

I went through this also, and was diagnosed with remicade induced lupus. I stopped the remicade and was put on prednisone and only then did the joint pain subside. My rhuemy has done special blood work on me every 6 months for 1 1/2 years since this happened and only last month did my DNA come back neg meaning the ana and ena were positive for drug induced lupus (side effect of remicade). Just reading your post brought back terrible memories of the pain. I hope you get some relief soon.

Julia

Bektold-I had the same thing happen when I went off pred. It was about 1-2 months later that my knees and hip were just so stiff and sore.  I went to my GP for something unrelated and told them about it--ending up having an x-ray and diagnosed with arthritis. HOWEVER, the prescribed a NSAID that I never filled and within a couple of weeks, the soreness, pain and stiffness completely dissappeared.  I don't think we'll ever hear a medical doctor admit any of this.  I believe it was a prednisone withdrawal symptom and who knows what this drug really does in our bodies??  Hopefully your pain will clear up soon :)

I was diagnosed with Crohn's at the age of 55 after suffering with bleeding for months before.  After the first year, the low level drugs I was taking had to be increased because my condition continued to get worse (a couple of hospital stays involved).  Once I was put on Asacol (1600mg/day) and Prednisone (30mg/day), the bleeding stopped.  But I experienced a flare up that put me in the hospital about 6 months ago.  I had Azathioprine (Imuran) added to my drugs (100mg/day).  After a few months I was doing so well, the doc had me taper off the Prednisone at -2.5mg each week.  Once my Pred. got down to about 7.5mg/day I stared experiencing "some" muscle aches in my feet, hips and knees.  The lower the steroids got, the stronger the aches in my joints which grew to include my shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers and somewhat in my upper spine area.  Thinking it was just coming off of the Prednisone after being on it for a year, I waited before going back to the doctor.
At first I thought I was coming down with Fibromyalgia because the symptoms are very similar.  However, after reading everything I can read on this (from people with much the same drugs that I have been on), it does seem that the Azathioprine is the likely culprit.

The Prednisone kept my existing ulcers from bleeding and the Asacol and Azathioprine (Imuran) have kept new ulcerated incidents from occuring. Twice before using Azathioprine when I tried coming off of the Prednisone, I experienced bleeding and those associated problems.  After about 4 months of being on Asathioprine, I was able to phase out Prednisone with no recurrence of bleeding, etc.  "If" it weren't for the severe aches in my muscles/tendons around my joints, I would feel great!
I am not sure if this will continue as long as I keep taking the Azathioprine.  I am using Vicodin (Hypercodone) as needed to get through the pain.  I typically have to take 1-2 tablets at a time and as many as 3 or 4 per day.

My family doctor was unfamiliar with Azathioprine and the side effects like those I am experiencing.  And my gastro. said he had not seen patients experience this level of joint aches/pains after coming off Prednisone.  (We both feel that Prednisone was masking or hiding the pain until I came off of it.)  Nevertheless, he wants me to stay on the Azathioprine to avoid my coming out of remission.

For now I'll keep taking the Asacol, Azathioprine as prescribed and take the Hypercodone as needed to get through the pain.  I am hoping the joint pain will eventually subside or even go away.

 

I saw my Rheumatologist today, and she wants to switch me from Imuran to methotrexate.  I'm not over the moon about the whole self injection thing, but if it's either going to treat the joint issues or solve a side effect issue I'm willing to try.  At first she suspected I'm not at a high enough Remicade dosage, but after reviewing the records that's not the case.  I feel like without the Pred my GI symptoms are only under marginal control, and the cumulative joint pain is miserable.  (No one joint hurts that bad, but all of them hurting together is wearing me out.)  I too feel the Pred was masking the joint problems.  And I can't live the rest of my life on Pred, so we're going to have to do something else.

Hello,
I had UC (aggessive UC) and was on prednisone for 1 1/2 years and they said I was steriod dependent so I had surgery Feb 25th and they removed my entire colon. about a month or so after surgery and being off prednsione, I started having aches in my elbows and fingers then my knees, hips feet. I am now 5 mths post op and like 4 mths after being off prednsione and I still have joint pain - all the time. I am unsure if it is better but I know it is not worse. I have not gone to the doctor to get checked out because I am enjoying being off med's but I am still praying that it is just a prednsione withdraw symptom that will eventually go away. So, keep me posted on how you do.