new here-wanting to say hi & question

Hi, My name is Denise and I wanted to drop in and say hi. I have both lupus and fibro. I also am a single mom with a 10 year old. I have a question... I have been having severe joint pain in my right elbow and my rheumy told me to up my prednisone, so I went from 9 mg to 14mg. It helped some but not enough. The other day I woke up and it hurt bad so I went on a prednisone dose pack, I am on my 3rd day and now I can slightly feel that joint pain coming back. Has this happened with anyone else? Thank you in advance.

Hi Denise, welcome to the group! I'm sorry you are hurting and the pred. isn't working for ya. Has the dr. ever suggested giving you a shot in your joint? I had a place on my back that nothing would help and finally my dr. gave me a steroid shot and with in a couple of days it was gone and knock on wood a year later is has never come back.
I hope you can get some releif let us know how it goes
carol

Hello Lilbearsma!

 

Welcome to the forum!  You might not be in a lupus flare!!!  You do have fibro, and it's difficult to figure out which one is flaring, right?! 

 

I was having what I thought was joint pain.  All over my body.  I went up on my prednisone and only felt worse, much worse.  the pain was unbearable.  We did a bone scan and some blood tests, and it turned out that my joints were beautiful and perfect, and I had NO inflammation.  My lupus is dead quiet. 

 

The culprit, was my Fibromyalgia.  It wasn't joint pain, but muscle, tendon and ligament pain that surrounded each joint.  Classic Fibro. 

 

If going up on your prednisone isn't helping the pain, then it really isn't likely a lupus issue.  If you're feeling the pain or it's getting worse on a higher dose of prednisone, you and your rheumy should consider that it is likely fibro.  Prednisone and fibro don't mix at all.  Like oil and water.

This is just a thought.  Might want to run the possibility past your rheumy!

Let us know okay!

Ginny 

Denise,

I've had the same experience as you when I've increased my prednisone. A couple of years ago, when my rheumy increased my dose to 60mg a day, I had energy enough to move the world. For a day. And then as my body slowly adjusted to the new and higher dose, some of the pain and fatigue started to return. I don't know if that's typical, but it has been my experience.

I've had to continue to adjust and add meds to the equation until I've finally found the right mix. It has taken about three years, but I finally feel better than I have since my first bad flare.

In my case, it's a combination of prednisone, plaquenil, cellcept, a gluten-free diet, and finally the addition of celebrex. I can't tell you how much celebrex has helped - it reduces inflammation - and I've notice no side effects from it whatsoever.

I do hope you'll call your rheumy and talk to him or his nurse about what you're experiencing.

And I'm also glad you've found this forum.

Pat