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pred taper and pain clinic

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Posted 11/16/2009 3:53 PM (GMT 0)
I'm perplexed this morning.  I went to my rhemy last week.  He thinks my connective tissue disease is controlled by my antimalarials (Plaquenil and Quinacrine) and therefore wants me to get completely off prednisone.  I went from 10 mg to 9 mg this week, and if all goes well, I'll be completely off by mid-January.   I'm a little scared because I'm hyper-aware of when my pred wears off in the afternoon.  That tells me my body depends on it to alleviate pain.  I know I don't need to risk diabetes and bone loss, but I sure have responded well to the prednisone.

 

Rheumy also wants me to visit a neurologist who specializes in pain management.  I looked at the guy's website, and his approach is little strange.  He draws correlations between psychological conditions and "perceived" pain.  It makes me feel like my rheumy thinks I'm a whiny, unstable woman with no real pain, just "perceived" pain.

Posted 11/17/2009 8:43 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for reading.  I'm disappointed and sad no one commented.  I'm not mad.  I just think my friends IRL are really tired of hearing me talk about being sick so I stopped, and I hoped someone here would understand.  Sorry...
Posted 11/17/2009 9:02 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Heart song. Sorry no one has responded to you. I know a lot of people understand what you are saying...This forum seems to be a little slow right now so maybe people aren't logging on and reading posts everyday. I complelty understand needing to talk about how you feel. that is great news about coming down on the prednisone. You can give it a shot and if it doesnt work, I am sure you doctor will let you go back up a bit on it. Right now I am waiting on blood work to come back and depending on what it says I might get to come down to 50 mg of pred instead of 60. I have been on it since early september and I am SOOO jittery inside...anyway enough about me

about the pain managment, if you are uncomfortable with going to the doctor your rhuemy recommended could you have him recommend another pain managment doctor or maybe even another rhuemy? Before my prednisone days I was contemplating going to a pain clinic to see if they could help me find ways to relive my pain. I know several people that have visited pain doctors and all but one of them are doing great and their pain has been help greatly!

How are you doing as of now on the 9mg of Pred? Have you noticed a difference?
Posted 11/17/2009 9:23 PM (GMT 0)
I read but didn't comment as I know next to nothing about pain clinics! Guess you could always go and listen to what they have to say then decide if it's worth trying or not.

Also, even if the pain is associated with psychological conditions, that doesn't mean it isn't pain - perceived pain IS pain, as it's always the brain that decides what hurts or not. I don't think they mean to say you are lying and whiny, although I can understand why you might feel that way. I suspect they are into trying alternative ways of reducing pain sensitivity without using heavy, addicting pain meds.

Hope you get some pain management soon,
Posted 11/18/2009 12:22 AM (GMT 0)

thank you so much, lynnwood and aimsgirl, I will go ahead and make the appt with the pain doc

This week's taper to 9 mg has my fingers swelling a little bit, knees hurting some, but I'm OK.

Posted 11/18/2009 1:36 AM (GMT 0)
I see a pain management group and get nerve blocks about 3 times a year. Maybe 4 if things are really bad. I didn't know what to say so I didn't comment. I have never heard of a neurologist being pain management, my pain management docs are anestesiologists (sp) and that is the only kind of doctor I ever heard of doing it before. I know how hurtful it can be to have a doctor think it is all in your head but I am not sure if that is what your doctor is saying. Fibromyalgia is a broken pain response that makes you feel more pain than you should so maybe that is kind of what this is like. If not you can ask for another pain management doctor referal.
Posted 11/18/2009 3:55 AM (GMT 0)
thank you, redrose

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