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Is prednisone withdrawal or use of imuran causing joint pain?

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Posted 3/21/2013 4:57 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, what an interesting thread.

I have been in remission for 15 years for auto-immune Hepatitis.  A couple of months ago it flared up again out of the blue.  Years ago I was on 90mgs of Prednisone for two years and against my doctor's wishes weaned myself off.  I just couldn't stand the side effects.  I was also on Imuran for a very short time as it was 'experimental' then.

Now he wants me to eventually wean off Prednisone, 90mg a day, onto Imuran.  Fine with me as I loathe the side effects.

Now, I am 52 and have never missed a day of work.  Today...I couldn't even get out of bed.  When I finally did I had to hold on to everything around me so I wouldn't fall.  My knees are absolutely shot.  I've never felt pain like this before. 

The weaning has gone slower than expected as my liver panel is not down to what he wants.

I'm just done with this.  I don't know if it's the Prednisone or the Imuran.  I'm literally at the point of saying screw it all and let the chips fall.

I'm a nurse with no insurance, if you can imagine that, and this has given me a new respect for pain.  I don't know what I'm going to do.  Right now I'm going to try and make it back to my bed.  There is no way I can walk those hospital halls right now, and I will not take pain killers for obvious reasons on the job.

Abbey

Posted 3/21/2013 5:11 PM (GMT 0)
I am in the process of tapering off prednisone and have had the exact same symptons. They have taken loos work and wonder if it is polyarthiritis. But it sounds like yours. I could not move or sit up. Esp my shoulders and arms. They have put me back up to 30 mg until they get blood work back. It is a nightmare.
Posted 3/21/2013 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
Well, I'm just a big bloat. At least I've only gained 18 pounds in the last few months. Last time is was 41 in the first month.

I took some Aleve and that has helped some. I'm just tired of it all. I can't let my work know as if you have a compromised immune system you'll lose your job. Face it...you're working with sick people. It's a liability issue for me/work, not for the patients. They don't want me falling or getting sick from others.

Just all very frustrating.
Posted 7/29/2013 2:55 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so glad I found this forum. I've had crohn's for over 20 years and have been in prednisone several times when I was younger. Only had the usual side effects while I was on it and that want away after I tapered off. Now I am 52 and had a bad flare with my crohn's. I was put 60 mg of prednisone and them tapered off. I was on it a total of 6 months. When I took the last one I was elated to be off them and the crohn's flare was in remission. But on the third day after my final dose, I woke up with excruciating joint pain. Every single joint in my body hurts. From the bottom of feet, my ankles, knees, hips, spine, shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers. My gastro Dr. said it was indeed from going off the prednisone. Put me on folic acid and said it would go away in a few days. It's now been 3 months and am still having the same horrible joint pain. It used to hurt day and night. But now the pain is somewhat less in the daytime, unless I sit for very long, like riding in a car. But the night time pain is so bad, I just sit and cry. I haven't slept in months because of it. I have also noticed that if I exercise or do anything physically exerting during the day, then the night time pain is far worse. I do not want to exist on pain meds and have held off asking for any so far. But I can't go on like this. Has anyone found anything that helps them, besides pain meds? Anything natural? How long has this pain continued for any of you? Did it eventually go away? Any help or answers would be greatly appreciated. It is just comforting to know I'm not the only one with this problem.
Posted 2/9/2016 9:13 AM (GMT 0)
After a severe bout of UC, treated with high dose Prednisone, I was unable to walk for a week, with severe full body pain and weakness. I thought perhaps I had not tapered adequately and was having adrenal fatigue symptoms, and what they call "pseudo-rheumatism," a symptom of corticosteroid withdrawal. Yet... months passed, and finally a year, and still the near constant muscle pain and weakness....

I just now thought COULD it be the Imuran??

There are some articles linking azathioprine with muscle weakness. I had never thought to try to cut it, as I've simply taken it forever, but I just cannot imagine living the rest of my life like THIS, in near constant full body pain and heaviness.

I had thought the Prednisone had somehow induced Fibromyalgia, or something. I am going to try cutting the Imuran and just watching my diet carefully, to prevent a flare.

It has now been 3 years since I stopped the Prednisone, and I'm still bedridden with leg pain, as if all my muscles are tightened, all of the time . My adrenals are functioning fine, and I have adequate natural cortisol production. Hopefully cutting the Imuran will help...
Posted 2/9/2016 12:36 PM (GMT 0)
It's possible, imuran does list muscle and joint pain as rare side effects. Good luck, I hope you soon find relief from your pain.
Posted 2/9/2016 1:17 PM (GMT 0)
It always annoys me when doctors insist that pred is not the cause of joint pain. I never get joint pain unless I am tapering off pred. Mine did go away so try not to get frustrated.

Some people have had success with turmeric but for me it made my colon act up. I also found that once I fixed my vitamin D deficiency that the joint pain got better. I think I remember reading somewhere that vitamin D deficiency can cause pain in the joints. And UCers are notorious for being low in that one.
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