an update . . .

[AnneNeville]

Looks like I'm back on a higher dose of prednisone for at least another month, maybe more. I'd gotten as far down as 12.5 mg, but was having a resurgence of anxiety. Then, a week after my last taper, I got severe joint pain and muscle pain/soreness. My blood tests showed that, even with the prednisone burst, my C3 and C4 levels have dropped (in February, only my C4 was below normal).

So, back to 20 mg per day, then another blood test in a month.

I gather that part of the reason the flare happened is it's taking the Plaquenil longer than one might expect to kick in. I'm on a very low dose, but that's where my ophthalmologist wants me to be (and with my eye troubles, she definitely gets a say).

Sigh. Next time my anxiety begins to rise, I'll consider more strongly that it is the first sign of a flare.

Right now, it looks like the plan is still to eventually wean me off prednisone while staying on plaquenil (but hopefully only until I'm in remission).

One thing that I appreciated after all this is that at least I knew the pain I was experiencing wasn't psychosomatic. Major relief!

[Sharon]

I WISH my pain were psychosomatic....

[irish]

Actually, psychosomatic pain is still pain and it is also extremely hard to treat. There is no good pain, I guess. Irish