Today was day #6 since starting on my steroid regiment. I took 30mg for 3 days, 20mg for 2 days, and am now on 10mg per day until I see my PM doctor this coming Wednesday. The results have been tremendous. The muscle spasms have pretty much disappeared in my neck, shoulders & lower back. I'm not waking up from pain in my hips or so stiff I can't turn over in bed. No more overall body aches in the afternoons or low-grade fevers. I can lift my left arm easily now. I'm using very little oxycodone for bt pain and have only taken tylenol once.
I am hoping that my PM doctor will give me a new script for the steroids along with a referral to the rheumatologist this coming Wednesday. Also, I want to start weaning off the oxycontin. If I stay on the oxycontin it will be hard to judge the amount of steroid needed to keep my pain in check. Hopefully he will allow me to keep the oxycodone for when I have flares from the arthritis or bulging disc that seem to creep up with weather changes or over doing things. I also want off of the Neurontin. I only took it because it seemed to be the only thing that helped with the muscle spasms in my neck. Now those are gone so hopefully so is the Neurontin.
From what I've read the goal is to get down to 5mg per day or less because that is the amount that the body naturally releases so the chances of side effects from the drug is lessened. I'll give an update again after I see my doctor again.
---Jag---
DDD, osteoarthritis, facet syndrome, fusion surgeries C-5/7 & L-4/5 both in 2006, torn meniscus surgeries left knee 2000 & 2002, buldging disc L-2/3