• Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.

Prednisone Tapering and Back Pain

Before I was even properly diagnosed with Crohn's over a month and a half ago, my doctor started me on 50 mg of prednisone because I had excruciating inflammatory arthritis in my knees, ankles, wrists, fingers and elbows to the point that I couldn't walk. Within a day on prednisone all that pain and swelling disappeared. It was like magic. Of course my joints were still weak and I had lost a lot of muscle mass and 20 pounds by that point and it took about a month to regain my strength and start feeling like a normal human being again.

I began the tapering at the end of December and everything was fine. At 50 mg's my side effects were heart palpitations, ravenous hunger and brain fog. By 40-20 those side effects had disappeared and I didn't really notice anything different. I started on 10 mg four days ago and went for a really long 3 hour walk to start building up more leg muscle but by the evening my knees were hurting in a way that they hadn't hurt since before I started the prednisone. They hurt the next day too. And then yesterday morning I woke up at 2am with excruciating back pain like all my bones were breaking. I took a Tylenol and spent the day in bed. But the pain was radiating into my ribs making it difficult to take deep breaths and then by the end of the day had began to radiate into the back of my neck and into my head. I could feel the pain in radiating in my mouth too. Then my knees began to hurt so I could barely walk/get out of bed. Not sure if this is prednisone withdrawals. My back still hurts today but is no long radiating into my mouth/neck/head.

Just what is going on with my body? I've never had problems with my joints or bones until three months ago when I began to have attacks of inflammatory arthritis in my knees/ankles (that's when the doctors clued in that I had IBD and not IBS).

Anybody with a similar experience?
 

fuzzy butterfly

Well-known member
Hi oh thats sounds really painful. I have joint pain but not that severe. So sorry for what your going through. I suggest you get back on to your doc and explain what you have just posted here. Hopefully he/she will be able to help you. You may need to up the meds for awhile again then taper more slowly next time. Best wishes n please let us know how you get on 💕 hugs.
 
Top