my boyfriend has had ongoing muscle pain in his back for some time, often to where he cannot move at all. the chiropractor says he needs to stretch more and we have an inversion table but nothing seems to help him any suggestions??
Prednisone for chronic back muscle pain?
Question posted by star80 on 18 Jan 2011
Last updated on 6 November 2011
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5 Answers
brenda fain
2 March 2011
please have your doctor run a mri on you it sounds like more may be going on!you only have one back so please take care of it ! pm doctor can give you meds to ease your pain!!i just had my fouth back surgery .3 on the lower back in a month .upper back was in 2002.so i am telling you because i don't want no one to suffer with back pain! i will be on strong pain meds the rest of my life !and hopefully you might be able to avoid this if your back is treated in time and in the right way! get a m r i c t scan what ever it takes to find out why your back is hurting !they had me on some kind of prednisone when i was in the hospital on my last back surgery and it put me out of my head ,i was walking the floor in the hospital ,pulled a pick i v out of my arm and i don't remember most of this!!! prednisone can help but it can harm too! i wasn't sleeping due to it!!and i don't think it is really to control pain!?good luck!!! God bless
caringsonbj
12 April 2011
I took the Medrol pack and the antibiotic as I posted earlier, I did not have results that would be me worth continuing this medication, The doctor informed me she would not give the Prednisone due to the immune problem along with some other side effects that the medication can have, I have been changed to Opana Er and an anti-inflammatory medication that seems to be of more help that the pak was, I realize the pak was only for a short time but maybe with further testing they can come up with something that will give him the relief that he needs, I wish him the best-
falcore1
2 March 2011
I've been on prednisone for a long time, and if you can, get off of it. It has ruined my life, and I've been on it so long it's almost impossible to get off of. Your best bet would be to see a back specialist and get a MRI.
madhattersbash
2 March 2011
Hi: You might want to ask your doctor if he/she could switch you over to Hydrocortisone instead.
***BE SURE YOUR DOCTOR UNDERSTANDS THE DIFFERENCE IN MG. DOSING WITH PREDNISONE/DESAMETHISONE AND HYDROCORTISON--AS THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT!!! I WOULD ALSO ASK THE PHARMACIST ABOUT THIS BEFORE YOU FILL THE PRESCRIPTION--JUST TO MAKE SURE.
Hydrocortisone is very inexpensive, as it can't be patented by the drug companies, as it is a 'natural' formulation (and therefore works better in your body too!). Most doctors never prescribe it, as the big drug companies are always pushing the other two instead! One of the brand names for hydrocortisone is CORTEF--but I just get the generic one.
I was originally put on Dexamethasone for an adrenal insufficiency (with whole body pain--joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments), but the doctor over-medicated me and totally shut down my adrenals for over a year! Luckily, my husband's doctor referred me to another doctor, who immediately switched me over to Hydrocortisone and reduced the dose-- explaining that it was closer to what my body was supposed to be making (cortisol). This was back in '93, and I have been able to reduce the total dose that I took from 30 mg. now down to 10 mg--- but it is a VERY slow process--and I was also told that I would never be able to get totally off of it, as I had already been on it too many years.
As I am sure you already know, NEVER stop taking a cortisone steroid drug cold turkey, it could kill you! A new doctor that I went to in the mid-90s casually mentioned to me that he wanted me totally off the steroids--without saying that we would have to work our way down in very small increments!
I went home and immediately stopped taking the pills. Within two days I thought my body was going to burn up, from the inside out. I called the doctor's office and they freaked out and told me to not only get back ON the hydrocortisone immediately, but to double my dose, until I leveled out, and the pain went away!
I wish you the best of luck.
johnn
6 Nov 2011
To falcore1: I have had lower back issues for years.Failed laser back surgery. I take painm edication and for major flare ups I take prednsone. It really helps and makes me feel normal. Why has it ruined your life? I am considering wanting to take small amounts for long term... thanks...
ChanaYvonne
1 March 2011
My left leg has been shorter than my right most of my life. That imbalance has left me w/ pain in my back all the time. I can't remember the last time I had a day w/ none. I have that table too. It's garbage. What does work though is a bar that he can dangle from. I have a stand that is ment to hold a heavy bag for punching. I hang from it, monkey bars at a playground will work too. Dangling, my entire back will naturally ajust itself. It cracks all the way down. Then I get into different positions to throughly stretch evry muscle I can stretch. Then, I do pull ups moving my arms to different positions so I can strengthen the muscles that protect my spine. The healthier the muscle, the less pain he will have. The stronger the muscle the more protected the spine. That is true for all areas of your body. The muscles are ment to protect. Let me know. The exercises. Never hurt, only relieve pain an pressure, no sweat no tears no effort. Anything that could improve his confort the tiniest bit would be worth the effort, right? Let me know.
caringsonbj
18 Jan 2011
they gave me antibiotic and Medrol five day pak because I had broken 4 places in the back region they were trying to prevent pneumonia and also tryig to see if the Medrol would help me over the hump if it does not talk with the doctor, Is it possible that you need to seek pain control please ask the doctor it sure won't hurt a thing if you don't have an appointment call and tell the office nurse I know having back pain its so difficult
Cathleen186
18 Jan 2011
So he takes prednisone but it's not helping? Can you go back to the dc and tell him the inversion table isn't working. Maybe he needs more tests done, like an MRI to find the root of the problem? I have back pain to so I can relate. I still haven't seen the pain specialist like Im supposed to. What does the chiropractor do and does the pain relief last?
Related topics
pain, muscle pain, prednisone, chronic, muscle
Further information
- Prednisone uses and safety info
- Prednisone prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Prednisone (detailed)
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