Ribcage pain continues -linked to Osteoporosis & Prednisone

March 12, 2010

Hi all... I just wanted to update you on my lung nodules & also my ribcage pain

that is still in full force. A little timeline as background - back in January,

I fell on an icy sidewalk. Sprained my wrist, but otherwise seemed unscathed.

About a week later, I developed bronchitis & a few days into that, started

having awful ribcage pain on my right side. I posted here thinking it might be

RA related & got tons of great advice (thank you!)

After weeks of dr visits & tests (xrays showed nothing & ultrasound of my liver

showed nothing). My Rheumy sent me for a CT Scan - ribs came back ok except for

some mysterious scar tissue right where the pain is & I also had a handful of

nodules on my lungs. I went to see a Pulmonologist on Thursday. He said the

nodules were really too small to worry about & I need to get a repeat CT scan in

3 months to see if they change. But - he said I actually had 2 fractured ribs -

right where the radiologist noted the scar tissue. He didn't understand how the

radiologist missed it & showed them me on the scan. Well that explains the pain

at least! The bad news is - there really is nothing to for it but try to take it

easy & wait it out. He gave me some pain killers if I need them.

I asked him if he thought the fall or the bronchitis caused the fractures. He

said probably both, but that my Prednisone use could have weakened my bones &

wants me to get a bone density scan now. I told him I was only on 10mg a day for

maybe 3 months about a year ago & then only a week here in there maybe 3 or 4

times over the last year as needed. He said, even on low doses, it can happen!!

Scary - I hate all these side effects - they fix one problem & create another.

Thanks for listening - all this stuff can be so frustrating!

March 13, 2010

Yes, prednisone DOES weaken bones!! I was only on 10mg per day, and suffered

a spontaneous hip fracture at the ripe old age of 38!! The initial xrays

didn't even show the fracture, and so I walked on it for two weeks until I

couldn't stand the pain anymore, and a fracture was found through an MRI.

Please be careful on any dose of prednisone over longer periods of time.

Patty

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