MCTD Support Group

Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) or Sharp's syndrome is a human autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body. MCTD combines features of polymyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic scleroderma and is thus considered an overlap syndrome. MCTD commonly causes joint pain/swelling, Raynaud phenomenon, muscle inflammation, and scarring of...

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Pain in Back, Legs, and Heels

PolarBear427
PolarBear427
Hello and Happy New Year everyone!!

I have been having a LOT of pain in my heels, mainly my left one and my foot feels funny when I get up in the morning, kind of tingly and numbish. This has been going on for a long time now. I've been to the doc when it was just my left one and he had an x-ray done and it was fine.

Since then I've spoken to my pain doc's nurse and she said it could be related to back issues and I'm going to be going schedule an MRI tomorrow so I figured I'd wait until I get the results back.

Anyway, I've been on Prednisone for about 4 years now and every time I try to get below 10 mg my body freaks and my pain increases. So for now I am on 10 mg still and my rheumy had me go down to only 1 shot of Methotrexate once a week instead of 2 since she added the Humira a couple of months ago. I'm not too sure the Humira is working and my legs are hurting a lot more now and my hands are a bit stiffer and my back hurts again in the mornings.

I guess my questions are, have any of you been on prednisone as long as I have and if so, have you experienced anything like me, also, anyone been on Methotrexate and then decreased like I have, and finally anyone been on Humira and have it help them? Any heel pain like me? I also have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic because of the prednisone. Or leg pain like me? It is sooo painful and I'm not sure what to do about it.

Thanks so much for reading this and taking the time to respond if you can help me.

Hugs!
Sheri
deleted_user
deleted_user
Hugs lots of Hugs
sound like you need them

I somethimes think the worse part of this ........... f disease is the utter feeling of frustration caused by symptoms that dont seem to have a physical cause. They do its just finding it and the toing and froing gets to us.
then the side rffect from meds knock us for six.
I wish I could wave a magic wand and cure everyone.

Sorry this ment to be a uplight and a hug and it turned in to a winge.
Hugs and best wishes
Debs
MToennis
MToennis
Hi! Sorry you are not feeling well. I have been on methylprednisalone for almost 5 years now. I started out at 8 mg and have been trying to get to 2 mg for 3 years. I am tapering down now. About 6 weeks after I start a taper (I really do it slowly, like dropping one 2 mg tab a week) I get a rebound and everything acts up. Since I have had this disease, I have had back, leg and foot pain. I have been treated for plantar fascitis and spinal compressions as well as sciatica. Usually, I get steroid shots which sometimes help and sometimes dont. I have also had PT and ossitron on my feet. At times,I am better and at times not so good. The glutial pain from my back is sometimes excruiating, but only to the touch! Anyway, if you get the right PT it helps more than anything, but celebrex doesnt hurt! If you get the wrong PT you just waste your money and time. I hope you find out what is wrong. An x ray showed my back problem and the PT was targeted for the compression. I got a lot of relief. The back injections of steriods did nothing. Good luck.
Mary Ann
deleted_user
deleted_user
Has your Dr considered the possibility of Renaud's for your feet? Doesn't explain the pain but it would explain the numbness and tingling. My hands have gotten worse lately. I have to sleep in carefully chosen positions which suggests circulation problems but I don't get the pins and needles when the feeling comes back. Best of luck in finding the best course.

CJ
Catalyzt
Catalyzt
Wish I knew more about Humira. My leg pain-- in the bad one that had the blood clot-- is absolutely wicked now that I'm back in school. I am determined not to use opiates more than once a day, and not on the road, in class, or at work, but it does get hard to concentrate.

My other joint and muscle pain has been mercifully better-- I think my cold kept my immune system occupied, and so I've been working out a bit more while I can to try to build muscle mass before the next flare.

MT, I think I have sciatica sometimes too. I don't want to know until I absolutely have to find out. Raynauds has been acting up this week, wearing fingerless gloves at school while I am typing on the laptop. My classmates know I am not trying to look cool, they totally understand what's up with MCTD, but I still feel like a pretentious dork.

Polar, I wish I knew more about the heel pain, but I wonder about sciatica and nerve involvement, seems like prednisone should be helping more than it is.

--Cat