u/Fun-Chemistry-4483

Hello everyone,

I am 49F currently in a slow tapering off prednisone due to the severe symptoms I experience once I stop. My nephrologist put back on 1 mg for 2 weeks then 1 mg every other day for 4 weeks. I am experiencing bad joint pain, especially when getting up and walking around. My back, waist, legs, feet and hands all hurt. I know this is a symptom of withdrawal when you have been on steroids for a long time. I started taking it since September 2025 along with Rituximab to treat MCD.

My question is how you managed it and how long did it last before it went away, more or less? Did you take any supplements or diet that helped? I have taken 500 mg of Tylenol at times to help me sleep but I'm afraid to take it daily. I try to walk around and do light movements but then get tired quickly. My nephrologist said I should see an endocrinologist since I may also have perimenopause symptoms, hot flashes almost daily. Any advice to help deal with the pain would be appreciated.

Wanted to ask if anyone was initially diagnosed with MCD and later progressed to FSGS. I was diagnosed with MCD a year ago. I swelled up and had foamy urine when I first went to the ER and after biopsy I was diagnosed with MCD. Between then and now, I suffered a seizure, suffered intestinal inflammation that led to not eating or drinking much for days which resulted in AKI.

My eGFR went from 111 to 25 after suffering AKI and only recovered to 73 after finally getting on Rituximab/Prednisone and bringing proteinuria down to near normal levels. I wonder if my MCD has progressed to FSGS since my kidneys suffered damage like scarring due to AKI. My nephrologist doesn't think a second biopsy is needed at this time and wants to keep monitoring me. Doing labs every 2 months. I still see a bit of bubbles in my urine at random.