I have puffiness all over my body started in my ankles, then my hands, legs, arms wrists and now neck, behind my ears and face. This is accompanied by a prickly itching, although when I do scratch the areas feel numb like meat!!! I have had very painful lower legs and pain around my joints, sometimes to a disabling degree. Often my hands, hips and ankles are very stiff in the morning and then during the day after resting for only a short while. I have Behcets, although the specialist (rhumatologist) says it has nothing to do with that. I had a scan on my ankles and this showed Achilles tendinitis although i don t see that this can be the problem as it is around the front of my ankle and foot also and now as explained in the rest of my body. I have been told I have a degenerative joint condition which I feel is a bit vague and don t really see why this should cause puffiness in my face. I am taking 6mg of prednisolone p/day. I have recently reduced this from 10 mg/day as I have to try to keep the dose low. I briefly sufferedfrom severe depression which since lowering the dose has gone. My usual dose of prednisolone is 5 mg/day. The dose had been raised for around two weeks to see if the symptoms described improved, which they did. However, due to the depression it was not sustainable to stay on this dose.
Hi, Water retention is a known side effect of prednisolone. This could be a possibility of your puffiness. As if morning stiffness, few conditions need to be ruled out by your rheumatologist. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.