thank you Kelly!
I've changed to shoes with about  a 1/2 inch heel from my summer time
Birkenstocks that did seem to flat after my visit with the doc. I'm not sure
if this is enough or not? I do not walk without shoes at the moment, but
even going from sitting all the time to walking a little around the house
seems to trigger the tendon at once. As mentioned I did my own errands at
work last week, but even that is just a few minutes walk every time. I do
have some lifts that I bought a few years a go, and did use them the last
time I had a problem, but back then it went away after a short time.

My RA was a bit out of control this spring, making me ask for partial sick
leave for the first time since 2001. I'm on 15 mg Methotexate a week, 100 mg
Sandimmune Neoral (cyclosporine) as well as 5 mg Prednisone each day now. I
did get my Predinisone down to 5 mg and 3,75 mg alternatively last summer,
but apparently that was not enough this winter.

I might have been a bit too stubborn wanting to remain on that schedule with
the prednisone after an episode with the US medican system last Christmas.
We went to the USA visiting my in laws and it was at the airport in Oslo,
with no time to go back to get the backback, that we realized that the
backpack with medication, jewelry and our rental car voucher was at home in
the entrance. A misunderstanding between us had left it there. It was not
time to go back, so it would either be no trip at all due to our cheap
tickets or going and solving it in the USA. We went and I paid some $$$ to
see a doc and get the meds I needed. The doc seemed chocked when I told him
that I had been on Prednisone since 1999.

Here in Norway, they seem to feel that anything under 5mg is ok, even long
term. I did ask a specialist in May, but she just said not to change
something that had worked quite well so far.

I did go up to 7,5 mg of Prednisone for a short time this spring, after
seeing a specialist, but after that I've been on the 5 mg. Right now I
wonder if I should have pushed it again this summer, with the hurting
tendon?

Aina
the lurker in Norway

The RA doc said that suregery would help getting a better blood stream to
the area and that they would "clean out some inflammation". I'm afraid I
didn't question that part.  At he moment my knee is not hurting at all, that
got better with all the walking in the water, the problem right now  is
"just" the akilles.

Aina
the lurker in Norway

Thank you, Gwen!

Unfortunately I mostly do not have the time to read this group every day, so
I tend to catch up on the weekends. This makes it too late to respond to
most of the messages in here, but I do read them and send good thoughts,
even if it sometimes is a little after the fact. Also, if I were to respond
to many of them, I would not have the time to read them all.  After all,
this place is often quite active :-).  But I do love the information and
wisdom you all have and often pass on things to others, both facts and some
of the fun stuff.

Aina
the lurker in Norway

Also, I used ibuprofen. This was all before I had reason to join this
group, though (when I was a distance runner).

Ari