← Return to Diagnosed with PMR 2 1/2 years ago. How do I manage the extreme pain?

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@billjan

I started having all over body pain about a year ago. Started with rheumatologist local clinic, then a hematologist local clinic, then a neurologist local clinic, then a neurologist Madison WI. Each giving me relevant tests. Ended in Madison with deep muscle biopsy. They ruled out everything they thought it might be. During the investigation I was requested to have an MRI. I am allergic to the die so they had me take 30 mg of predisone at 3 AM in the morning. When I woke up at 7 AM I had no pain and my tumid lupus spots were mostly gone. Later that afternoon I had an additional 30 mg of predisone prior to the MRI. The muscle pain and tumid lupus spots were gone for about a week. After my rheumatologist and hematologist conferred they decided I had PMR. They started me on 20 mg/day predisone and decreasing the dosage by 1 mg/day/month. I did this until I was down to 7 mg/day and the muscle pain came back. The rheumatologist recommended I go back to 10 mg/day and add 12.5 mg methotrexate per week. I then started decreasing the predisone 1 mg/day/month. I am back down to 7 mg/day and will drop down to 6 mg/day in December. My tumid lupus spots have returned and do not seem to be affected by any of the current medication. So far the PMR seems to be under control. I have a little stiffness in the morning but seems to wane as the day goes on.

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Replies to "I started having all over body pain about a year ago. Started with rheumatologist local clinic,..."

Hi @billjan, I'm glad your PMR seems to be under control. Have you talked to your doctor about the tumid lupus spots returning?

I did find an interesting article that may provide some more information.

Tumid lupus erythematosus: An intriguing dermatopathological connotation treated successfully with topical tacrolimus and hydroxyxhloroquine combination
-- http://www.e-ijd.org/article.asp?issn=0019-5154;year=2014;volume=59;issue=2;spage=210;epage=210;aulast=Verma

John