Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR): Meet others & Share Your Story

Thanks, @tsc, my big goal today is to get an appointment with a rheumatologist and get a viable plan in motion. Blessings to you!

Thanks, @megz, my big goal today is to get an appointment with a rheumatologist, so that I can have a plan for how to proceed from here. Even with 50 mg, I still wake up very sore and painful; seems to take several hours for the Prednisone to take effect. Maybe he will suggest that I break up the dosage. Sleeping is slightly better the past couple of nights. Blessings to you!

I wonder how long you have been on the Prednisone. I began with 20 mg of Prednisone 2.5 months after the onset of symptoms. I was in very bad shape and it took 4 days of treatment before I even noticed the stop of the increasingly progressive symptoms. Finally the symptoms went the other way and began to decrease. When I finally slept through the night, I couldn't believe how amazing that felt! It still took quite some time to be able to turn in bed and eventually get back to side sleeping. I'm almost on treatment 5 months now, down to 10 mg of Prednisone a day in the mornings, Methotrexate once a week for about 7 weeks. I still have the pain and soreness in my hands/wrists/fingers and in my shoulders but the rheumatologist is hoping the Methotrexate will help with that. It can take up to 12 weeks to work. With regards to getting an appointment with a rheumatologist, that can take a while. Possibly have your Doctor's office call the rheumatologist for you to get an appointment. Maybe then they will fit you in sooner. When I went to the emergency room at one point, that Doctor was able to get me in to a local physician sooner than I had managed. Good luck!

dorlera, thank you for the helpful information. My mild symptoms started early July. On 11 July, I saw my PCP, and he assumed it was osteoarthritis and put me on Etodolac (NSAIDS) for 15 days. However, the symptoms kept getting worse. When I saw him on 30 July, he ordered a lot of blood work, suspecting rheumatoid arthritis. Last Wednesday he told me the bad news about PMR. My CRP had gone from less than 3 (four months prior) to 29.6. Other markers were also out of kilter (granulocytes had gone from 1.90 to 7.10, and lymphocytes down from 44.10 to 16.70. Iron was low, ferritin very high. Dr. gave me 40 mg of injected prednisone, and prescribed the 50 mg. tablets, which I've been on since then, so less than a week. I am still in a lot of pain when I get up in the morning, but it seemed slightly less today than yesterday, so maybe the Prednisone is working. Still trying to get my appointment with a rheumatologist. Thanks for your concerns. Blessings!

has anyonr developed GCA with PMR?

anyone out there who experienced GCA, with PMR

Hi @centralflorida, I forgot to mention that when prednisone did give me insomnia, I had it until I tapered down to under 10 mg. Every night I was able to sleep two hours, then I would startle awake. I got up and read a regular book (not a tablet) for a couple of hours, drank some lemon balm or chamomile tea, then wewas able to go back to sleep for a couple of hours. A good sleep mask helps as well.
Take care.

Hi @sidsell1,
Yes, I did. Estimates are that 15 - 20% of persons with PMR develop GCA (Vasculitis Foundation).
I think I had PMR about six months before I developed symptoms of GCA.
Do you have PMR? Do you think you might have GCA?

Thx for sharing. I have not seen Meloxicam mentioned as an alternative to Prednisone. Do you think your PMR was already under control/in remission or do you think it impacts PMR?

Hi, I think it was coming under control because of the Kevzara. When I had to stop because of low WBC. The meloxacam is working great and it is not a steroid. I have not had a flare since October, knock wood.