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Can PMR progress to inflammatory arthritis?
The doctor in this video thinks PMR can progress to inflammatory arthritis. I think chronic systemic inflammation has no boundaries so it can progress to anywhere it wants to.
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How does a diagnosis limit where the inflammation can be?
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LOL 🙂
Here is mine. Dropped a large rock.
rock toe (rock-toe.pdf)
Ouch ... as long as you know what caused it. For some reason, stuff that can't be explained concerns me more. However, knowing what caused something doesn't make it any better.
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1 Reaction@dadcue
I don’t think it matters since I was diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis long before I got PMR….
It does sound like you might need to be on the gout medication again, even if it’s for kidney stones!
Have you spoke with your doctor about the elevated Uric acid level?
Yikes!
Several doctors know about my high uric acid level. When I had abdominal pain, I went to the emergency room. An abdominal CT scan was done and it showed multiple stones in both kidneys. One stone had moved into my ureter so that one was causing all the pain.
The stone was "moderately large" and "should pass." It passed but it didn't pass very fast. I strained all my urine and caught the darn thing. It wasn't so big but it caused mega pain. The composition of the stone was analyzed and reported as being 80% uric acid.
Meanwhile a urologist treated the remaining kidney stones with potassium citrate which can be used to prevent gout or kidney stones, both conditions can be caused by high uric acid levels. I don't recall who checked my uric acid level originally but I think it was my primary care doctor.
My rheumatologist heard about everything and decided to treat me for gout. My rheumatologist treated me with allopurinol and cholchicine to see if it made any difference. I didn't know if I had gout or not.
At my annual urology follow-up visit another CT-scan was done. The kidney stones were dramatically smaller and "barely measurable" so my kidney stones were cured and my urologist stopped the potassium citrate.
At my next rheumatology visit, I reported no difference on allopurinol and cholchicine so both those medications were stopped. My rheumatologist didn't think gout was the problem. My uric acid level normalized and I didn't have kidney stones anymore so no treatment was needed.
Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis. Gout flares often begin in your big toe and my big toes have a problem as you can see from the picture. I already have reactive arthritis so I don't need gout.
My annual visits with a urologist are for kidney stones, enlarged prostate, and microscopic blood in my urine. At my most recent visit another CT-scan showed the kidney stones were getting bigger. Potassium citrate was restarted to decrease the size again. My urologist said my uric acid level in my blood wasn't her realm. She wouldn't treat a high uric acid level unless it was in my urine.
My rheumatologist doesn't want to treat my uric acid level because it isn't causing gout.
My primary care doctor checked my uric acid level and it was high again. My primary care doctor is reluctant to treat it because it isn't causing any problems. Most patients with hyperuricemia are asymptomatic and do not need medical therapy.
I'm waiting for my next visit with the urologist to see if she thinks my uric acid level is causing a problem. I just hope my kidney stones aren't getting any bigger and start moving again.
My take on the matter is the following: For something that doesn't need treatment it seems to be causing problems.
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4 Reactions@dadcue
Isn’t it wonderful to have multiple specialty doctors with differing opinions treating you?!!
Let’s hope those kidney stones don’t get bigger and decide to move into your ureter!!! They say the pain for a man is like labor pain in a woman!! Although kidney stone pain is pretty bad in women, too, from what I hear. I know a few women that have had kidney stones. Usually if they are small enough they run some IV fluids to try to pee it out!
Hope your problems resolve soon!
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1 ReactionHave you tried the Kidney Stone Diet Plan and Prevention advice from the National Kidney Foundation?
1. Drink plenty of water
2. Cut out high oxalate foods
3. Eat enough dietary calcium
4. Avoid calcium supplements
5. Eat protein moderately
6. Avoid high salt intake
7. Avoid high dose vitamin C supplements
https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/kidney-stone-diet-plan-and-prevention
I cut out high oxalate foods early last year after reading up on calcium oxalate crystals which not only cause kidney stones but can also accumulate around joints and soft tissue, causing oxalate arthritis. I follow the National Kidney Foundation dietary recommendations for that reason.
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3 ReactionsI was taking 2000mg a day of Vitamin C. I had done that for 20 years and fought kidney stones. Last year after suffering that nasty one I cut out vitamin C. I try to drink lots of water. I also add some lemon juice. I limit my salt and do not take calcium supplements. But I dont follow much else on the list. I probably need to. Thank you.
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2 ReactionsAs a PMR patient who has had three flares of GCA in the last six months I can assure you PMR proceeds the GCA flares. The last one was serious as it affected my eye sight. Large doses, 60 MG of prednisone brought the artery inflammation under control.
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3 Reactions