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Precursor symptoms to PMR?
I was diagnosed with PMR a month ago, after a quick onset of classic symptoms. It hit fast and hard! But, before that, I had been struggling for almost a year with left leg pain (hamstring area) that referred to my knee, very painful, limping etc. I had been seeing an osteopath and massage therapist for treatment. I didn't recall any injury to the hamstring. Now that I've been on prednisone 20 mg/day for a month, my PMR symptoms are slowly resolving, but interestingly the hamstring issue is completely gone! I wonder if it could have been some kind of precursor, or very low level inflammatory issue? Has anybody else noticed 'warning signs' of an impending flare of PMR?
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I was rejected at the blood donor center for the first time in my life several months before I started having PMR symptoms. Apparently my iron was too low. This was confirmed by the blood test when the doctor was trying to diagnose me. She wanted to send me for a colonoscopy, but I found information online about PMR causing an imbalance in the natural destruction of red blood cells that can cause the same anemia.
I found that Ibuprofin also destroys red bloos cells faster than your body can replenish them.
My warning signs were everywhere. I had made a diet change to lower my LDL and soon after I lost 20 lbs quickly thinking the diet was great. Not long after I developed pain in my right quadricep and groin which I wrote off as pulled muscles that wouldn’t heal. Did massage therapy that had no impact. Soon after while on vacation I got hit with the inflammation blast. Looking back I realize there were signs. Never dreamed I would end up with this nightmare.
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1 ReactionI was able to donate without issue a few weeks before symptoms started, but once I was bad enough to first go to the doctor my bloodwork showed I was anemic (hemoglobin low). I wasn’t sure if that was a result of not recovering from donation or a result of PMR, but thinking now it was from PMR. My CBC blood work is still abnormal (platelets, RBCs, neutrophils) but rheumatologist says that’s likely down to the prednisone. I was instructed to take Vitamin B12, and I have been, but no idea if that is what improved my hemoglobin
I am concerned that I may have GCA because I have started having jaw and tooth pain on my right side along with a headache.
When you had TN did your teeth hurt? Were you ever checked out for GCA?
People often have teeth pulled to relieve TN pain. That intervention doesn’t work.
I am screened for GCA by my rheumatologist and ophthalmologist. No evidence of GCA but I’m being treated with Actemra as if I have GCA. TN was diagnosed long before PMR was diagnosed.
If your jaw hurts and you have PMR, you should be checked for GCA.
So much like my story! Sorry you’re going through this too.
I have GCA, and one of my symptoms was a lot of fatigue in my jaw muscles when I was chewing. Eating was pretty unpleasant because of that fatigue. I never had any headaches. A doctor told me about 20 percent of people with GCA don't have headaches. I had other symptoms including low grade fever, night sweats, and tenderness around my ears and on my scalp.
I had a similar experience with PMR. I had a lot of stiffness in my hips, shoulders, and neck. I had trouble picking things up off the floor, and also getting dressed (putting on socks and shoes, shirts, etc). I had a knee problem that never recovered where I couldn't go up and down steps normally. Eventually I developed GCA and that forced me to seek medical treatment.
I struggled with what I thought was ‘normal’ pain. I was active, walked every where on hilly terrain, pulled groceries home in a wagon, etc. I didn’t do anything about it, just accepted it as being nearly 60 and aging. Boy was I wrong. But there was no reason to suspect something I had never heard of before 🤷♀️