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Do I have polymyalgia rheumatica?
Hi everyone -- I'm new here. I'm a 62-year-old woman who up until a month ago was fit, active, and pain-free. Then I started getting pain and stiffness in the backs of my thighs, which I at first put down to simple muscle strain. But the pain and stiffness have since spread to my hips and knees, shoulders, neck and arms. Exhaustive online research suggests I may have polymyalgia rheumatica -- it's what my symptoms most closely point to. I feel as if I have aged 20 years in one month, and am feeling very depressed and anxious. This just isn't me. I finally got in to see my doctor this morning, and he has ordered an array of blood tests. He also prescribed Tylenol 3 to help with the pain, since OTC pain relievers aren't really doing the job. My pain and stiffness are at their worst in the morning -- some days, I can barely get out of bed and get dressed. Often, the pain eases as the day goes on, but on other days -- including today -- it doesn't let up much. I don't know how long I'll have to wait for a diagnosis -- depending on what the bloodwork shows, if anything, I may have to go for imaging tests and might have to wait weeks for those. In the meantime, what do you do to help relieve your pain so that you can function? I know that prednisone is the typical treatment for this disease, but until I have been given a firm diagnosis, that won't be an option. Thanks in advance for any advice!
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Thank you for your positive outlook. A lot of us could use that right now as it's difficult to look forward when you feel like you're stuck in a time zone! Good luck with your gardens.
Hang in there Charlotte, I woke up one morning last March with a lot of strange symptoms (wheezing, nasal secretions, general weakness) My doctor could not see me for one week, so I went to walk-in clinic. Having just returned from an Asian trip during which I had gotten a sore throat, the clinic prescribed an antibiotic and a 7 day prednisone pack for my unknown allergic reaction. That seemed to help but after the 7 days, I was feeling just as bad. Very painful to get out of bed, lift my arms or legs, etc. Anyway, after suffering 1 and 1/2 months and 2 visits to my primary care nurse and taking several blood tests, I was refered to both an Infectious disease doctor and rheumatologist. The infectious doctor diagnosed me with PMR after testing me for everthing from lime disease to malaria. It can be quite depressing having PMR without the proper treatment. I would ask your doctor if he/she could give you prednisone to see if that helps. There may be medical reasons not to give you prednisone. Good luck, I hope you receive quick treatment.
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2 ReactionsYour story is almost exactly the same as mine. I tried various NSAIDs (had some leftover from a previous health issue) but honestly nothing helped until I was at an appropriate dose of of prednisone, and had to add methotrexate to that as well. I really hope your bloodwork is useful for diagnosis and you don't have to wait for imaging 🙁 Maybe your doctor would give a trial of prednisone just to see? Can't hurt to ask, I suppose. Wishing you good luck and speedy resolution of your symptoms
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2 ReactionsMajor thing is to not stop exercise and movement. I have had PMR 5 years now. On dexamethasone .75.
Hi @dbloom, my friend, an infectious disease specialist diagnosed my PMR/GCA and told me what blood tests to request my PCP to do (he was resistant). My friend had diagnosed many cases of PMR/GCA, as like you, persons with mysterious symptoms were often referred to him.
My mother-in-law developed GCA after returning from a three week trip. The internist she was referred to told her she had a virus, told her to go home and wait it out for a few months. She was in bad shape so I took a medical history of her symptoms, sent it to my friend, and he thought she could have GCA or two other disorders. He referred her to a competent physician who then diagnosed GCA.