PMR/prednisone/rotator cuff tear

It could be the prednisone, but it could also be the PMR. I had a lot of problems with one shoulder before I was diagnosed with GCA and PMR. The movement of that arm was very restricted and painful. But I've also had problems with muscle strains while tapering prednisone.

Here is response I got in google to the question "Can PMR cause tendon problems":
"Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) can cause tendon problems, specifically tenosynovitis, which is inflammation of the tendon sheaths, and may also lead to rotator cuff tendinopathy."

Here is a link to a case report where a rotator cuff cuff rupture was the first symptom of PMR - https://austinpublishinggroup.com/clinical-case-reports/fulltext/ajccr-v3-id1095.php

I was on a high dose of prednisone for the GCA, and my shoulder problems cleared up from that treatment.

Prednisone adversely affects collagen synthesis.

Tendons are composed of collagen fibers. Collagen is the primary building block of your body’s skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage,and other connective tissues. Prednisone has an adverse effect on all of these structures. Prednisone's effect on skin, muscles and bones are more obvious than tendons.

While Prednisone does relieve the pain caused by inflammation --- it should be noted that inflammation is a normal process for the repair of connective tissues like tendons. Reparative inflammation is a good thing. PMR inflammation is maladaptive inflammation and not a good thing.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8327090/
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Healthy patients with no PMR who are exposed to chronic corticosteroids still have degradation of collagen. I believe PMR with its chronic inflammation contributes to the collagen problem caused by prednisone.

For what it is worth ... medical problems are always multifactorial ... it is never only one thing that causes a problem.

Thank you all for the advice! Helpful

Personally, I think everyone of a certain age who has done any physical labor or sports has some signs of a torn rotator cuff.

Do you think collagen supplement would be helpful?

Maybe ... but collagen is only one part of how muscles and the connective tissues are constructed. The collagen fibers are woven together in precise ways that aren't easy to duplicate simply by taking a collagen supplement.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23089-collagen

I used exercises one and six and it solved my shoulder issue
https://www.kingstonandrichmond.nhs.uk/patients-and-families/patient-leaflets/shoulder-exercises-rotator-cuff-tear

Has anyone had or heard of a torn tendon in the rotator cuff of the buttocks, like the gluteus medius or minimus related to the steroids prescribed for PMR?

I have had or do have a torn muscle in the Gluteus on my right hip. The prednisone has help it and it has been quiet. I was told that they could not fix it. If anything it has helped but who wants to take Prednisone at all? I have had a loss of taste in my mouth since I have been taking Prednisone and it is not enjoyable to eat anymore. Has anybody had this?

Did this happen to you?

I know many people complain of buttocks pain and/or hip pain when they have PMR. It is an interesting topic. Prednisone relieves the pain in the hips and shoulders so people attribute the pain to PMR.

Sometimes piriformis syndrome causes buttocks pain. I have doubts that PMR can cause piriformis syndrome and in the following link, PMR isn't listed as one of the causes.
https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/sciatica/causes-piriformis-syndrome#:~:text=Degenerative%20changes%20in%20the%20spine%3A%20Degenerative%20spinal%20changes%2C%20such%20as,inflammation%20of%20the%20piriformis%20muscle.
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I had severe buttock pain during my time with PMR. It had pain everywhere but in many cases it turned out not to be PMR. Severe spinal stenosis was causing my buttock pain.

I had a spontaneous rupture of a tendon in my hand while being treated for PMR with prednisone. My inflammatory diseases and prednisone were "probable causes" but the surgeon who repaired the ruptured tendon didn't see any evidence that anything caused my tendon to rupture. I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary that would have caused a ruptured tendon.

I do have small tears in my achilles tendon and some other tendons but mostly they are called "age related."