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DiscussionHow to address PMR pain while decreasing prednisone
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Nov 6, 2023 | Replies (747)Comment receiving replies
Replies to "my arms ache , my thighs , butt and stiff neck, hard to get moving in..."
I had the same symptoms you are having, and I was finally diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica which is an autoimmune disease. It took three months and I saw five different doctors, four of whom were specialists, before a diagnosis was made. At that point I could hardly walk and could hardly dress myself.
When the initial diagnosis was made, my inflammation markers were quite high. Prednisone was a miracle drug in that the relief from pain was immediate and magical. My inflammation markers returned to normal quickly. However . . . as the dosage of prednisone was decreased, the muscle pain began to return. My doctor insisted that the pain was not caused by PMR because the markers for inflammation were normal. It did no good for me to keep repeating that there was a direct correlation between the decrease in dosage and the escalating pain.
After a year of fighting this battle, I got an appointment at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. (It was during the winter, and I did not want to deal with cold weather.) I learned from the rheumatologist at that Mayo Clinic that about 30% of patients diagnosed with PMR do not go into remission. Unfortunately, to date, I am one of those individuals. I also learned that about 10% of patients diagnosed with PMR will NOT have elevated markers for inflammation. Unfortunately, I also fall into that category as well. My dosage of prednisone was increased, and the pain again disappeared. I am currently on 11 MGS of prednisone and am decreasing it by 1 MG per month. My hope is that I will go into remission. Time will tell.
I can tell you that if it is PMR, nothing other than prednisone will control your pain. I have been most fortunate that my excellent PCP was grateful for the information provided by Mayo, and my PCP is supervising my dosage of prednisone as outlined by Mayo.
Best wishes to you as you pursue a solution to your health problem.
Hello @sidsell, welcome to Connect. I have had 2 occurrences of PMR but it is currently in remission. I still have some problems getting started in the morning but I'm sure a lot of it is age related in my case.
Is your upcoming doctor appointment with a rheumatologist? Hope you are able to update if you are diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). There is a lot experience that members can share with you.