Anyone having any luck with treating PMR without any specific medicati

Posted by lindaadele @lindaadele, Aug 1 1:21pm

The reason why I’m asking this question is that no medication’s for PMR have done any good for me except to make me feel horrible and the pain was always still there. Some of the medication‘s worked at first and then they did not work. meanwhile I always felt not so good. Any information you could give me would be much appreciated! Thank you

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Profile picture for fudge08 @fudge08

I am sure that will be much better! Take care

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Hello again.
Went to see rheumatologist today. He wants to try me on 15 mg of prednisone to see if it helps as a test for one week.
I’m terrified of taking it.
Did you go through this? Did you have any side effects on this dose?

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Profile picture for 54pontiac @54pontiac

When my symptoms of PMR first slammed me, I tried treating myself with ibuprofen. 600 mg is less than the daily allowed dose over the counter, so I know I took more than that. It had no effect on me. My first doctor put me on meloxicam, which is a stronger nsaid. It did have some effect, but I was still nonfunctional. It was not until I was correctly diagnosed and given prednisone that the symptoms were completely chased away. Now everyone is different, so I have not doubt that some people can be treated with ibuprofen, but I doubt they have a serious case of PMR, in my opinion.

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i am also taking prednisone - for about two weeks now. Must say that most of the pain is gone, but i feel really loussy, weepy, heavy legs, heavy head, and not much energy.
hope to see a rheumatologist soon..... is this normal ??

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Profile picture for johanneke @johanneke

i am also taking prednisone - for about two weeks now. Must say that most of the pain is gone, but i feel really loussy, weepy, heavy legs, heavy head, and not much energy.
hope to see a rheumatologist soon..... is this normal ??

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Anything new that you are experiencing could be the prednisone. We all react differently to prednisone and there is a long list of possibilities. I was lucky to escape weight gain and mood changes, but caught bone, skin, and sleep degradation. Good luck!

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Profile picture for johanneke @johanneke

i am also taking prednisone - for about two weeks now. Must say that most of the pain is gone, but i feel really loussy, weepy, heavy legs, heavy head, and not much energy.
hope to see a rheumatologist soon..... is this normal ??

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Normal for being on Prednisone ... not so normal for PMR.

The problem is that there aren't many alternatives to Prednisone for the treatment of PMR. Those things you describe are what you have to weigh and evaluate if they are worth it or not in exchange for less pain.

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Profile picture for vjm0223 @vjm0223

Hello again.
Went to see rheumatologist today. He wants to try me on 15 mg of prednisone to see if it helps as a test for one week.
I’m terrified of taking it.
Did you go through this? Did you have any side effects on this dose?

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I don’t do well on prednisone but it is worth doing the trial. One good thing is that 15 mg is a fairly low dose. The biggest thing I experience is insomnia and fast heart rate. I suspect at 15 mg you will do very well! Let me hear how it goes!!

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I started at 20. No big side effects. Sleep was one thing . 1 week should be ok.

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Profile picture for fudge08 @fudge08

I don’t do well on prednisone but it is worth doing the trial. One good thing is that 15 mg is a fairly low dose. The biggest thing I experience is insomnia and fast heart rate. I suspect at 15 mg you will do very well! Let me hear how it goes!!

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I certainly will.

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Profile picture for tweetypie13 @tweetypie13

I started at 20. No big side effects. Sleep was one thing . 1 week should be ok.

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Did you talk it in the am or pm. I took it after dinner as I hadn’t eaten much all day. If I have a problem with a sleep tonight does it matter if I change it to after breakfast?

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Best to Take am with bfast.

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I take my prednisone at 9am with food. I am in the process of tapering from 10mg...1mg/month. I am currently taking 2mg. And cannot wait to be finished with prednisone despite the fact that the pain resolved at 10mg. And I was thrilled. For a while. But I started to examine/research side effects. For me--insomnia, blood sugar spikes, fatigue, lethargy. And I worried about another side effect--osteoporosis. I began researching alternatives to prednisone and other ways to manage my PMR symptoms. Heat therapy is a big one for me. Hot showers. Heating pads. Infrared sauna blanket. The application of heat from the pad or blanket for about an hour each time felt very good during the process and continued to "work" for me for at least another 24 hours. I also take a tumeric supplement--with this ratio: tumeric 1500mg, ginger 300mg, and BioPerine 15mg (for better absorption). I am trying one alternative at a time so that I don't become confused about what is actually working/helpful. Mild daily exercise and a Mediterranean-type diet help, too. And trying to maintain a positive attitude. Wishing everyone courage...

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