1. < Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)
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PMR and depression

Posted by gigilea @gigilea, Oct 19 1:31pm

I was wondering if anyone is dealing with depression after PMR diagnosis? I've read that Cymbalta helps with depression and pain from fibromyalgia and was wondering if it might help at least with depression from PMR but maybe help with the pain in addition to other meds like prednisone. Theres some thinking ( but I don't know about science) out there that fibromyalgia is an autoimmune condition. So anyhow, I was wondering about Cymbalta.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Support Group.

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laura1970 | @laura1970 | Oct 19 2:08pm

Cymbalta is used for depression and many pain conditions. The max dose for depression is 60 mg. The science is that it works much better for pain at a dose of 120 mg but there are many people on this site who take it for pain at lower doses. I took it for over 20 years for depression and neuropathic pain at 120 mg. The only side effect was gum disease as it causes a very dry mouth. If you take it, consider some form of saliva replacement. Biotene worked best for me
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gigilea | @gigilea | Oct 19 3:09pm
In reply to @laura1970 "Cymbalta is used for depression and many pain conditions. The max dose for depression is 60..." + (show)
Profile picture for laura1970 @laura1970

Cymbalta is used for depression and many pain conditions. The max dose for depression is 60 mg. The science is that it works much better for pain at a dose of 120 mg but there are many people on this site who take it for pain at lower doses. I took it for over 20 years for depression and neuropathic pain at 120 mg. The only side effect was gum disease as it causes a very dry mouth. If you take it, consider some form of saliva replacement. Biotene worked best for me

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@laura1970
Thanks for sharing your experience. My thought was that if I decide to take a medication for depression, maybe Cymbalta would be the one to try since I have PMR. I am currently only taking prednisone, tapering now down from 20 to 9mg once a day.
I was diagnosed in April 2025, age 70 and female.

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superfly999 | @superfly999 | 6 days ago
In reply to @laura1970 "Cymbalta is used for depression and many pain conditions. The max dose for depression is 60..." + (show)
Profile picture for laura1970 @laura1970

Cymbalta is used for depression and many pain conditions. The max dose for depression is 60 mg. The science is that it works much better for pain at a dose of 120 mg but there are many people on this site who take it for pain at lower doses. I took it for over 20 years for depression and neuropathic pain at 120 mg. The only side effect was gum disease as it causes a very dry mouth. If you take it, consider some form of saliva replacement. Biotene worked best for me

Jump to this post

@laura1970 Hello, pardon me if this is a dumb question or if it has already been answered -- is depression one of the symptoms of PMR (like inflammation, joint pain, etc.)? Or are people who get PMR more likely to become depressed because they caught a difficult disease and it is difficult to be hopeful about future quality of life, etc. I hope I'm describing the difference I'm thinking of adequately.

Thankfully I have not experience depression so far, so I cannot offer anything other than good luck wishes in fixing your symptoms.

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laura1970 | @laura1970 | 6 days ago

The short answer is yes, if you have depression and develop PMR it is likely to get worse. The morbidity associated with PMR can lead to depression

This is from AI:

How PMR contributes to depression
Physical symptoms: The chronic pain, stiffness, and fatigue associated with PMR significantly lower a person's quality of life, which can lead to depression.
Comorbidity: Studies show a higher prevalence of depression in individuals with PMR compared to the general population.
Treatment side effects: High doses of systemic corticosteroids, a common treatment for PMR, can sometimes induce depression or other psychiatric side effects

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gigilea | @gigilea | 6 days ago
In reply to @superfly999 "@laura1970 Hello, pardon me if this is a dumb question or if it has already been..." + (show)
Profile picture for superfly999 @superfly999

@laura1970 Hello, pardon me if this is a dumb question or if it has already been answered -- is depression one of the symptoms of PMR (like inflammation, joint pain, etc.)? Or are people who get PMR more likely to become depressed because they caught a difficult disease and it is difficult to be hopeful about future quality of life, etc. I hope I'm describing the difference I'm thinking of adequately.

Thankfully I have not experience depression so far, so I cannot offer anything other than good luck wishes in fixing your symptoms.

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I think if one is susceptible to
anxiety and depression, PMR can possibly make it worse. It's upsetting to be diagnosed with an autoimmune condition not to mention the pain from PMR.
Prednisone makes me more anxious for sure.
We have to remember that we are all so different though.

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Mike | @dadcue | 6 days ago
In reply to @laura1970 "The short answer is yes, if you have depression and develop PMR it is likely to..." + (show)
Profile picture for laura1970 @laura1970

The short answer is yes, if you have depression and develop PMR it is likely to get worse. The morbidity associated with PMR can lead to depression

This is from AI:

How PMR contributes to depression
Physical symptoms: The chronic pain, stiffness, and fatigue associated with PMR significantly lower a person's quality of life, which can lead to depression.
Comorbidity: Studies show a higher prevalence of depression in individuals with PMR compared to the general population.
Treatment side effects: High doses of systemic corticosteroids, a common treatment for PMR, can sometimes induce depression or other psychiatric side effects

Jump to this post

If PMR doesn't make us depressed ... the treatment with prednisone surely will cause mental status changes. Prednisone replaces the hormone cortisol.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43440-025-00782-x
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Prednisone dysregulates our cortisol levels and is known to cause a wide range of psychiatric side effects ranging from euphoria to depression.
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)61160-9/fulltext

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gigilea | @gigilea | 6 days ago

It seems pretty clear that PMR can add to depressive symptoms, if not from the pain then from the prednisone side effects on cortisol.
Question I have is if an antidepressant can help with the depression and in the case of the antidepressant Cymbalta, help some with the pain?

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Mike | @dadcue | 6 days ago
In reply to @gigilea "It seems pretty clear that PMR can add to depressive symptoms, if not from the pain..." + (show)
Profile picture for gigilea @gigilea

It seems pretty clear that PMR can add to depressive symptoms, if not from the pain then from the prednisone side effects on cortisol.
Question I have is if an antidepressant can help with the depression and in the case of the antidepressant Cymbalta, help some with the pain?

Jump to this post

@gigilea

Cymbalta isn't usually prescribed for PMR but it can help with pain caused by fibromyalgia.
https://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/cymbalta-for-fibromyalgia-treatment
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Cymbalta, is an antidepressant that can be used in conjunction with other treatments to address both chronic pain and potential co-occurring depression or anxiety.

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