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Why Does the PMR discussion have so many posts Compared to others
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Dec 19 4:40pm | Replies (35)Comment receiving replies
Hi Mike @dadcue, Actually I agree with you but probably didn't choose my wording/thought well. I was a mess by the time I had my appointment with my Rochester Mayo rheumatologist. My wife drove me and they had to put me in a wheelchair because I couldn't walk. I had a fluid build up in my right knee, along with all of the PMR symptoms - body/joint pain from shoulder to feet. The first appointment early in the morning they drained the fluid from the knee and I met with the rheumatologist who did a physical exam and looked at the blood test results and told me it seems like I probably have PMR. I didn't know what it was so he explained in layman's terms that it's like arthritis all over the body. He gave me an Rx for 20mg prednisone and wanted me to take it at lunchtime and comeback later in the afternoon.
We had the RX filled at the Mayo pharmacy and then went to lunch in the Mayo cafeteria. I took the 20 mg dose and then about 3 hours later saw the rheumatologist again and it really was like a miracle for me. That's when I mentioned that the PMR diagnosis fits for me. I no longer needed the wheelchair and was able to walk back to the car. I did let my wife drive us home though.
Replies to "Hi Mike @dadcue, Actually I agree with you but probably didn't choose my wording/thought well. I..."
@johnbishop basically the same for me. except I self diagnosed it. Then went thru 2 months of excluding everything else with the Dr. One morning could not get out of bed and by noon with one 4mg pill of dexamethasone it was like nothing had been wrong.
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@johnbishop
What would we do without our wives? I had a similar presentation but I didn't have my own doctor except for an ophthalmologist that treated all of my flares of uveitis. I didn't think I should call an ophthalmolgist just because I couldn't move.
My wife knew I was self medicated with leftover prednisone prescribed for uveitis but she didn't approve of Prednisone. She thought I needed a medical doctor. I thought as long as I didn't ever run out of Prednisone I didn't need any medical doctors.
I didn't have any Prednisone to take when PMR set in. I didn't want to go to the emergency room. I deteriorated for a couple of days until my wife needed to help me out of bed and she had to dress me one morning. I only needed "a little help" but my wife didn't agree.
My wife didn't seem to appreciate that I only needed to rest. Later that day, my wife loaded me into the car but she didn't tell me where we were going. She had called her primary care doctor who agreed to see me on an urgent basis. My wife insisted on sitting in on my appointment so I wouldn't leave out any details.
I thought my wife's primary care doctor was demeaning to me. She didn't believe anything I said and only listened to my wife. My wife's primary care doctor rolled her eyes when I suggested she prescribe some Prednisone to me and I would be "on my way." She said I needed a rheumatologist but she did prescribe some Prednisone to me just to "tide me over" until I could see the rheumatologist.