Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR): Meet others & Share Your Story

@smj

I also had a PMR flareup after Pfizer Covid vaccine in October 2025. I’m still in flareup while on 2 doses daily, one dose 1 mg and one dose 2.5. Pain gets better mid-day but never completely gone. Fingers very swollen, had to have my ring cut off. Getting harder to dress myself in am, because symptoms are better in pm. I am 81 and female.

@naples3
I'm sorry to hear you haven't had better results with prednisone treatment. I was very fortunate that I felt the help within hours and continued to improve. I tapered off after the first month. It took almost a year to do so. So far no symptoms of PRM have returned. I'll be 89 in a few weeks. Good luck and good health. Hugs, smj

@smj
Happy Early birthday. I will be 80 in a few weeks and had a good experience too.
I’ll 🥂 you at my birthday.
Reminder, is the pain PMR pain or adrenal suppression pain, or something else.?Any discomfort while on prednisone was supplemented with Tylenol for Arthritis, as per my Dr.s suggestion. My prednisone roadblock came at not being able to taper past 8mg. Not an uncommon problem. I was put on the biologic Kevzara and it was clear sailing. Off Prednisone after 3.5 months and now off Kevzara after 11 months.
Good luck everyone

Hello @dalet72, Welcome to Connect, an online community where patients and caregivers share their experiences, find support and exchange information with others. It sounds like your PMR journey has been difficult. It's good that you are focusing on diet which can really help but I don't think it's the total answer. Here's some diet related information that you have seen and I pulled out a small section here to mention

"No diet is proven to make PMR significantly better or worse for most people, and everyone reacts differently to foods. Pay attention to what foods seem to help you feel your best and keep track of them. It’s also important to have a well-balanced diet and to eat from all major food groups. Following are some foods that may be beneficial to people with PMR." -- Can Diet Affect Symptoms of Polymyalgia Rheumatica?: https://www.healthline.com/health/polymyalgia-rheumatica-diet

My first occurrence of PMR took 3-1/2 years to taper off of prednisone. The last six months of that was going back and forth weekly between 1 mg and 1/2 mg until I was finally able to stop taking prednisone with a minimum amount of aches which went away after I got up in the morning and started moving.

Do you like to exercise as part of a daily or weekly routine?

@johnbishop did you have many flares
in that time? I’m getting close to 4 years and it’s hard to stay under 7 mg. And when I flare I have to go to 12mg. Drs now are not sure what it is and why it’s lasting so long. Did any other meds help you get off. I tried methotrexate in the beginning but it didn’t help, maybe because stupid Dr didn’t think it was PMR and he tried to ween me off in 3 months. Any suggestions?

@sharon44r You mentioned in an earlier post that you also have Hashimoto's. @lblauvel mentioned in another discussion having Hashimoto's and also being diagnosed with PMR, and may have some thoughts or suggestions - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/can-hashimotos-be-caused-by-pmr/.

I did have a lot more flareups my first time with PMR and I think for me it was a combination of things, sometimes triggered by diet, sometimes by overdoing exercise/activity the previous day or possibly tapering too fast or too much. If you haven't already seen it, you might find this discussion started by Mike @dadcue helpful:
-- How to Slowly and Safely Taper Off Prednisone but ... no set rules.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-to-slowly-and-safely-taper-off-prednisone-but-no-set-rules/

@johnbishop thx. I’ve tried the alternating too! I’ll just keep trying 🥴 how any times did it come back?

@sharon44r I've had 2 instances of PMR. The first one lasted 3 and half years followed by 6 years of remission. The second instance of PMR lasted 1 and half years and I have now been in remission for almost 7 years so hoping it is never coming back. I attribute the shorter second time with eating healthier, less inflammatory foods and more exercise along with losing some weight. Can't really say it will never come back and I do have aches and pains from degenerative arthritis and a few other old guy issues.

@johnbishop one more question… were your inflammatories high while on prednisone ? Mine are normsal on 7 mg, but still have flares and not totally pain free. My new rheumatologist isn’t sure what I have, but I know it was PMR when it started. All the drs says is long for PMR