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I'm a 69 year old male and have worked out 3-5 times per week since I was 16. I lift (not powerlifting, but lifting significant weights - bench, curls, lat pulldowns, triceps work, etc., etc., mixed in with leg workouts). My point? I have worked out pretty hard my entire life, including 45 minutes of hard cardio 5 times per week.
PMR disrupted everything. I was in so much muscular/joint pain that I simply couldn't lift heavy weights. Stationary bike was okay. But everything else hurt. Bad. I went on prednisone (20 MG per day) about four months ago. Night and day. I'm back to my old self. One more thing: Pre-prednisone, my muscles simply didn't respond. I never got "pumped." Now, I feel a little bit of the old "swole" quality. Don't get me wrong - I'm not Arnold Schwarzenegger. But you get the idea. It's nice to feel you muscles say, "Good work."
Two additional points/questions: (1) If I miss a dose, I feel it the next day. Also, I have switched things a bit: 15 MB in the morning. 5 MG with dinner. That seems to help the morning hand soreness that is a constant for me.
(2) Has anyone had a little bit of hand "shakiness" from the prednisone? I'm talking about minimal shakiness - the kind you might have after a third straight cup of black coffee (which I do NOT do).
Any comments will help me on my journey.
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@mjdcl57
Yes hand shakiness when above 15mg/day of Prednisine.
Hand pain every morning when I wake up..
I exercise and stretch my hands every day, and the rest of my body. But hands several times a day.
I have the standard PMR symptoms of course, but like many people I have a few not so typical pain, like hands and wrist.
Pre-Prednisine I could still get swole and do one hour cardio on a treadmill.
PMR mostly hit me in the hips. Crippled me actually, and that is when I decided I needed help and went to my PCP.
From 40mg/day in November 2025, then Kevzara starting in January 2026, at 30 mg/day. Today, I’m down to 2.5 mg/day of Prednisone.
I measure my PMR, by how my hips are feeling….especially sitting and when driving.
I do one hour of cardio 5-6 days/week followed by the same weights routine you described above and a lot of stretching. My daily workout takes 2+ hours. Truthfully, more like 3 hours/day.
I look forward to the swole and it really helps my lower back pain and shoulder rotator cuffs (a tear on both.)
Resistance exercising helps my shoulders, knees and lower back so much that it’s almost unbelievable.
It works me.
I eat food like it’s ammunition. My diet is strict. Like it or not, taste doesn’t matter, it’s a matter of what my body needs that takes priority.
Most doctors say exercise but gently.
But, I don’t. I look at it this way: the more times per day I can get blood to circulate carrying fresh oxygen, nutrients and medicines to every cell, and remove waste from every cell, then the faster and better I will heal.
Intense exercise does that for me.
Sleep, is critical. Eight hours/daily is a must, that’s when healing happens. (I had to take sleeping pills when I was on the higher doses of Prednisone.) Now, only as necessary.
I’m 69. PMR crippled me. Barely could get out of bed. Struggled to get off the toilet. Had to use a walker at home, but had to use a cane to see my PCP, because I couldn’t load a walker into my car and could barely drive to him.
I’m getting better every day.
Don’t feel alone. We all need support. Best wishes.
Randy
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@mjdcl57 I used to get shakey at higher doses of Prednisone. I'm at 5 mg now and don't have that problem.