Good days and bad

Ditto- I started on 15mg April 2025 and down to 9mg June 2026. However the pain started creeping back. This past week I found myself having to take 15mg to get relief. I thought it might be red-meat, or the occasional sweet treat or perhaps the light to moderate exercise caused my relapse. However, I firmly believe it is none of the above. PMR is going to raise its ugly head when it wants to. Period.

Moreover, if any of the factors below exacerbate PMR then narrowing down any specific cause or factor is a total crap-shoot for all concerned. (Well... at least for me)
# Age
#Weight
# Genetics
# General Health
# Maintenance medications taken
# Diet
# Habits (good and bad) lol

@rickman
You can probably add stress, both physical/illness and mental to your list.

I'm 73, and I had good days and bad days before PMR. Even after being diagnosed with PMR, I have had good days and bad days that are probably not all attributable to PMR. The problem at our age is trying to distinguish between PMR symptoms and age related symptoms. Some of us also have a second adverse health condition. It's a crap shoot some days trying to figure out what I can and can't do, or what I should or shouldn't do.

I was diagnosed with PMR about 16 months ago. I tapered down to 0 prednisone and it returned. I was changing doctors so the pain got really bad. During that time I said I had half days. For the first part of the day I couldn't do much. I would have to wait until med afternoon to wash my hair because I couldn't get my hands above my head. I really wanted to be done with prednisone but it was not to be, at least for now. Now I am back on 5mg and doing just fine. I find consistency of movement works best for me. Stretching and exercise each day work. I don't vary much. I will increase exercise very gradually. Sitting too much is my worst enemy.

I used to Jody build up until January, although my symptoms were there already. Im on 5 mg prednisone and without it, I can barely move. Ill go for walk as i feel "normal" again but i super soar 2 days later. Not sure how to reintroduce any exercise without painful consequences.

I find my aqua aerobics classes are the key to my energy, outlook and flexibility. I was diagnosed in February. Started on 12.5. I’m now down to 7.5 and doing well. Get back to the gym and work as much as you can. You will feel better. 😊

For me, the key was figuring out what exercises I could do and how much....and then when I progressed to a point that I needed more, or something different, figuring out what would help and doing it. I was beginning a walking program and doing Beginner reformer Pilates (in a class of retired women) and that was absolutely awesome! Also I did the EGym - all my exercise is at my local Y, a branch that is also a medical fitness center affiliated with our local hospital system. I have to move, for my mental health if nothing else.

Then I broke my foot and that's turned out to be a serious nuisance. PMR and Kevzara and prednisone are slowing down healing. I'll get back to exercise as soon as I can.

I managed to increase my bone density by a statistically significant amount so no problem there, at least.

@ggarrepy

I do an aquacise class regularly. I'm trying to recruit more men to join the class. I jump into the pool and that seems to impress all the women. They always say "Mike is here" when they hear the splash. Getting out of the pool is harder and not so impressive.

Some days I aquacise all alone and the lifeguards watch me. I look at the lifeguards some of the time. They seem to worry about an old man exercising in the deep water. They asked me if I needed help once. I showed them that I could swim to the shallow end if I needed to.

I also do a "land exercise" class that is free for veterans at the VA. The land exercise class is mostly done while sitting in a chair. The physical therapist that leads the group of old men is a lot of fun. She hovers around so that nobody falls. She tells me that I shouldn't overdo it but I tell her that I never fall. She doesn't believe me though. It is true that I don't ever fall doing aquacise.

Oh one more comment - take your exercise day by day. Youll make mistakes and have flares but the learning is worth it. Eventually you'll understand your body and your disease process. I learned that I can exercise enthusiastically without any problem and somewhere in the following 2 - 3 days, I'll get hit with a flare. It might be small flare or a giant one that puts me in bed. Then I know that was too much LOLLL. Eventually I find a target. Then eventually I increase a bit *just a bit* , return to baseline exercise and wait and see.......no flare? Try that increase again next week....that's worked very well for me. In my Pilates, I have extremely well qualified instructors with medical backgrounds. My Y even has reformer Pilates classes for osteoporosis patients. But I was just beginning to be able to walk even 1/2 mile after 9 months of Pilates and Egym. So be prepared to move slowly - **as your body can tolerate**. Hope this helps.