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Is it PMR (and/) or Osteoarthritis?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (64)Comment receiving replies
@tug25
Hi,
Your question is a good one and probably the right answer would be complex. But I was on Prednisone for a year after getting PMR diagnosed. While taking it I did notice hip pain beyond the baseline for me on prednisone. So, once I stopped prednisone, it became very apparent that I had a bad hip. Standing and walking were nearly impossible. Last Tuesday, I had my hip replaced. And boy, am I ever glad. I see in my mind that shiny ball rotating with ease, as if greased. Thanks for this forum!
Replies to "@tug25 Hi, Your question is a good one and probably the right answer would be complex...."
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@mlz
I had a "bad right knee" before PMR was diagnosed, It was caused by a sports injury during my high school days. I had my first knee surgery in my teens and a second surgery on my right knee in my early 20's. Knee surgery done in the 1970's probably did more harm than good but surgical techniques have improved since then,
At the age of 25, I was told that I needed a knee replacement . Unfortunately, I had to wait until I was 60 years old to get a knee replacement. I lived with the right knee pain for 25 years until PMR was diagnosed at the age of 52.. I remember telling my rheumatologist that my "bad right knee" was "good" again except that I could not tolerate lower doses of prednisone.
It was probably 10 years into my PMR diagnoses when I had BOTH of my knees replaced. I told the orthopedic surgeon that I wanted my left knee replaced first because it hurt more than my right knee. I ended up having both knees replaced. My knee replacements were good for a 15 mg reduction in my prednisone dose.
I remember all the extra precautions that were taken during my knee replacements because of being on prednisone for 10 years. My knee replacement surgeries were done with an epidural so I was awake and could talk to anesthesiologist during surgery. I was fixated on the IV bag of hydrocortisone that was infusing.
Giving hydrocortisone through an IV for people on long term prednisone therapy replaces the cortisol your body normally makes during major stress like surgery. That bag of hydrocortisone was hanging for about 6 hours after each of my knee replacements. A nice endocrinologist who identified herself as part of the "medical management team" checked on me every hour after surgery. She disappeared after giving the nurses instructions to stop the hydrocortisone IV infusion but to make sure my usual daily dose of prednisone was given first.