It’s back!

@trudy9
Thank you for your help with this issue. I wish I had thought more about taking prednisone. I was just so miserable.
I remember back to my last cervical fusion a few months before I was diagnosed. The first fusion was anterior, C4-C7, a pretty easy recovery actually. The pain was minimal. At six weeks I went for my X-ray, where they discovered one of the screws had loosened and was aimed at my airway.
Doctor said my osteopenia was not the cause, it was a bad screw.
I was scheduled for a removal and another surgery, this time a posterior fusion. Terribly painful, they cut through the back muscles so every arm movement caused terrible pain. I was unable to get out of bed except for the bathroom.
The surgeon gave me IV steroids, the next morning I had my walk down the hallway and I was discharged home!
Steroids were also helpful in getting me off my chair over the next few weeks, intermittently.
The surgery was September 29th, and I was diagnosed with PMR in January 2026.
My steroid dosage was only 8 mg. Daily, as the rheumatologist knew I had osteopenia. I had 12 mg. For 2 weeks, only because I complained of pain.
Here I am all these months later. Still trying to taper off from 6 mg.
I’ve been getting PT for my additional problems - I had fractured my sacrum; and when looking at my CT scans they found I had an old ‘chronically healing’ pelvis rami. A break that won’t heal. Which caused tendonopathy of my hip, I couldn’t walk! I had a walker, a cane, but now finally I’m walking around and so much better after Physical therapy.
I am hoping the Kevzara will help me get off the steroids. And help with this pain, it feels never ending sometimes!
For anyone who worries about taking steroids, I advise to be careful and try to taper as soon as you can.

@ga29
My goodness - no wonder you took steroids for the pain. The only other issue I had to deal with at the time was eczema, which I've had since childhood.
Two things that helped me with getting up from a sitting position:
An electric lift chair; it had been my mother'-in-law's. What a blessing that was.
And I got a plastic booster seat for the toilet! Amazing 🙂 Think I broke out in a giggle after using that the first time.
I know there were other aids - some my husband rigged up for me. It's just been so many years ago now and memories are fading, thanks to age! New issues to deal with.

@trudy9 yep, but toughing it out is soooooo tough. I was on pred only 5.5 months and that seems short compared to so many here suffering. But I am having to tough it out. Bearable but it can get me down, the continuous pain in shoulders. Pain level 2-3, not PMR 8-9. I remember strategizing 45 minutes to see how to get out of bed to use bathroom;-)

@pmrnew
Yes, I know. Recall getting ice bags during the middle of the night hoping to numb pain somewhat. Not sure how long that lasted. Know I had 5 at a time at least once.
Getting dressed was a challenge that almost always set off a shock wave of pain. Absolutely no pullover clothing at all; couldn't raise arms.
One of the first areas that I had pain was in the neck; pain was really bad when I would have to use the neck muscles were used to roll over or get up. Once up it was only like a stiff neck.
Legs and hips were the least painful of the 3 areas. Riding in the car was a problem. For long trips we had a van and sometimes I would lay down in the back on an air mattress, or arranged the back seat rows so I could sit up with a cooler as a footstool. Altho they ranked lowest on a pain scale, they lasted the longest. Squatting impossible so got a dust pan with a long handle:).
I still have trouble squatting even this many years later but think that's my fault because I never did any therapy or exercises afterwards to build up strength again. Did practice walking properly again after falling a couple times. Liked walking when legs were bad but hadn't realized I was "shuffling" instead of lifting my feet up. Wasn't a problem because I was walking very slow all the time. Once it was no longer painful and I started walking as quickly as before PMR, shuffling was dangerous & I took a couple falls.

I hope you get better, but why would you taper down in 5.5 months? That sounds absolutely crazy. Also why would you put up with that pain when taking prednisone would eliminate it?