Dear Barbara,
It's been a couple of years since you posted and I wonder how you are doing now. In mid-May 2020 I lost sight in my right eye overnight and thank God, was immediately diagnosed with Giant Cell Arteritis. I was urgently put on 60 mg prednisone, now tapered down to 20 mg with another month down to 10 mg on which I will have to take for the rest of my life in order to save the other eye. Am looking forward to getting back to normal. I hope I don't have to take this high dose again. l've gained 6kg, some of it water but mostly fat. I realize I will have to deal with mild side-effects of prednisone but I am ready to make that sacrifice.

PMR is a companion to GCA and I think I may have had it for 10 or more years, un-diagnosed.

I'm writing because I am concerned about what you said about Tramadol. I took it for the body pain of what I now think is PMR for 2 years and gradually got worse and worse. When I finally realized I might be addicted, I decided I had to come off of it, suffered greatly for 2 or 3 weeks but now feel much better. My legs seem to work much better without it. I hope you can report the same thing.

All the best,
Jeanne