Hello, I just found this group today. I have been diagnosed with PMR for the second time a few weeks ago. I started on 20 mg of prednisone a couple of weeks ago. I had not been to my rheumatologist for over two years so I had to get reinstated with a referral from my gp. My gp was hard to get an appointment with also so my PMR go worse than the last time while waiting for my appointment. But Advil helped until then. My previous bout with PMR was in 2016. Every now and then I thought it would pay me a visit to remind me it was still around. Usually in one of my wrists. This time it started in my right hand. My middle finger is still stiff and swollen. It was x-rayed and nothing showed. The rheumatologist thinks it osteoarthritis and she's probably right. It's feeling better on the prednisone. My other fingers hurt on that hand but are better now. My pain that started after my hand was from my hips down to my knees. The backside of my knees, the soft part, would get stiff and still do some. Then my shoulders and down my arms started hurting and my hips stopped hurting. I'm feeling better now all around with the prednisone. I don't think it worked as fast as the first time I had PMR.

I'm wondering if the stress from a trip flying to MA from AZ started my PMR. I was really thinking I should not do the trip with all the Covid stuff going on but did anyway. It was worth it too but I was stressed a lot.

I've been wondering about taking Calcium. It can interfere with the levothyroxine for my thyroid. I am hypothyroid. We had to diagnose the dosage for that at the same time as my first PMR. What fun for the doctor. I thought he must think I'm crazy. Anyhow, does anyone know what I should do about the Calcium? I haven't been taking any Calcium pills this time.