Thanks all as usual for this dialog. It seems to connect to my first post of a few months ago as my rheumatologist also seems to fall into the school of thinking that considers normal CRP's and Sed Rates as proof that PMR is not really (clinically) indicated. That said, he is eminently aware of my discomfort and truly believes that I am not making it up as I continue to feel better as I titrate down from 20 mg to 7 mg...hopefully one mg lower in each of the coming months. But back to the school of thinking....I believe that, by definition, symptoms of PMR occur in (mostly) 70+ Caucasian females and males, and often presents with pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints & muscles of the hip and shoulder (girdles). But a normal ESR/CRP (which I have been running for 4 months) is indicative of no such swelling in the joints? I'd add that I have been managing Ankylosing Spondylitis for almost 50 years with considerable pain early-on, but very little redness or swelling.

So what is a rheumatologist to do? 20% of us cannot be psychosomatic. I've got a DEXA scan next week and will report any interesting findings. Hope all are doing well under what is shaping up to be another trying year. Before being laid-off from a wonderful consulting job a few weeks ago, I used to tell my working associate to practice Project Team Social Distancing (or PTSD as I call it).

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