Is it safe to get the Corona Virus (COVID-19) vaccine with PMR?

Hello Patrick @pemagyaltsen, Welcome to Connect. If I read your post correctly you said you were diagnosed with PMR after your 2nd Shingrix vaccination and started on 20 mg prednisone and you are now at 12.5 mg tapering down. My PMR has been in remission since 2018 and I have had both Pfizer COVID vaccines and just had my 1st Shingrix vaccine shot last week with the 2nd one scheduled for May 5th. The only side effects I've had from the Pfizer shots were a sore arm for both shots and extreme fatigue the day after my second shot.

Do you mind sharing what you were looking for when you found Connect?

Thanks. The problem I have is I was taking 20 mg of Prednisone to control the PMR. Had to reduce (too fast—in 8 weeks) it to 10 mg to get the vaccine. And, I can’t increase the prednisone now until after the two week waiting period after the second Pfizer shot. So, The PMR is bad and I am counting the days until 3/24. I an still so relieved to have the vaccine.

<p><strong>PMR after flu vaccine and covid vaccine</strong></p><p>I am a physician,,,internal med,,,,i had bout of PMR 2 years row month after flu vacccine,,,,and now about 6 weeks after Pfizer second vaccine</p>

Hi @heblegan. Sorry to hear you’ve been struck by by PMR again. I too feel my PMR was induced by a vaccine, shingrix I believe. My sense is that until we have more personalized pharm, well still see these events for a percentage of people.
Back to you, how are you feeling? Are you taking any prednisone?
I too had the Pfizer vaccine ( both doses) and still on Prednisone 8.5 mg and very slowly tapering...
no bad impacts two weeks out.
I wish you the best, again sorry you’re back here at sq one.

@hblegen Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.

It sounds like you are unfortunately not alone in believing that vaccines brought out PMR symptoms.

You will notice that I have moved your question to a lively previous discussion.

You'll notice that members like @ste44 @pemagyaltsen @ncgal @legendts @karinaph @artist01 @kristem2020 have discussed this topic in link.

May I ask if you have found anything that helps to reduce PMR symptoms?

Thanks. I have talked with my dr and two close friends (a neurologist and rehab dr). This is the consensus. I was on 20 mg of prednisone for a year and some periods before that. I had to taper off that dosage in six weeks to 10 mg in order to get the vaccine shots, otherwise the shots do not work. Because of the length of time I was on the higher dose of prednisone, my body probably does not make its own, meaning the 10 mg was what occurs in normal folks. I was warned that the PMR muscle/joint pain would emerge after the shots with nothing to counter the PMR until the two weeks after the second shot, when I can “hit” the PMR again with 20 mg. That is today! I took 20 mg this morning and hope the pain begins to subside in a few days. Hallelujah. In the meantime, I took Epson Salt baths, and low doses of Tramadol and Tylenol to numb the pain some. It have been a tough four weeks, but worth it to get the vaccine. Hope this helps

I checked with all my doctors, who agreed it was essential for me to get vaccine. I received Pfizer.

Hi again, I have just reduced to 10mg from three weeks at 12.5 so from others experience here I have decided to do five weeks at each 1mg reduction. As I can't get to see a rheumatologist until June it is up to me to manage it myself for the time being.

Sounds like a solid plan, take it slow from 10 downward is my approach and it seems warranted. I even drop by .5 each time . I’m at 8.5 and hope to get to 5 by maybe July, very slow. Good luck.

And the goal is to get down to the most comfortable place without pain (PMR), not to reach zero.