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PMR Treatment with a prednisone intolerance
PMR must be a bit uncommon, though I understand it is the major cause of widespread muscle pain and fatigue in patients over 50 or 60. I'd like to connect with other sufferers to talk about their experiences, compare notes and discuss treatments. For instance, I am intolerant of prednisone, which means I'm on a minute dose, and my
SED rates are not improving. Will shorting myself on the prednisone just affect the severity of my symptoms or could it affect how long the PMR will remain with me (assuming, of course, it is going to go).
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hello, I have it too. I have had it for 4 years now. I am 64. I read that there are 700,000 people with PMR where there are 27 million wityh Osteoarthritis. I can't take prednisone either. I did for a year and my blood sugar and my blood pressure was over 200, so I had to stop. The only thing I can take now is Advil and that does help a little. My doctor told me that I will not prolong the disease by not taking prednisone. How long have you had it and what areas has it effected you. It moves around for me. My shoulders, hips, knees, wrists, ankles and hands and finger have been effected so far. Plus, I get so tired...I need a lot of sleep mainly because I don;t sleep very good. The severe pain kicks in around 2 in the morning...like I can't move....gets a little better after I am up an hour or so, but still is bad all day expecially after sitting a while or doing anything repetative.
I have had pmr for 2 years. I am 63 years old and was out of town and I did not know what was happening. I could hardly walk and could not sleep because the pain was to extreme for my legs and arms to touch the bed. I am on prednisone and I also have osteoporosis. I have no energy and I have attacks on and off.
My doctor has said most people get rid of it in under two years (at least assuming the dozen or so he's seen in 25 years of practice are representative). Then again my rheumatologist says some people have it for the rest of their lives or have it change into rheumatoid arthritis. I wish I could see into the future.
This is a very very late reply to your post, but you know, I've been distracted by this damn' PMR. My symptoms are like yours but pain does not move around-- it is mostly in my knees and in my legs above the knee-- also in my fingers, triceps, and muscles of the sides of my trunk. I take 25mg/day Vicodin and 1800 to 2400 mg/day ibuprofen. I think the ibuprofen helps better. In fact when I had a severe flareup around the left knee the ibuprofen worked *better* than 15mg of oxycodone. I guess the anti-inflammatory action of the ibuprofen was required.
I cannot type fast anymore and make too many mistakes. Worst of all my balance has gone to hell and I run into walls, fall over, etc. We don't know yet whether that is PMR related but I am going to a neurologist. From what I hear it could be an impeded or blocked carotid artery, but that's not from PMR, I believe it is atheratomatous plaque (from the same atherosclerosis that produces a heart attack). Lucky you can diagnose it with an ultrasound!
THANK YOU for your info. Anything else you can think to telll me?
Gratefully,
Leon Malinofsky
I thought to ask you a question. If you are ever feeling good enough to exercise or even work out, does that help matters or worsen them? Everyone is telling me to start taking long walks every day.
What does exercise do for you?
Walking does help and streaching is important. Also, I just started taking Celebrex and that help more than anything. I still have pain but the real severe pain is gone. I don't wake up anymore and not able to move. You can go to Celebrex.com and get a discount on it. I think the reason it helps so much is because of the inflamation.
I have had it for more than 4 years.....with now sign of improvements.
I do no feel pain from touching anything. It is in the joint. Example; if I sleep with my knees bent, I will wake up and have extreme pain to just move them a hair. And almost every joint is the same. I cry out in my sleep from the pain. Prednison did help, but I can't take it because it causes my blood pressure and sugar to go up.
Prednsione doesn't cure the disease or shorten its duration. It relieves the pain in order to lead a better quality of life during the disease. As you decrease you will have flare ups, so it is not totally pain free days. There are other things you can do and meds to take. facebook, type in polymyalia rheumatica.