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Is it safe to get the Corona Virus (COVID-19) vaccine with PMR?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Oct 29, 2022 | Replies (299)Comment receiving replies
My husband 53 years old had the moderne vaccine in April. With in 24 hours he had severe pain in his hips and shoulders , he cannot put on his socks and shoes , is in pain when sleeping and it takes at least 45 minutes in the morning to get moving. His pain has been between a 7-10 since, off and on. He did not have these symptoms before. He did break his femur 30 years ago. His doctor did lab. Tests for PRM. The labs came back normal. He was sent to a orthopedic physician who has diagnosed him with Osteoarthritis of Hips and has scheduled hip replacement surgery in July and to see a masseuse for his shoulder pain. He is taking Celebrex twice a day and his pain is back . They are now offering valium to go with the Celebrex and to stop taking his Crestor . He did have a cortisone shot which last about 48 hours.
We at a loss and looking for some advice . His doctor does not feel the need for him to see a rheumatologist . he has seen urgent care , his general practitioner, the orthopedic surgeon, and has been to our local health department. All feel that the vaccine could not cause PMR . Where do we go from here ?
Replies to "My husband 53 years old had the moderne vaccine in April. With in 24 hours he..."
I would surely second @johnbishop - the best place for diagnosis would be a rheumatologist.
Sue
I developed bilateral lumbar (lower back) pain after a high fever 36hrs post 2nd Pfizer COVID vac. Progressed to most PMR symptoms within weeks. Prednisone helped significantly in a few days. Please get another professional opinion. Best of luck!
I never had PMR and barely any signs of arthritis until a few days after my first Moderna vaccine. My pain was also 7-9. Because I was in the 50-70 yr old age group, my primary thought it might be PMR so he put me on prednisone 20mg/2x day. It took a couple days to kick in but the pain was soon under control, went back for labs, found the inflammation high, and I was then referred to a rheumatologist who is watching my SED labs and advising me on tapering off the Prednisone.
When reading about PMR I learned that there is thought to be a connection to viruses and vaccinations — that was noticed before covid was a pandemic. It has also been noticed that it may be connected to people of Northern European or Scandinavian descent. Those were true for me.
Sorry that you’re in this situation. Agree with the advise others have given. Question, do the symptoms abate a bit as the day progresses? That was a key diagnostic tool, as PMR get better as the day progresses, not worse as in other arthritic conditions. I recall how by 5 or 6 pm I could walk reasonably, move about, and think to myself, “oh I’m getting better” and my hopes dashed upon waking the next day to the pained and stiff we all know too well.btw, my blood work did not show the classic markers, we’d rate etc but my doc said nearly 30% of those afflicted do not have the classic markers. Good luck.
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Hello @carteret, Welcome to Connect, an online community where patients and caregivers share their experiences, find support and exchange information with others. I have no medical training or background but have had 2 occurrences of PMR and first diagnosed by a rheumatologist. I think you can have PMR even with low levels of CRP and ESR, the labs used to check for inflammation common with PMR. Here's more information on diagnosing PMR.
Polymyalgia rheumatica - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polymyalgia-rheumatica/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20376545
Have you thought about getting a second opinion and seeing a rheumatologist?