1. < Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)

PMR Anyone?

Posted by olegraymare @olegraymare, Jan 4, 2018

I was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica about a year ago. I WAS a very active 69 year old female all of a sudden, not being able to get out of bed on her own and having severe hip flexor pain. As is customary, after waiting 3 months to see a rheumatoid arthritis doctor, she administered the C-reactive protein test and I was VERY high. So, she diagnosed me with PMR and prescribed 15 mg of prednisone. I don't like taking meds (as most of us don't), but I was in pain and had no quality of life. I'm a swimmer and could hardly dog paddle ! One year later, I have been weaning off the 15 mg down to 1 mg. My RA said that now it's a matter of determining if I have PMR or arthritis ... so, she prescribed 7.5 mg of meloxicam for a month. I will say my shoulder pain seems better, but my hip flexors are awful !! I don't want to go back on steroids - the devil drug. I would like to get to the "crux" of what is CAUSING my inflammation??? No doctors seem to address that? What would be my next step? A nutritionist? I am leary of taking supplements, as well. Thank you for any help or sharing your experience. Weird disease ... I just want my old life back - being able to move without pain, etc. Too much to ask?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Support Group.

ajmencke | @ajmencke | Sep 18, 2021
In reply to @tsc "I had the flu shot a couple of weeks ago without any flareups. If offered the..." + (show)
@tsc

I had the flu shot a couple of weeks ago without any flareups. If offered the booster shot for COVID, I will take it. I'd rather have my immune system react with a flare-up of PMR or GCA than go to battle with COVID. At least the symptoms of PMR and GCA can be managed with prednisone, and for the most part, are not life-threatening.

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My husband and I both had Covid and I'll take Covid over PMR every day of the week. We both had a mild case, no fever, no breathing issues, no long haul issues. No prednisone!! I get it that some people get severe symptoms but ours were nothing in comparison to PMR.

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ncgal | @ncgal | Sep 19, 2021
In reply to @kspowell "Thank you for this information! I agree that it seems like something lurks in the background..." + (show)
@kspowell

Thank you for this information! I agree that it seems like something lurks in the background ready to pounce and something happens to put the autoimmune system in overdrive, and voila - in my case, PMR attacks out of nowhere. I see both traditional and functional medicine practioners and believe both have worth. In the case of my functional friends diet and healthy living are emphasized and of course that's harder than taking a pill. But at some point that pill (prednisone) is desperately needed. I have always gotten all of my vaccines and did so with Covid as well... but I am highly suspicious that the covid vaccines were the straw that broke the camels back so to say, and revved up my immune system and ultimately that's what caused the PMR to surface. We know that's what vaccines do put the immune system in overdrive (that's what they're supposed to do) and we also know that our immune systems don't work as well with age. My dilemma now is what to do about the booster shot. I don't want PMR to surface again, I'm still trying to get to 15 mg Prednisone, down from 40. Is anyone else struggling with what to do about the booster shot?

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I got PMR after being put on Cipro after my colonoscopy (I have diverticulosis). However, I have had all three of the COVID vaccines with no problem. I'm even down to 2 mgs. of Prednisone after being put on Plaquenil. Obviously each individual is different about how their onset started, but it does seem that a "boost' of some sort puts your system into overdrive.

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dermnurse68 | @dermnurse68 | Sep 27, 2021

Is it possible ,that after needle therapy that I could have gotten PMR?

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1 reply
Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Sep 27, 2021
In reply to @dermnurse68 "Is it possible ,that after needle therapy that I could have gotten PMR?" + (show)
@dermnurse68

Is it possible ,that after needle therapy that I could have gotten PMR?

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There is some information out there that may support some adverse side effects from needle therapy but I really don't know. Maybe some other members can share their experience.

"Some dry needling treatments involve repetitive and rapid needle insertions into myofascial trigger points. This type of treatment causes muscle injury and can also damage nerve fibers." --- Neuromuscular damage and repair after dry needling in mice - PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23662122/

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1 reply
suzorand | @suzorand | Sep 28, 2021
In reply to @olegraymare "Hmm. I was wondering if there is a connection between hypothyroidism and PMR? I was diagnosed..." + (show)
@olegraymare

Hmm. I was wondering if there is a connection between hypothyroidism and PMR? I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 6 years ago and have been on levothyroxine since then. I have my thyroid levels checked regularly and the doctor always says they are in range. When I was diagnosed with this thyroid condition, I had no symptoms of my thyroid malfunction except for my TSH blood test levels. I am on 2 - 25 mcg of levothyroxine 2 days a week and 1.5 - 25 mcg the other 5 days (strange, huh?). I have never been in to see an endocrinologist - wondering if I should seek advice about any relationship? Not that it would matter. But, I'm thinking that if my thyroid isn't where an endocrinologist thinks it should be, this could have caused me to be more susceptible to the development of my PMR. Geez, maybe all this research is confusing things? Just wondering if anyone else might have the same situation?

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Interesting..I was also diagnosed with hypothyroid, I am taking 25 mcg each morning. I am 70 and was diagnosed about two years ago when I started having high blood pressure all of a sudden. My PMR came on about a year later. I am 1 1/2 years in and tapering slowly.

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1 reply
klpintx | @klpintx | Sep 29, 2021
In reply to @suzorand "Interesting..I was also diagnosed with hypothyroid, I am taking 25 mcg each morning. I am 70..." + (show)
@suzorand

Interesting..I was also diagnosed with hypothyroid, I am taking 25 mcg each morning. I am 70 and was diagnosed about two years ago when I started having high blood pressure all of a sudden. My PMR came on about a year later. I am 1 1/2 years in and tapering slowly.

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Interesting…. I had my thyroid removed 2/2019 and was diagnosed with PMR a year later. Never connected the two.

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munchie | @munchie | Sep 30, 2021

if in fact your sed rate and crp are elevated especially during painful episodes and rapidly drop after initiating prednisone this is almost pathopneumonic for pmr..arthritis is not of sudden onset but rather gradual

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dermnurse68 | @dermnurse68 | Oct 1, 2021
In reply to @johnbishop "There is some information out there that may support some adverse side effects from needle therapy..." + (show)
@johnbishop

There is some information out there that may support some adverse side effects from needle therapy but I really don't know. Maybe some other members can share their experience.

"Some dry needling treatments involve repetitive and rapid needle insertions into myofascial trigger points. This type of treatment causes muscle injury and can also damage nerve fibers." --- Neuromuscular damage and repair after dry needling in mice - PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23662122/

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Thank you for the information

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opus640 | @opus640 | Oct 16, 2021

I have recently been diagnosed with PMR by my primary care physician. I have an appointment with a rheumatologist in two weeks, and have been on steroids for five days. They have not shown any improvement in my morning pain as of yet. I am wondering about the level of pain I am experiencing in the morning. I work in healthcare and we use the 1-10 scale of pain. My pain level is almost always an 8 or 9 in the morning when I get up. I literally cannot get out of bed and to the bathroom without crying and cannot get dressed without help. Is this normal or am I just being a big baby about all of this? I am no stranger to pain ( bilateral knee replacements) and have always thought of myself as pretty tolerant to it, but I am beginning to wonder if I am just getting overly dramatic in my old age ( I'm 63). It's just so strange to be so crippled in the mornings, yet be able to function fairly well by the afternoon. I feel like I'm stuck in an excruciating 'Groundhog Day' movie!

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3 replies
Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Oct 16, 2021
In reply to @opus640 "I have recently been diagnosed with PMR by my primary care physician. I have an appointment..." + (show)
@opus640

I have recently been diagnosed with PMR by my primary care physician. I have an appointment with a rheumatologist in two weeks, and have been on steroids for five days. They have not shown any improvement in my morning pain as of yet. I am wondering about the level of pain I am experiencing in the morning. I work in healthcare and we use the 1-10 scale of pain. My pain level is almost always an 8 or 9 in the morning when I get up. I literally cannot get out of bed and to the bathroom without crying and cannot get dressed without help. Is this normal or am I just being a big baby about all of this? I am no stranger to pain ( bilateral knee replacements) and have always thought of myself as pretty tolerant to it, but I am beginning to wonder if I am just getting overly dramatic in my old age ( I'm 63). It's just so strange to be so crippled in the mornings, yet be able to function fairly well by the afternoon. I feel like I'm stuck in an excruciating 'Groundhog Day' movie!

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Hi @opus640, Welcome to Connect. My PMR is currently in remission. I've had 2 occurrences of PMR and both times was started at 20 mg prednisone and within a short period of time the pain was pretty much zero for me. We each know our own pain scale and have to trust our body when it's too much. I kept a daily pain and prednisone dosage log which I used when tapering. I only tapered when my morning pain was a 0 or 1 sometimes a 2 if I was anxious to lower my dosage. I think it's normal to have some mild aches and pains when you first get up and they normally go away when you start moving some...at least for me they did.

You mentioned you haven't seen a rheumatologist yet and were diagnosed by your PCP and put on steroids for five days. Are you taking prednisone? How much if you don't mind my asking?

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