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Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR): Meet others & Share Your Story

Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Jan 27 8:38am | Replies (1879)
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@tricialynn

Thank you for responding to my message. I too am finding that exercise and yoga are not giving me any relief. I have no aches in my legs when sleeping or sitting down but when I get up to walk I have immediate stiffness in my knees and then lower inside legs. My rheumatologist feels it’s not related to the PMR as my CRP results are in the normal range. She continues to taper my prednisone medication. I’m on 6 mg at present and will continue for this month. Not sure what my next step should be?

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Replies to "Thank you for responding to my message. I too am finding that exercise and yoga are..."
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Apr 4, 2022

Hi @tricialynn, I would have a heart to heart discussion with your rheumatologist on the tapering. Each of us are different and the CRP may or may not be relevant for deciding when to taper down. I was always told to listen to my body and keep a daily pain log and what dose I was at so that when tapering if the pain was worse the next day I could go back to the previous dose or possible go back at 1/2 of the dose dropped for the taper. There is some information on the topic in this article --- Polymyalgia rheumatica: An updated review: https://www.ccjm.org/content/87/9/549

You might also want to join in the follow discussion and read what other members have shared.
-- Prednisone tapering and remission: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/prednisone-tapering-and-remission/

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Teri | @tsc | Apr 4, 2022

Hi @tricialynn, I agree with @johnbishop re it's time to have a chat with your doctor. The chapter on PMR and GCA in Cecil and Goldman's textbook of medicine has a flowchart which starts with Elderly patient, PMR Symptom: If no elervated sedimentation rate or CRP, it suggests "consider diagnostic trial of corticosteroids prednisone 15 -20 mg... If dramatic clinical response, "treat as PMR; taper corticosteroids to the lowest dose that adequately controls symptoms." I remember how stiff and sore my legs were before starting prednisone. I felt like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz. I hope you get some relief soon.

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