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What is the goal when first diagnosed with PMR?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: May 25, 2022 | Replies (18)Comment receiving replies
Hi @nkdonahue, PMR is supposed to respond to the appropriate dosage of prednisone dramatically. If it doesn 't, the chapter on PMR in Cecil and Goldman's textbook of medicine tells physicians to pursue alternative diagnosis - hypothyrodidm, malignancy, infection or connective tissue disorder. Have the doctors screened you husband for Giant Cell Arteritis, which requires a higher dosage of prednisone? Symptoms are terrible headache, difficulty seeing, scalp tenderness, difficulty chewing and jaw pain, a dry cough? I hope that helps.
Replies to "Hi @nkdonahue, PMR is supposed to respond to the appropriate dosage of prednisone dramatically. If it..."
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Hello Teri,
Thank you for the message. The doctor did look at his thyroid function and checked for symptoms of Giant Cell Arteritis. Those two have been ruled out. CBC didn't indicate infection. He is schedule for a CT in about 10 days to rule out malignancy. Today, the doc presented two options: increase the dose further since there has been some improvement with the 16mg of methyl prednisolone OR cut back on the Rx for a couple of days and do an MRI of the shoulder to check for indications of rheumatoid arthritis. His RF is a little bit elevated. We agreed that it seems like there is some gradual improvement and that trying the higher dose will give us information that we need - so he's going to increase to 24mg of the methyl prednisolone. We hope this will take out all of the symptoms of PMR. Fingers crossed...