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PMR and Hip, Back Pain
I’m new to this group but not new to PMR. I was diagnosed
May 2020. The past few years have been challenging, to say
the least. Recently my shoulder pain was off the charts, so my
Dr agreed to reboot my prednisone dosage. I went from 5mg daily
up to 20mg daily. Reducing 2.5mg every week. I’m now back down
to 5mg. My shoulder activity has reduced significantly. I barely notice
it anymore. What’s happening now is my lower back and hips are hurting. At first I thought my back was out. I was having trouble walking, and standing up straight. The pain moved from one hip to the
other. Then both hips. It’s not a constant pain like the shoulders, it’s more like very painful muscle spasms.
I’ve seen my primary physician, and had a trip to the ER last week, thinking this was a pulled back issue. Was given muscle relaxers that
did nothing. Now I’m wondering if this new development could be
PMR.
Has anyone had PMR in their hips or lower back? What’s it like?
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Sounds like you are having the trochantor bursitis that plagues so many of us. Mine is on my left side where I had hip replacement. I would suggest doing the "vascular pump" and see if it helps. You start and finish with a cold pack and alternate it with a heating pad. Go back and forth severaL times. Always end with cold to reduce inflamation. It might help. It did mine.
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3 ReactionsI am begining to be of the same mind. It is hard to tell the mechanical from the "disease". I have lots of mechanical reasons for pain. But don't want more pred, that's for sure.
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1 ReactionHow do you know when you have achieved remission? How do you tell when you have had a relapse?
The usual answer is whether or not you need to take prednisone. I took prednisone for more than 12 years for "active" PMR. Sometimes my disease activity was more active than other times. When I tapered down to zero prednisone, I soon had to go back on prednisone within a few days.
I have now been off prednisone for nearly 3 years. I'm being treated with a biologic called Actemra for active PMR. However, I can't tell if PMR is active or not. Except for taking a medication to treat PMR --- how do you know if PMR is active or not.
I still have lots of aches and pains. I seem to have more arthritis than one would expect for normal "wear and tear" osteoarthritis.
I also have a low cortisol level. Adrenal insufficiency also can cause aches and pains.
It could also be some kind of myopathy because I have an elevated CK level. Maybe that is causing some pain.
My uric acid level is elevated too. My rheumatologist thinks I may have some gout but that hasn't been diagnosed.
Is there any sure way to know if PMR is the problem???
I'm just wondering what the criteria is.
It might be inflammatory arthritis too but my rheumatologist says PMR is my primary diagnosis and I just have a "history of" inflammatory arthritis.
I agree with you ...as long as my pain stays at this level, I don't want to go on prednisone again.
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3 ReactionsNot sure I know what is considered the criteria for PMR remission but for me it's trying to figure out if some of my pain is related to other conditions - arthritis, degenerative disc disease, etc. Here's something I found but it doesn't really ring a bell with me.
-- Predictors of complete remission in polymyalgia rheumatica: https://ard.bmj.com/content/76/Suppl_2/608.1
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2 ReactionsHas anyone tried CBD or THC for PMR pain? It is legal here but you have to go to special doctors. Not sure my GP and rheumy would consider it.