Feeling tired! Do others with PMR feel significantly more tired?

Linda M, LDN is showing promiss for Long Covid also. Talk to your Dr and read about it. There is some good stuff on YouTube also, but be selective.

Hi Dave @davebaker, I wished I had found this taper plan my first time around with PMR. If you start to struggle again, you might want to give it a shot.

-- Dead slow and nearly stop reduction plan:
https://healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk/posts/131189593/dead-slow-and-nearly-stop-reduction-plan

I'm on my fourth attempt to taper below 8 mg. My rheumatolagist believes that 1/2 mg at a time is too small a drop but I insisted. I take the whole dose in the morning. I have made it to 7mg. I deal with fatigue, especially in the afternoon and I have more pain than I did before I got this disease. At times I wake up at 3-4 AM in pain since the prednisone has worn off. I haven't had a full-blown flare this time though. When I have that I spite fevers, feel like I have PMS ( I know you male sufferers can't relate) , have pain and stiffness all over plus severe pain in one area, usually my shoulders. After a month on 7 I will see how I feel. I'm willing to accept some pain which might be withdrawal symptoms from the prednisone as long as I don't have a severe flare.

I felt extremely fatigued prior to being diagnosed ( took
18 months to be diagnosed being in pain 24 a day). Once i started the treatment of 30 mg prednisone a day there was bountiful energy, zero pain, no depression, When I started to
reduce the prednisone to 20 mg a day the fatigue, pain and depression all came eventually back. Now I think having PMR by itself ( like RA) creates fatigue, plus I think being on prednisone low dose can add to the fatigue. I must say however any issue with hypothyroidism can also cause fatigue. My T4 was not converting adequately to T3 ( T3 is the only thyroid hormone that penetrates the cell to create energy) Once I started taking a combination of T3 and T4 my energy started to improve. Also hypothyroidism can cause muscle pain so I am
wondering if my PMR is correct? What if it is from
the hypothyroidism?

Prednisone takes over for the adrenals. The higher the dose and the longer you use the P, the less likely that the adrenals ( cortisol) will kick back in. I would guess ? that at an older age it might be harder yet…? I don’t know if doctors think about this or monitor it closely enough? It seems as if they prescribe the P and are done.

My coworkers like the fuller face on me as well. Its not too bad until it starts to hurt though or affects my vision. Thats the only downfall. I'm glad they are tapering my dosage. Best of luck to you too.

Hi @lmoross, I was also extremely fatigued before I knew I had PMR and GCA. I went to the doctor and got lab work done, and I was anemic. Anemia is one of the symptoms of PMR/GCA. It's called the anemia of chronic inflammation. It resolved when I started taking prednisone. Also, knowing people that have had COVID, fatigue stays with some of them a long time. I hope you feel better soon.

I was fatigued when I was Dx with PMR. That changed when I was treated with prednisone.

Been so exhausted this weekend even after a goods night sleep - on 40mg of prednisone and 10 mg week of methotrexate- fatigue seems to be getting worse and worse

same here, since the onset of pmr I am not the same, lots of fatigue.