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Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR): Meet others & Share Your Story
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Sep 10 12:05pm | Replies (1906)Comment receiving replies
I'm Paul 79 and pretty healthy. At the beginning of the month I suddenly had pain and stiffness in my upper arms and upper thighs. After 4 days it disappeared. But then a few days later, the arm pains returned, sometimes to my shoulder, but not to my pelvis, neck or anywhere else. My CRP was 18.6, sedimentation normal. PCP diagnosed PMR and I will start on prednisone in a day or so. My question is, does PMR get worse--that is, more painful and stiff, progressively, and is it likely to return to my pelvis, or am I lucky to have a relatively mild case? I' very glad I found this helpful group!
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Hi Paul, For most people, on the appropriate dosage of prednisone, PMR symptoms will disappear - or be minimal. Then you will have to lower the dosage of prednisone gradually while managing symptoms. About 30% of people with PMR develop Giant Cell Arteritis, which can cause stroke or blindness, so make sure to ask your doctor what symptoms to be on the lookout for. GCA requires a higher dosage or prednisone, roughly about double the dosage for PMR. Usually if your PMR symptoms increase while you are tapering, the prednisone will be increased, then tapering will be attempted again. It's a balancing act. After taking prednisone for about a year and a half for PMR and GCA, I'm off it now for a few months, with no troubling symptoms (fingers crossed). Good luck!