1. < Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)

Can PMR (Polymyalgia Rheumatica) be induced by vaccine?

Posted by kristem2020 @kristem2020, Jan 2, 2021

Good evening, I’ve recently been diagnosed with PMR. It came on a week after my flu shot October 23, 2020.

Has anyone experienced the same diagnosis after a flu shot?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Support Group.

Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Jan 26, 2023
In reply to @tracykarran "Hello, my diagnosis came right after my second Moderna shot in 2021. Been a long journey..." + (show)
@tracykarran

Hello, my diagnosis came right after my second Moderna shot in 2021. Been a long journey since then. Was also diagnosed with giant cell arteritis after biopsy. I am still currently on prednisone but still am experiencing pain every day and looking forward to getting to my doctor to see what the next step could be. Would welcome any comments and sharing. I had never had any pain like this in my life until after the vaccine. I am 67 years old

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Hi @tracykarran, You might find the following discussions helpful since you mentioned being diagnosed with GCA and you still have pain with your current treatment.

-- GCA (Giant Cell Arteritis) and PMR (polymyalgia rheumatica):
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/temporal-arteritis-1/
-- Educational Conferences for PMR/GCA?:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/educational-conference/

REPLY
gingerraspiller | @gingerraspiller | Jan 26, 2023

I am 64 and was diagnosed with PMR after my 4th shot which was Moderna (previous 3 shots were Pfizer). I later learned that Moderna 3 times the mRNA as Pfizer (100 micrograms vs. 30 micrograms). That may provide more protection but it may have been too much for me and resulted in my PMR.
My doctor agrees, no further Covid vaccines until we get PMR under control. You can report adverse vaccine effects to the government at https://vaers.hhs.gov/. I did. I feel like the data is important.

REPLY
1 reply
alexmemphis | @alexmemphis | Jan 27, 2023
In reply to @julesonthebeach "I'm not permitted to post links here. I googled PMR and Covid-19 vaccine. One article from..." + (show)
@julesonthebeach

I'm not permitted to post links here. I googled PMR and Covid-19 vaccine. One article from ncbi dot nim dot nih dot gov states it's an uncommon side effect. I'll look for the second article which stated it was now common. Try googling PMR, the vaccine and recent studies.

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Thanks!

REPLY
1 reply
julesonthebeach | @julesonthebeach | Jan 28, 2023
In reply to @tracykarran "Hello, my diagnosis came right after my second Moderna shot in 2021. Been a long journey..." + (show)
@tracykarran

Hello, my diagnosis came right after my second Moderna shot in 2021. Been a long journey since then. Was also diagnosed with giant cell arteritis after biopsy. I am still currently on prednisone but still am experiencing pain every day and looking forward to getting to my doctor to see what the next step could be. Would welcome any comments and sharing. I had never had any pain like this in my life until after the vaccine. I am 67 years old

Jump to this post

I'm sixty years old. In addition to PMR I also have Sjögren's. I'm taking 20 mg of prednisone daily for the PMR. After several weeks at full dose, I was instructed to reduce it by 5 mg but I deteriorated drastically within a short period of time. I've resumed taking 20 mg of prednisone daily and I'm on my second week of methotrexate injections (16 mg). I still experience pain and limited movement but I'm looking forward to seeing improvement with the shots. So far, I've had no side effects from them. I was very reluctant to take it but really had no choice if I wanted to function better. It was a good choice for me. Another positive note is that, if the methotrexate shots work well, I'll be able to stop taking the hydroxychloroquine (plaquenil) I take for RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis).

REPLY
2 replies
julesonthebeach | @julesonthebeach | Jan 28, 2023
In reply to @julesonthebeach "I'm sixty years old. In addition to PMR I also have Sjögren's. I'm taking 20 mg..." + (show)
@julesonthebeach

I'm sixty years old. In addition to PMR I also have Sjögren's. I'm taking 20 mg of prednisone daily for the PMR. After several weeks at full dose, I was instructed to reduce it by 5 mg but I deteriorated drastically within a short period of time. I've resumed taking 20 mg of prednisone daily and I'm on my second week of methotrexate injections (16 mg). I still experience pain and limited movement but I'm looking forward to seeing improvement with the shots. So far, I've had no side effects from them. I was very reluctant to take it but really had no choice if I wanted to function better. It was a good choice for me. Another positive note is that, if the methotrexate shots work well, I'll be able to stop taking the hydroxychloroquine (plaquenil) I take for RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis).

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I'm taking 25 mg methotrexate weekly not 16 mg as I stated in the post above.
I time my injections so any nausea occurs in the night while I'm sleeping. The first time I did it at 6 p.m. The second I did earlier in the day at 11:30 a.m. I woke up briefly last night with nausea but immediately fell back to sleep.

REPLY
milld835 | @milld835 | Jan 29, 2023
In reply to @julesonthebeach "I'm sixty years old. In addition to PMR I also have Sjögren's. I'm taking 20 mg..." + (show)
@julesonthebeach

I'm sixty years old. In addition to PMR I also have Sjögren's. I'm taking 20 mg of prednisone daily for the PMR. After several weeks at full dose, I was instructed to reduce it by 5 mg but I deteriorated drastically within a short period of time. I've resumed taking 20 mg of prednisone daily and I'm on my second week of methotrexate injections (16 mg). I still experience pain and limited movement but I'm looking forward to seeing improvement with the shots. So far, I've had no side effects from them. I was very reluctant to take it but really had no choice if I wanted to function better. It was a good choice for me. Another positive note is that, if the methotrexate shots work well, I'll be able to stop taking the hydroxychloroquine (plaquenil) I take for RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis).

Jump to this post

I was diagnosed with PMR in Jan. 2022 and put on 20 mgs. of Pred. It has been my experience that .5 (not 5) mg reduction at a time is more than enough. 5 mg. is too much and that's why you're experiencing the pain (again). I have not been offered methotrexate - yet. There is no race to the finish for tapering, go by what your body is telling you. Over the last few weeks I was down to 14 mg. but last weekend experienced much head pressure, jaw pain and some eye involvement and went to ER. After the resident spoke with the Rheumatologist on call, I was put up to 60 mg. Pred and now being tested for GCA (possible biopsy on Wednesday next, but since I've been on Prednisone for this long, it may not be a good result (not show much). I wish you well on this "journey", but slow down the tapering (lack of pain and quality of life also count). Know that you're not alone and keep in touch with this support group and also healthunlocked.com/PMRGCAuk (another extremely helpful support group).

REPLY
1 reply
julesonthebeach | @julesonthebeach | Jan 29, 2023
In reply to @milld835 "I was diagnosed with PMR in Jan. 2022 and put on 20 mgs. of Pred. It..." + (show)
@milld835

I was diagnosed with PMR in Jan. 2022 and put on 20 mgs. of Pred. It has been my experience that .5 (not 5) mg reduction at a time is more than enough. 5 mg. is too much and that's why you're experiencing the pain (again). I have not been offered methotrexate - yet. There is no race to the finish for tapering, go by what your body is telling you. Over the last few weeks I was down to 14 mg. but last weekend experienced much head pressure, jaw pain and some eye involvement and went to ER. After the resident spoke with the Rheumatologist on call, I was put up to 60 mg. Pred and now being tested for GCA (possible biopsy on Wednesday next, but since I've been on Prednisone for this long, it may not be a good result (not show much). I wish you well on this "journey", but slow down the tapering (lack of pain and quality of life also count). Know that you're not alone and keep in touch with this support group and also healthunlocked.com/PMRGCAuk (another extremely helpful support group).

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Thank you so very much for your comments! They're very helpful and truly appreciated.
I have a lot to learn on this journey.
I've noticed my family doctor isn't concerned about my symptoms as much now because my CRP went from high eighties to twenty. I've discovered you can't ignore symptoms though. Quality of life is important. I need to learn how to communicate my needs better. I haven't addressed many of the issues I have because it's very time consuming and they are more so related to Sjögren's. I also have symptoms of GCA but not enough to warrant action yet. I'm keeping a bit of a journal and note if something is problematic.
I will discuss the tapering of prednisone with my rheumatologist at my next appointment. I think your method would be far better for me.
I will look at the other group as well. It is helpful and encouraging to know others understand what I'm experiencing with PMR. I can't thank you enough for making the time and effort to respond to my post.

REPLY
lizferrier | @lizferrier | Jan 30, 2023
In reply to @gingerraspiller "I am 64 and was diagnosed with PMR after my 4th shot which was Moderna (previous..." + (show)
@gingerraspiller

I am 64 and was diagnosed with PMR after my 4th shot which was Moderna (previous 3 shots were Pfizer). I later learned that Moderna 3 times the mRNA as Pfizer (100 micrograms vs. 30 micrograms). That may provide more protection but it may have been too much for me and resulted in my PMR.
My doctor agrees, no further Covid vaccines until we get PMR under control. You can report adverse vaccine effects to the government at https://vaers.hhs.gov/. I did. I feel like the data is important.

Jump to this post

Last year I suddenly developed debilitating and painful symptoms - later diagnosed as PMR- after my fourth covid vaccine (Moderna). Possibly had the vaccine too soon after getting covid19 - a few weeks. It was a dramatic change - from fit and active life, to stiffness and v limited mobility. Symptoms managed now with prednisone & trying to taper off gradually. Good luck with your condition.

REPLY
1 reply
lizferrier | @lizferrier | Jan 30, 2023

Have found some articles on links between covid19 vaccine and PMR- some mention that flu vaccines can also be trigger. Can’t find the one that mentions flu but this one discusses covid vaccine reaction. https://www.cureus.com/articles/100523-an-unusual-side-effect-of-the-covid-19-vaccine-a-possible-trigger-of-polymyalgia-rheumatica

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