Hi @cindyjane and @richardab, PMR and GCA are autoimmune disorders with genetic markers that afflict, most often, those over 50. People with Northern European ancestry, especially Scandanavians, have highest rates of it, and the incidence in the population is about 50 in 200,000 (Cecil and Goldman's Textbook of Medicine). My maternal aunt had it. Our background is largely Southern European, but who knows what our ancestors were up to years ago? My mother in law, predominantly English ancestry, also had Giant Cell Arteritis. With autoimmune diseases, an injury or illness triggers the immune system to go into overdrive and attack other parts of the body. For me, it was an ankle injury, for my aunt, a back injury, and my mother-in-law came down with it after an especially long road trip and family reunion (stress, perhaps?). Please don't beat yourself up over this. Before my diagnosis, I spent a year listening to a podcast about fibromyalgia and tried to love myself more. It didn't help, but prednisone did. I agree with @mary4 who asked you if your prednisone is at a sufficiently high dosage because PMR is usually very responsive to Prednisone. Do you have any headache, tender scalp, difficulties seeing? Giant Cell Arteritis requires a higher dosage of Prednisone. Also, sometimes PMR can be mistaken for an infection, connective tissue disorder, hypothyroidism, or malignancy so if your current dosage of Prednisone isn't really working for you, best to let your doctor know. I hope you see a good Rheumatologist. I was able to get down from 40 mg Prednisone to 0 in a year and a half, with no flareups so far. FYI, everything I've read states not to mix NSAIDs with prednisone. I was told to take tylenol or acetaminophen, two 325 mg pills for pain. I wish you the best.

@cindyjane, the theory linking PMR to "not loving yourself enough" is curious. I worry that it blames the patient for his or her disease. The very fact that you seek help suggests you care very much for yourself. Good start, it seems to me. This illness provides lots of opportunities for reflection on ways in which we can care for ourselves. I wish you the best.

Hi, Cindy. No victim blaming here. Remove that site from your list of resources, and you'll feel better immediately! If you can, keep moving and doing the things that you love. Get out into nature if you can. There are links in this forum to diet-related suggestions. On NPR website yesterday, I saw an article about self-care that starts with 5 words "What do I need now? - might be a cup of tea, night be a walk, might be yoga, might be a nap. All of these are wonderful. Good luck.

Hi cindyjane, I have been dealing with PMR for 16 months and am now down to 2 mg of Prednisone. I am 75 and have never been ill in my life so to cope with it mentally has been a challenge. On the other hand, why not me? I have learned that in order to get as much out of this changed life as I can, I have to put myself first. When I have a bad day, I just do the things I have the energy for and usually in the afternoon when the stiffness has abated. I enjoy and allow for those naps and realize it's my body's way of recuperating. Let your family and friends know that there are days when you need help, I used to be the friend who picked everyone up and did all the driving to parts near and far. Now I step back and allow others to spoil me a bit. Be kind to yourself. Keep reaching out to the wonderful people on this forum because you are certainly not alone.