Anyone diagnosed with PMR after the Covid vaccine?

Posted by mellee @mellee, Feb 28, 2023

I received the Pfizer covid vaccine and had horrible joint pain 8/10 as a side effect. I reported it online. 7 months later I developed horrific joint pain in my shoulders, hips and knees(same pain after the vaccine, but worse). I was ultimately diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica. I wish there was a site to go to and report these things.
I am only 57 and was a runner most of my life up to the age of 51, so I am not in horrible shape for my age. The pain from that PMR was very disabling. I am now on Hydroxychloroquine 200 mg BID and Prednisone 10 mg a day. Not happy about having to take more medications.

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

@mellee

I am so sorry for what you experienced. I would love answers too. They took me off all prednisone for 3 weeks to run lab tests and get accurate results when I went to the Rheumatologist. It was the worst 3 weeks of my life! Like you, I could barely dress and shower myself. I live alone and I just cried every morning getting ready for work. I could barely get in my jeep. I hate it!!!
Prayers for everyone dealing with this mess!!!

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It made a huge difference for me to find a caring and non-conservative approach when testing. Initially, they thought it was Lupus, but now redoing tests because 1st Rheumatologist didn't run what he should have. It takes a while for them to get it right but finding the right fit in a DR/Specialist makes all the difference. The primary care doctor didn't believe the amount of pain I was in and referred me to a pain clinic after taking me off Prednisone after he was told it was not Lupus, although still thought it could be PMR. Since then the PMR came back in full force and the new specialist stated it was a big mistake to take me off of it.

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Had Pfizer booster 12/22 in my right arm and next month began with my pmr symptoms (worst being in right shoulder). I don’t believe in coincidence.

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@tammyholt

I had been dealing with excruciating pain beginning of October 2021. Same as a lot of you, it started in my left upper knee to my hip. I had my first Pfizer vaccination in December of 2020, my booster late January 2021. I started to have mild pain in August of 2021, from there it continued to move from my left side (leg, hip, shoulder, neck, down the left side of my back, my buttocks. In Sept 2021 it began to get worst, from my lower right upper leg, hip, lower back, buttocks and from there up my right shoulder and neck. Several weeks later it hit me with a ton of bricks in both of my upper arms. I could not dress, brush my teeth, wash my hair, body, nor could I put on my clothes. I ended up driving myself at 4:00 am to the ER. They ran all kinds of tests and found my CRP to be at 46.2. My previous blood test for CRP was 29.6. While I was in the ER, I was given 60 mg of prednisone, and a script for 20mg. I was to follow-up with my PCP to get the prednisone lowered to 15mg. I have seen several specialists - Rheumatologist, neurologist, ENT, ortho, and I'm to see a GI doctor next week. I started taking Methotrexate in May of last year, this has helped me to lower the prednisone gradually. It took almost 4 months for the Methotrexate to fully work. Because I was on such a high dose of prednisone for so long, my PCP put in an order for a bone scan. I was 4'11, I am now 4'10! I am still tired all the time; my eyes are very blurry after working several hours in a day, I've seen an eye doctor five times in 13 months. For the longest time they really did not know what I had. Both rheumatologists and neurologists were both stumped. I've had X-Rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and many blood tests, two procedures (EMG needle scan in my right leg, and a muscle biopsy in my left upper leg) I have muscle damage, mostly from prednisone. They just diagnosed me with PMR four months ago. I was a pretty healthy 57-year-old. I have been on intermittent FMLA for the last nine months. Through all this I have had to still work, even with the extreme pain. What is crazy is, I work in an internal medicine office with five physicians, and two nurse practitioners. I do not see any of these physicians as a patient, so in the beginning they didn't know anything about these issues and what to think of it. I had 190.4 vacation hours, over the course of fifteen months I'm down to 30 hours. I have been under a lot of stress for the past six years, my neurologist said this may have contributed to my diagnosis. I was wondering if there were any lawsuits filed against Pfizer, or someone to report this to? I still deal with mild pain, and I am on 5 mg of prednisone, ever since getting on methotrexate the lowest I can go before the pain starts to kick in has pretty much stayed at 5mg. I really want answers, and I really want off all of these meds I am on!

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https://www.vasculitisfoundation.org/mcm_faq/what-is-steroid-myopathy/
When you mentioned your muscle damage from prednisone, I Googled that. I know the majority of everyone on this “Connect” is on Prednisone. I also was on a short regimen when I was going to be entertaining a lot of guests for several days and then tapered off. I have a wonderful doctor who takes into account all my other conditions (severe osteoporosis and glaucoma). She told me I should probably go to a rheumatologist but warned me he will put me on long term prednisone. They will only address what your condition is that pertains to them and will not really care about your other serious medical conditions and how prednisone can cause irreparable damage. I have learned to live with the pain. Walking every day is crucial. The cbg-thc gummies plus melatonin help me sleep. I am alarmed that others who contribute to this blog are not aware about prednisone can be damaging other vital parts of their body. Pain relief is great. I experienced relief from it when I was on it for 3 weeks, but I am not willing to risk other damage it can cause!

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@dontig

Very healthy. I was full of energy - out in the yard everyday. Life is different now. Thankful for prednisone but anxious to taper off of it. Trying to stay active & some light exercise.

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My husband has it too. He also had all of the boosters. He first developed a terrible headache and ER doctor suspected trigeminal neuralgia. He was started on 50 mg of prednisone immediately due to a danger of permanent blindness from that. He had a biopsy of the artery near the eye and ear. When he saw a rheumatologist she also began treatment for PMR.

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I become confused by the concerns over longtime use of prednisone, a concern doctors share with patients, which is positive, but which results in patients foregoing treatment in spite of the reality that quality of life is seriously diminished with PMR. I, for one, would have found life unbearable without prednisone. I take it and assume any sinister changes brought about by its use would be picked up by the regular blood tests I and most pred users get. Mine are every three months but some patients seem to get them every 2. As for for loss of bone density, one can receive regular bone density scans. Of course, I too have been worried about prednisone use and try to steadily decrease my dose, but felt great relief when somebody in this group posted a Mayo Clinic study which concluded there is little difference in longevity/disease outcomes between prednisone users and non users.
I also want to comment on muscular pain patients experience as they reduce pred dose. Maybe some of this pain is NOT PMR related. (My rheumatologist said prednisone reduces pain from other issues as well and I took this to heart) I decided to receive physio treatment for crippling neck pain which began whenever I reduced my pred dose below 7. And this has worked, specifically with heat, massage and neck/shoulder movement exercises.
Ageing causes numerous bodily changes and often these are accompanied by pain. Possibly, PMR sufferers are more sensitized to pain after living (in my case for ten months) with a life altering but undiagnosed condition.

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All do these post are talking about the Pfizer vaccination. But I have the exact same experience and symptoms only I took the Moderna vaccination. I’ve been diagnosed with Sjogerns since taking the booster, but I just don’t feel that that is the correct diagnosis. My symptoms sound way more like the ones discussed here.

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I had the Moderna vaccine. Messing with our mRNA, same as the Pfizer. First shot no problems. Then the booster! Two weeks later I came down with shingles on my back and later on came down with PMR. At the same time as coming down with PMR, I ended up in emergency with my heart pounding and I mean pounding. I could feel my heart shaking in my chest. Over 400 atrial pre-contractions in under 24 hours. The cardiologist diagnosed me with a consistently inconsistent heart beat. Never had anything like that before either. Coincidence? I don’t think so. My heart, in over the year, has mostly settled down to regular heart beats again.
I have to wonder about all those thousands of unexplained ‘extra’ deaths that happened in every country that pushed the altering mRNA vaccines. Are they just acceptable casualties?
In another pandemic I doubt the governments will get the volunteered vaccinations they got from covid. Trust is gone.

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@annsheehan

Had Pfizer booster 12/22 in my right arm and next month began with my pmr symptoms (worst being in right shoulder). I don’t believe in coincidence.

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Hi Annsheehan,
Mine almost exactly the same, with the one exception my pain started immediately after the shot and never improved. Within two months I could hardly walk and have had significant pain in upper body especially shoulders. Prednisone is making a huge difference. I finally found a Rheumatologist that I can trust with my care. She states that it will be 2 years on Prednisone with tapering, with possibility of lifetime use. Mistakenly the first specialist took me off after 3 months then PMR became much worse. I don’t believe in coincidence either. So true about staying strong and advocating for ourselves!❤️

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I experienced my symptoms after a Pfizer booster and diagnosed for PMR 55 days after. I was not sure if there was a correlation and have not found any studies to support that. Is anyone else aware of studies that have found a connection?

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I had a booster in early November 2021 and by late November 2021 I was diagnosed with PMR ... although these days they are not sure what I have ... and it comes with restricted breathing and I can't taper, still at 25 mg a day after all this time. However, I am happy in myself, I dont have a lot of pain, but I did put on 30lbs and I am making getting rid of the extra weight a priority. Until I can be diagnosed, I have accepted this is as good as it gets, and at 73 years old, it will kinda do.
Good luck and I hope you find your solutions soon.

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