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PMR Dosages and Managing Symptoms
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Jun 1 1:21pm | Replies (445)Comment receiving replies
I find your post very interesting since I was first diagnosed with PMR and then diagnosis was changed to inflammatory polyarthritis by my rheumatologist. I question this new diagnosis and suspect the arthritis is related to PMR. I continue to have muscle aches whenever I am still for even moments, and the arthritis in my hands is very frustrating. The muscle aches go away with movement, but my hands are swollen and hurt most of the time, especially in the morning. I am down to 3.5 mg of prednisone and am on hydroxychloroquine. I am not sure the hydroxychloroquine is helping the arthritis as my hands don't feel functional until the prednisone kicks in.
I have not been drinking any alcohol since my diagnosis in April of 2022 and do miss an occasional glass of wine with a nice dinner. However, I want the meds to work as well as possible so have made the decision not to drink.
I feel that I shouldn't continue to post on the PMR site, since my diagnosis has changed, but I still find help with the tapering and find the arthritis in the hands with many PMR folks interesting even if my rheumatologist thinks it's a totally separate issue.
One rheumatologist told me the muscle aches are not PMR as the aches would not go away in just a few minutes if it was PMR. It would instead take 45 minutes. Would love to hear comments from all of you, and thanks so much for sharing your journey.
Replies to "I find your post very interesting since I was first diagnosed with PMR and then diagnosis..."
Thanks for your reply I'm waiting for a phone call this morning from my doctor
The last 4 weeks have been a nightmare for me the pain has returned with a vengeance and I can't take it any more 1 day last week I actually and not ashamed to say broke down and cried the pain was that bad my wife feels tottaly useless through no fault of hers she tries to help me but unless you've experienced this condition it hard to appreciate the pain I'm in I'm now at the stage of breaking point and I'm hoping they will send me to see a neurologist and hopefully a scan to see what's going on inside my body I've gone back over 6 months back to square 1 I just need to get it sorted what really helps me is I'm now able to talk to people who have been in my position have to see what the doctor says today thank you again for getting touch it means a lot
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It doesn't have to be one or the other ... it can be both.
I was diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis at the age of 32. PMR was added on at the age of 52. My rheumatologist was quite certain about the PMR diagnosis however, having both inflammatory arthritis and PMR does confuse things. There are many people with both. Having one autoimmune disorder increases the risk of having another one.
I took prednisone for 12 years for PMR. Prednisone works well for inflammatory arthritis too. I think there are people diagnosed with PMR who actually have inflammatory arthritis and vice versa. Having both is possible too.