← Return to Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR): Meet others & Share Your Story

Discussion
Comment receiving replies
@jlg75

Looks like PMR might be the journey I’m on. I was an active 75 year old in the spring but about the first of June I noticed tingling in my legs and slight pain behind my right knee. By the middle of July the tingling, and now leg pain on both legs increased. A fall on my back, because right leg gave out, sure concerned me but I continued mild slow exercises to help back, maybe legs. By the end of July, pain moving over buttocks and up my back, difficulty sleeping because of pain behind knees and behind thighs, prompted appt to primary care doctor. He ordered blood tests, told me to take Aleve for pain and we would look at results the next week. By the following week pain increasing, difficult walking. I contacted my biological sister (I’m adopted) who said our mother had Lupus and Rheumatoid arthritis and could hardly walk. She died at 75 about 50 years ago. My tests showed normal SED number, blood in urine a concern, but nothing else too abnormal. I questioned the statin I’m on, doctor felt this wasn’t cause. A CD of back ordered, but results were kind of dismissed as cause. I asked for a Lyme disease test which was negative. I think my doctor is ready to pass me on to another source but did order an MRI (scheduled for today) a neurology appointment. EMG test of nerves and the questions remain. It was our daughter who suggested looking at PMR, never heard of it, happy to have found this site and any suggestions because it sure sounds like what is going on. I don’t want to undermine my doctor but I feel I have to advocate for myself. I know I’m not alone, many folks on difficult journeys, but this came on pretty fast so have lots of questions and few answers.

Jump to this post


Replies to "Looks like PMR might be the journey I’m on. I was an active 75 year old..."

Hello @jlg75, Welcome to Connect. I'm not a doctor and have no medical training but I have had 2 occurrences of PMR and for both my pain was all over my body and not just in the legs and lower back. I had issues walking also. Had to use a wheelchair for my rheumatology appointment when I was first diagnosed with PMR. There are a lot of conditions that mimic PMR. Hopefully you will learn more after your MRI and neurology appointment. I think spinal nerve compression can also cause lower back pain along with some of the symptoms you describe. It's good to hear that you are advocating for your own health. We are our best advocate,.

Have you thought about seeing a rheumatologist who normally have a lot more experience with what ails us old folks?