A month into my diagnosis with PMR

@edinnola That photo is really funny - I gauged how well i was doing in morning by the time it took to be able to put hair in a ponytail !! - I thought you might like to see the conversation i started when i first joined this group ! Cheers .
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/can-we-make-pmr-funny-can-we-fight-the-immune-cells-involved/?commentsorder=newest#chv4-comment-stream-header
ALso - you might like to read the way others described the pain and stiffness see attached

Ticks are a problem where we live. We are treating the area around the house with ecological granules to eliminate ticks etc. It's made by Jonathan Green. You need a stretch of good weather because rain will negate the effects. We treated the yard a couple times this summer.
If I were you, I would ask my Dr to order a Lyme test just to be sure I was not exposed to tick borne diseases.

Thanks for the suggestion, pmrsuzie, I'll check out the Jonathan Green granules. Currently we put out tick tubes, cotton batten treated with permethrin, that the rodents use for bedding. At least it cuts down the number of ticks that make it past larval stage, though the deer are always around adding new adults every year. I have had Lyme disease and Babesiosis co-infection so know about the dangers and get a tick panel of tests whenever I have an encounter and show symptoms (and also send the tick in for testing). Those diseases aged me about 10 years according to my wife so I don't take any chances of a repeat.

Had all the major vaccines this fall, one week apart (but I think the advice others have given of 2 weeks apart is a good idea). Nothing but a sore arm, so that is good. Bottom line, it seems anything can trigger the attack or flare. Vaccine or virus, doesn’t matter. So look at your risk factors and ability to tolerate one or the other. For me, I still work part-time in a hospital and am 3 weeks away from my son’s wedding. Keeping fingers crossed I don’t get sick and I’m willing to tolerate the painful mornings (a positive that I can still dress myself, which I couldn’t when it first hit) to keep from being sick and unable to attend the wedding.

I hear you. RN as well-just retired. Active climbing dunes, paddle boarding, walking etc…basically one day went from age 60 to 90. I have had this for 1.5 yes now. Have never been pain free. Up and down on Pred. On Mtx. Just started Kevzara. I’m praying this will help. This is a good venue to know you are not alone.

I hear you - I am an active 68 year old male - my PMR started this September in my hips and groin area then about a week later to my shoulders. I went to my doctor who prescribed Naproxen and Flexiril plus a blood test. My inflammation marker were up as expected but my hemoglobin was down ( we are still not sure why as a recent June blood test had it at excellent) well the naproxen and Flexiril helped - numbing the pain - sleep was almost impossible. I suffered through the term of that prescription and in my own research I went back to my Doctor to ask if it was PMR - he wasn’t convinced but put me on 10mg of Prednisone for 30 days - well 8 days in I called and told him it’s not working so he suggested I try 15 mg for a few days - there was a bit of improvement but still I could not put on a shirt or coat- I had to think about getting up from a sitting position. So he was without an answer - he ordered more blood tests - and put me at 50mg a day . Today is day one - I can finally put a coat on and raise my arms above my head. It took 4 hours to kick in. I read that every person reacts to prednisone differently- my dose is considered high - I don’t know if I will sleep tonight? But I hope so. Tomorrow will be another day - hopefully pain free for the first time since September.
But yes anyone reading this PMR effects people differently some more severe than others- my hope with my high dose that my bout with burn itself out within a year, though I know it can last six years. Cheer

If my case was any indication, PMR can last longer than 6 years ... more like 12 years for me. The majority of people are able to taper off prednisone in 1-2 years. There are a significant number of people who take prednisone for a longer period of time.

I actually lost hope that I would ever be able to taper off prednisone. Some people argued that it was all about quality of life and I should continue taking prednisone.

I would encourage people to taper off prednisone as soon as they can. My "long term" treatment didn't improve my quality of life. It was one "prednisone related" medical complication after another after my first couple of years of treatment with prednisone.

I fit into the profile described in the following link.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4844628/
Furthermore, tocilizumab therapy was tried after 12 years of PMR and I was off prednisone a year later. I'm still doing tocilizumab infusions every 4 weeks.

PMR seems to be in remission. Many of my prednisone related complications have resolved or improved given how many other medications I have been able to stop taking.