How long has PMR lasted - I'm trying to find the average

Posted by shannaam @shannaam, Apr 16, 2022

I've had PMR for just over a year now and I'm trying to reduce the Prednisone as I hate taking pharmaceuticals. Just wondering how long I'm going to have to put up with it! My doctor has said very little as they don't seem to know why people get only to take Prednisone to ease the pain. Also that it can last between 1 & 5 years! Just trying to find out from people who have it or had it - to get an average.

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

@wilmingtonemperor. See my reply above to @tjmjsjwj which I should have addressed to you 🙄

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@hunib33

@wilmingtonemperor. See my reply above to @tjmjsjwj which I should have addressed to you 🙄

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I am blessed to have my doc who has jumped on this like a pit bull. I am his first PMR to get Kevzara. Hopefully come 2024 prednisone is in the rear view mirror and we deal with PMR differently. I have not felt this good since before the diagnosis. No pain, no stiff joints.

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About 2 months ago, after having experienced the serious suffering most or all of you have described, I was diagnosed with PMR. What I read today on our PMR support group, prompted me to offer comment for the first time. I will be 73 years old in 2 months and have been very active physically and eating well for many years. Since joining our PMR group and reading most of what has been shared, I have learned a lot, including the possibility of not having a pleasant future as I get older. Although, still being new at this, it appears that I have an excellent Rheumatologist. He stated me on 30 mg and after 4-5 days my pain was gone and I keep feeling better and stronger. In a few weeks, I will reduce my dosage by 5 mg every week until I get down to 10 mg. I have a phone consultation with my rheumatologist about every 2 weeks. I have a Lab test every month, and in a few months, I will have a bone density test. (all this as per my rheumatologist instruction). Based on what I have read on our PMR support group, including the importance of "good Nutrition" and "exercise", I have decided to focus on this and also to keep a daily log. I have learned that PMR is complicated but I have decided to do my part and everything in my power to get the best result and hopefully continue to enjoy getting older. I also decided that if it does not go as well as I hope, I will accept the outcome and know that I have done my best. I feel optimistic but somewhat nervous, especially the possible negative consequences of lowing the dosage. I used to eat healthy but now, I eat extremely healthy food. I used to drink healthy smoothies every day but now I have 2 large mug of even healthier smoothies every day (Almond milk and/or Chocolate Premier Protein drink, 1 banana, (kale or baby spinach or broccoli), pure Cocoa powder, almond butter, low fat Greek yogurt, Strawberries or blueberries or pineapple, TUMERIC, CHIA SEEDS, FLAXSEEDS), I also drink a lot water with lemon which reduces cholesterol and inflammation, and I also add a little of ginger - I big job each day). I started with walking slowly 6 miles a day and then progressed from there. I now walk 4 miles fast and run 2 miles each day. I also do floor and stretching exercise, and light weight training 5-6 days each week. So far, I have not gained weight and I feel great and seem to feel better and stronger. Of course, based on what I have read, everything can change quickly and I read that the situation and outcome may be different for each person. PS: For me, I take Prednisone only once a day at 7am and I am completely free of pain 24 hours a day. We will see what happens when my dosage will start going down. Sorry for the long email. I hope this helps a little. Thanks for all the information and experiences you share.

JP

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@wilmingtonemperor I wish you all the best and continued good health. Actually the potential side effects of both drugs is enough to scare the bejesus out of anyone! I’m certain my internist knew about kevzara but might have taken into account my medical history, age, prior reactions to drugs, etc. and weighed that into her decision. She made the perfect decision for me.

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@jpst28265

About 2 months ago, after having experienced the serious suffering most or all of you have described, I was diagnosed with PMR. What I read today on our PMR support group, prompted me to offer comment for the first time. I will be 73 years old in 2 months and have been very active physically and eating well for many years. Since joining our PMR group and reading most of what has been shared, I have learned a lot, including the possibility of not having a pleasant future as I get older. Although, still being new at this, it appears that I have an excellent Rheumatologist. He stated me on 30 mg and after 4-5 days my pain was gone and I keep feeling better and stronger. In a few weeks, I will reduce my dosage by 5 mg every week until I get down to 10 mg. I have a phone consultation with my rheumatologist about every 2 weeks. I have a Lab test every month, and in a few months, I will have a bone density test. (all this as per my rheumatologist instruction). Based on what I have read on our PMR support group, including the importance of "good Nutrition" and "exercise", I have decided to focus on this and also to keep a daily log. I have learned that PMR is complicated but I have decided to do my part and everything in my power to get the best result and hopefully continue to enjoy getting older. I also decided that if it does not go as well as I hope, I will accept the outcome and know that I have done my best. I feel optimistic but somewhat nervous, especially the possible negative consequences of lowing the dosage. I used to eat healthy but now, I eat extremely healthy food. I used to drink healthy smoothies every day but now I have 2 large mug of even healthier smoothies every day (Almond milk and/or Chocolate Premier Protein drink, 1 banana, (kale or baby spinach or broccoli), pure Cocoa powder, almond butter, low fat Greek yogurt, Strawberries or blueberries or pineapple, TUMERIC, CHIA SEEDS, FLAXSEEDS), I also drink a lot water with lemon which reduces cholesterol and inflammation, and I also add a little of ginger - I big job each day). I started with walking slowly 6 miles a day and then progressed from there. I now walk 4 miles fast and run 2 miles each day. I also do floor and stretching exercise, and light weight training 5-6 days each week. So far, I have not gained weight and I feel great and seem to feel better and stronger. Of course, based on what I have read, everything can change quickly and I read that the situation and outcome may be different for each person. PS: For me, I take Prednisone only once a day at 7am and I am completely free of pain 24 hours a day. We will see what happens when my dosage will start going down. Sorry for the long email. I hope this helps a little. Thanks for all the information and experiences you share.

JP

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Correction from my last comment. My rheumatologist started me on 30 mgs and in a few weeks, I will lower the dosage by 5 mgs each week, until I get down to 10 mgs. Then we will reevaluate.

JP

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Great informative string. I was diagnosed with PMR about a year ago. Like most on this thread, it hit me hard. I started at 20 mg and slowly tapered down to 5 mg - then monthly down to, 4 mg, 3 mg and now at 2 mg for the month of December. I'm a 59 yr old male, athlete (skiing, mtn biking, hiking) still feeling some stiffness every am, I exercise almost daily, and while the Prednisone is a savior, I want to get off it! My PA was great and conferred with a Rheumatologist via proxy for advice. Be well everyone. Keep moving and stay positive!!

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I do believe that boosting your immune system through diet can be beneficial in fighting this disease, and I focus a lot on my gut microbiome by eating a whole foods, primarily plant-based, organic diet. I happen to be a registered dietitian and my symptoms were so mild that it took 4 months to diagnose. I never had any inflammatory markers and I only hurt when I was laying in bed! I do believe that my second Pfyzer vaccination was what sparked it to begin with. It took me about a year to wean off of a 10 mg. dose and it flared back up after I got COVID, but was able to wean off of a 2-mg. dose within a few months. Good luck to you!

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@jpst28265

About 2 months ago, after having experienced the serious suffering most or all of you have described, I was diagnosed with PMR. What I read today on our PMR support group, prompted me to offer comment for the first time. I will be 73 years old in 2 months and have been very active physically and eating well for many years. Since joining our PMR group and reading most of what has been shared, I have learned a lot, including the possibility of not having a pleasant future as I get older. Although, still being new at this, it appears that I have an excellent Rheumatologist. He stated me on 30 mg and after 4-5 days my pain was gone and I keep feeling better and stronger. In a few weeks, I will reduce my dosage by 5 mg every week until I get down to 10 mg. I have a phone consultation with my rheumatologist about every 2 weeks. I have a Lab test every month, and in a few months, I will have a bone density test. (all this as per my rheumatologist instruction). Based on what I have read on our PMR support group, including the importance of "good Nutrition" and "exercise", I have decided to focus on this and also to keep a daily log. I have learned that PMR is complicated but I have decided to do my part and everything in my power to get the best result and hopefully continue to enjoy getting older. I also decided that if it does not go as well as I hope, I will accept the outcome and know that I have done my best. I feel optimistic but somewhat nervous, especially the possible negative consequences of lowing the dosage. I used to eat healthy but now, I eat extremely healthy food. I used to drink healthy smoothies every day but now I have 2 large mug of even healthier smoothies every day (Almond milk and/or Chocolate Premier Protein drink, 1 banana, (kale or baby spinach or broccoli), pure Cocoa powder, almond butter, low fat Greek yogurt, Strawberries or blueberries or pineapple, TUMERIC, CHIA SEEDS, FLAXSEEDS), I also drink a lot water with lemon which reduces cholesterol and inflammation, and I also add a little of ginger - I big job each day). I started with walking slowly 6 miles a day and then progressed from there. I now walk 4 miles fast and run 2 miles each day. I also do floor and stretching exercise, and light weight training 5-6 days each week. So far, I have not gained weight and I feel great and seem to feel better and stronger. Of course, based on what I have read, everything can change quickly and I read that the situation and outcome may be different for each person. PS: For me, I take Prednisone only once a day at 7am and I am completely free of pain 24 hours a day. We will see what happens when my dosage will start going down. Sorry for the long email. I hope this helps a little. Thanks for all the information and experiences you share.

JP

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We're all doing our best to maintain good health. Have you investigated oxalates which can cause an arthritic reaction in some people? Before my PMR diagnosis I realised my new "healthy" diet was extremely high in oxalates from the "superfoods" I was eating.

Very high in oxalates are baby spinach & swiss chard, beetroot, almonds, turmeric, cocoa, most nuts, whole grains, hydrolysed collagen, etc. These were all things I was eating in fairly large amounts before getting PMR. Oxalates bind to calcium which reduces its absorption and can cause kidney stones in some people. They can also cause calcium-oxalate crystals in joints and the tissue surrounding them, causing an inflammatory response.

If you haven't investigated oxalates & lectins (anti-nutrients) and the foods that are highest in them, it may be worth a look.

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@tjmjsjwj

That is incredible! Did you change your diet over the course of the 9 months?

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I eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly, so I didn’t have to change that aspect of my life.

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@bradninchgirl

Been on prednisone for 4 years and about to come off. I have been reluctant to cut back and come off if the med. as I can't really believe PMR is coming to an end.

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3 years an.d on prednisone 10 ,got down to 5 once for awhile. I have not found any alternative treatments

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