PMR symptom flare from a head cold

Posted by lizward46 @lizward46, Dec 24, 2023

I have been on prednisone (started at 30mg) since May and now have tapered to 5mg with no issues. This week Santa has brought me a nasty head cold and one of my PMR symptoms (a bilateral stiff neck) has returned. I am wondering if this is my immune system out of wack trying to deal with the cold virus or maybe just a flare from tapering. I have been on 5mg for three weeks with no problems. Thanks for any insights and Happy Holidays to all. Let’s hope 2024 will be a happy, healthy year. Liz Ward

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John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Dec 24, 2023

Hi Liz, I hope your head cold's visit is a really short one. It's a bummer to get a head cold during the holidays (or actually anytime!). I think a stiff neck can be one of the symptoms.

"In general, cold and flu viruses tend to make your muscles achy and sore. There also are several lymph nodes (also called glands) in the neck that can become swollen and tender with illness. Swollen lymph nodes can make your neck feel stiff. They may even become so swollen that they feel like lumps in your neck."
--- Is It Normal to Feel Neck Pain With a Cold?
https://www.verywellhealth.com/can-coming-down-with-a-cold-or-the-flu-cause-neck-pain-1192207

katejaha | @katejaha | Dec 25, 2023

I would hang in there staying on the 5 mg ( I’m tapered to 4 mg 3 weeks) until the cold goes away. If the neck doesn’t get better then up your prednisone by 1 mg maybe. Just a thought based on past experience. Merry Christmas!

nyxygirl | @nyxygirl | Dec 27, 2023

@lizward46 greetings Liz and all the PMR-crowd !
Liz-you and I have SO many PMR-similarities - it is uncanny !
I had a return of cough/cold during the week of Thanksgiving -At this time I was tapering from 7mg to 6mg.
- Then I noticed bilateral shoulder pain going into the upper arms(Nov26). This was distinct from the initial onset pain/stiffness of PMR-except on the day that I didn't want to raise my arms above my head ! So even tho' I had a normal -range CRP and ESR ( Nov 29) I decided to increase my Prednisone to 8mg (Dec2) and began a 0.5mg/5day taper.
So a few additional comments :
1)My last week at work was Dec 11 to 15 -- I have a history of cervical spine issues - my thought was to tease apart stress induced neck tightening from an active PMR flare.
2) have you tested for Covid ? Both my husband and I finally got Covid the week before Christmas !

I was rather distracted by the covid-positive-test when I spoke to my Rheumatologist on Dec 20th - I would say that strictly because of the normal CRP/ESR she has ruled out a flare-up. I am going to resume tapering by 0.5mg/3weeks. But even now - I still wake up with the bilateral shoulder pain , I take my Prednisone and certainly later in the morning I have no more complaints of that pain -- a time course that is WAY too similar to PMR morning-stiffness in my opinion and not the way cervical -nerve issues have felt in the past!

SO if your pain continues - I would recommend the blood work ( I have open order to have blood drawn and tested from the Rheum office) and keep good records of the duration ,intensity etc.

Ditto for a Happy 2024 - or as we are saying here in NE Patriot's nation "have a A Zappy new year ! -- nyxygirl( Maria)