Admitted to hospital after a fall. How do I ensure PMR awareness?

You need the rheumatologist to be on board. Probably need to up the pred I would think. I recently had a hard fall. I’m in year 2 of PMR. I fortunately didn’t break anything which I was worried about. You must get the rheumatologist involved. PMR is no joke and your hospital stay needs to help you. Good luck and feel better.

I also had a fall 2 summers ago, hit the concrete hard, went to the ER, had X-Rays, nothing broken, luckily just badly scraped.
Is your rheumatologist on staff at this hospital? I would messague/call my rheumatologist personally for advice. Usually Dr offices have a care team member/ nurse who should respond. Maybe 8mg was not enough to handle the flare if there was only "some" improvement. I went up to 10mg once or twice because of a flare. Getting below 6/7mg prednisone can be tricky.
I am so sorry for your situation and hope relief from the fall soreness comes quickly. I hope a consult with your rheumatologist is possible.

Does your rheumatologist know you're in the hospital? You need to reach out and let them know. Reach out to the hospital administrator if necessary. There should be someone who can advocate for you within the hospital or you will have to do it yourself. I would be the most uncooperative patient they ever saw if they denied me my PMR meds, probably burning out the display at the nurses station in the process with my little help button.

I just wanted to mention that when I found out I would be taking prednisone for PMR I bought a medical alert bracelet that says I am taking prednisone. I ordered one from Esty. They have tons of different types.

@gigilea
Really good idea!

I think I would contact your Rheumatologist and see if he can get involved with your care.
I am new to this and this makes me think I should wear a medical bracelet. I am on two meds that an ergent hospital visit wouldn't know of what I am taking.

@terryartist How are you now?

I'm speaking from experience. Five weeks after I started Prednisone for PMR (40mg/day, split into 12 hour doses of 20) I went to the ER with a blood clot (DVT) from my ankle to my groin, on a Saturday afternoon. I didn’t have a rheumatologist, just a PCP. I knew he’d be out of pocket until Monday. I just kept telling them Polymyalgia Rheumatica a lot.

I let them know that I had Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) over-and-over. They seemed hesitant to let me have it but they could see it in my list of medications in MyChart. Still I had to keep repeating myself again and again to make sure I got it for the five (5) days I was in the hospital and put in Heparin followed by Eliquis.

I said the whole thing followed by the acronym PMR. I made the attendants learn it and how to say it. You have to be your own advocate.

And, as the others have said, get your doctors involved. PCP and rheumatologist.

Best wishes. Keep us updated.

It may not help you but I was in the process of tapering from 15 mg prednisolone for PMR last week and had to rescue our cat up a tree. I slipped off a ladder fell 2 m and damaged my spine. Closed fracture of one lumbar vertebra. I had already been waiting for a DEXA scan for weeks. Now on strong painkillers 50/300 so I have no clue about my PMR status. Life can be a b1tch. I am 81, in the uk and want to emigrate but where to ?

How to get an PMR Alert Card https://pmrgca.org.uk/steroid-emergency-card/. See photo attached. Card size to put in wallet.
In UK you can also get from the GP

@bettebaldwin
I have a medical necklace that has my name, meds, conditions, allergies and my wife's contact number engraved on it. It was very inexpensive on Amazon.