Anyone diagnosed with PMR after the Pfizer vaccine?

Posted by mellee @mellee, Feb 28, 2023

I received the Pfizer covid vaccine and had horrible joint pain 8/10 as a side effect. I reported it online. 7 months later I developed horrific joint pain in my shoulders, hips and knees(same pain after the vaccine, but worse). I was ultimately diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica. I wish there was a site to go to and report these things.
I am only 57 and was a runner most of my life up to the age of 51, so I am not in horrible shape for my age. The pain from that PMR was very disabling. I am now on Hydroxychloroquine 200 mg BID and Prednisone 10 mg a day. Not happy about having to take more medications.

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

@tammyholt

I had been dealing with excruciating pain beginning of October 2021. Same as a lot of you, it started in my left upper knee to my hip. I had my first Pfizer vaccination in December of 2020, my booster late January 2021. I started to have mild pain in August of 2021, from there it continued to move from my left side (leg, hip, shoulder, neck, down the left side of my back, my buttocks. In Sept 2021 it began to get worst, from my lower right upper leg, hip, lower back, buttocks and from there up my right shoulder and neck. Several weeks later it hit me with a ton of bricks in both of my upper arms. I could not dress, brush my teeth, wash my hair, body, nor could I put on my clothes. I ended up driving myself at 4:00 am to the ER. They ran all kinds of tests and found my CRP to be at 46.2. My previous blood test for CRP was 29.6. While I was in the ER, I was given 60 mg of prednisone, and a script for 20mg. I was to follow-up with my PCP to get the prednisone lowered to 15mg. I have seen several specialists - Rheumatologist, neurologist, ENT, ortho, and I'm to see a GI doctor next week. I started taking Methotrexate in May of last year, this has helped me to lower the prednisone gradually. It took almost 4 months for the Methotrexate to fully work. Because I was on such a high dose of prednisone for so long, my PCP put in an order for a bone scan. I was 4'11, I am now 4'10! I am still tired all the time; my eyes are very blurry after working several hours in a day, I've seen an eye doctor five times in 13 months. For the longest time they really did not know what I had. Both rheumatologists and neurologists were both stumped. I've had X-Rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and many blood tests, two procedures (EMG needle scan in my right leg, and a muscle biopsy in my left upper leg) I have muscle damage, mostly from prednisone. They just diagnosed me with PMR four months ago. I was a pretty healthy 57-year-old. I have been on intermittent FMLA for the last nine months. Through all this I have had to still work, even with the extreme pain. What is crazy is, I work in an internal medicine office with five physicians, and two nurse practitioners. I do not see any of these physicians as a patient, so in the beginning they didn't know anything about these issues and what to think of it. I had 190.4 vacation hours, over the course of fifteen months I'm down to 30 hours. I have been under a lot of stress for the past six years, my neurologist said this may have contributed to my diagnosis. I was wondering if there were any lawsuits filed against Pfizer, or someone to report this to? I still deal with mild pain, and I am on 5 mg of prednisone, ever since getting on methotrexate the lowest I can go before the pain starts to kick in has pretty much stayed at 5mg. I really want answers, and I really want off all of these meds I am on!

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I am so sorry for what you experienced. I would love answers too. They took me off all prednisone for 3 weeks to run lab tests and get accurate results when I went to the Rheumatologist. It was the worst 3 weeks of my life! Like you, I could barely dress and shower myself. I live alone and I just cried every morning getting ready for work. I could barely get in my jeep. I hate it!!!
Prayers for everyone dealing with this mess!!!

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@dontig

After 2 initial Pfizer shots in March 2021, experienced fatigue, myalgia, balance issues, leg rash, ringing in ears, mass in shoulder above injection site. Pfizer booster on Dec 28,2021. Increasing arm/shoulder and pelvic girdle pain till hardly able to stand and unable dress myself. 3 Urgent Care visits for prednisone
taper packs. Presently trying to lower inflammation markers with 10 mg prednisone & plaquenil after 15 month journey with several flares.

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Did you have any of this prior to your jabs? Do you know if you had Covid before the jabs? I had shingles in Nov of 2019, and two months later I had covid - that lasted about 3-4 weeks of a dry cough. I was again sick in late Feb of 2020. It is just so sad this has happened to so many people! Thank you for your reply...

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@tammyholt

Did you have any of this prior to your jabs? Do you know if you had Covid before the jabs? I had shingles in Nov of 2019, and two months later I had covid - that lasted about 3-4 weeks of a dry cough. I was again sick in late Feb of 2020. It is just so sad this has happened to so many people! Thank you for your reply...

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Very healthy. I was full of energy - out in the yard everyday. Life is different now. Thankful for prednisone but anxious to taper off of it. Trying to stay active & some light exercise.

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@pst

My PMR symptoms began after my last vaccination of Moderna. Cramping I couldn't explain; feeling tired and as though there was some weird layer separating me from reality. Blurry vision, dizziness. Hard to concentrate.
It started probably 3 or four weeks after the vaccination but I made no connection between that and the way i was feeling off and on. Then, end of September I got out of bed to terrible pain in neck and shoulders. Couldn't get any relief from it. Thought it would go away; it didn't. I thought I'd been bitten by a tick or something.Got in to see my doctor about 10 days later. She put me on prednisone and within hours the pain was almost gone.
It was only after joining this group and consulting my records that i see the suspicious coincidence of vaccination and onset of PMR.

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I had a similar experience after Moderna. I’m down to 8 mg’s of prednisone.

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@pst

My PMR symptoms began after my last vaccination of Moderna. Cramping I couldn't explain; feeling tired and as though there was some weird layer separating me from reality. Blurry vision, dizziness. Hard to concentrate.
It started probably 3 or four weeks after the vaccination but I made no connection between that and the way i was feeling off and on. Then, end of September I got out of bed to terrible pain in neck and shoulders. Couldn't get any relief from it. Thought it would go away; it didn't. I thought I'd been bitten by a tick or something.Got in to see my doctor about 10 days later. She put me on prednisone and within hours the pain was almost gone.
It was only after joining this group and consulting my records that i see the suspicious coincidence of vaccination and onset of PMR.

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Exactly what I went through as well. Doctors won’t tell you it occurs very frequently after the booster or Covid shot, especially at age 70 and older. I have had Rheumatologists nod and say it does occur but then avoid further details. It’s all out there documented, just takes the time to delve into the data.
I started on Prednisone after I could hardly move 2 months after Booster and within 3 days I was 75% bacteria to normal. Then then after 3 months I was weened off as my Primary care and 1st Rheumatologist said it wasn’t safe. So off I went and it came back full force. Saw my new Rheumatologist who said treatment with Prednisone is a minimum of 18 months for PMR
And sometimes requires a lifetime. So waiting for labs again then starting back on Prednisone at 15 mg. Finally found a DR who understands this disease.

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@dontig

Very healthy. I was full of energy - out in the yard everyday. Life is different now. Thankful for prednisone but anxious to taper off of it. Trying to stay active & some light exercise.

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See my new update below. After going off Prednisone mine came back full force. Hope this helps😄

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@nativeoregirl

See my new update below. After going off Prednisone mine came back full force. Hope this helps😄

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Sorry see above first comment.

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@tammyholt

Did you have any of this prior to your jabs? Do you know if you had Covid before the jabs? I had shingles in Nov of 2019, and two months later I had covid - that lasted about 3-4 weeks of a dry cough. I was again sick in late Feb of 2020. It is just so sad this has happened to so many people! Thank you for your reply...

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No I had none of this prior. I have always been super healthy and the only medicine I was on was Protonix for GERD. I worked as an RN in a COVID unit for 10 months and never got COVID. 4 weeks after getting my second vaccine I got COVID in February of 2022.

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Similar experience after Covid booster. 7 months of Prednisone taper with symptoms improved, but creeped back up with CRP rising. Changed to Medrol - worked great at first, but as taper continued symptoms again returned. Getting 2nd opinion from another rheumatologist to discover next steps. Ice packs help along w Tylenol and minimal amounts of NSAIDS. I’m 70 and in great health prior to this. Searching for the correct regimen to reduce pain. What are other medications out there you’ve found success with?

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