How did your PMR begin?

Hello @theod, Welcome to Connect. Sorry to hear your PMR started after a COVID vaccine. Mine also came out of nowhere but it was many years prior to COVID. It is definitely debilitating when it happens. My PMR is fortunately in remission but I can still remember the daily struggle both times my PMR was active.

Did your doctor or rheumatologist start you on a treatment of prednisone? How are you doing now?

15 mg for 2 weeks, 12.5 for 2 weeks, 10 mg for 4 Weeks , 5.5 for 2 weeks. 5 Mg for 2 weeks then 2.5 mags for as long as required Ian am now on 2.5 to 5 for as long as required.

When my PMR started, I had no idea what it was. My whole body seemed to be going crazy. I was used to going to the gym 3 days a week, doing all my own yard work, and taking care of my pool, along side having my 3 year old grandson 2 days a week. It started by my legs and hips hurting, I had trouble kneeling and getting up, and then neck and shoulders hurt so bad that I thought I ruptured a disc in my neck. I have spinal stenosis, so my doctors had me get X-rays of everything, cervical spine and lumbar spine. I did have a bad disc in my lumbar spine, but my neurosurgeon said the symptoms didn't fit. So he sent me home. within a week I couldn't get out of bed or a chair without help. When I went to see my GP and she saw me, she said OMG, you have PMR, I am sure of it. So she sent me to a Rheumatologist and had bloodwork done. My bloodwork was only slightly elevated, but he put me on 20 mg of prednisone. By the next day, 80 percent of my pain was gone, and I was able to stand without my husband's help. I could not believe the relief. That was 2 years ago this past April, and I am finally down to 1/2 mg of prednisone a day. Soon I will be off it entirely. It was the biggest struggle of my life. Even way harder than the 4 back spinal surgeries I have endured over the years. I wish you all the best.

I really believe mine came about because of extreme stress. I was already totally stressed from a remodeling project we had tackled on a rental that we had a great opportunity to sale when our disabled daughter was hospitalized and that alone is extremely stressful. The day we brought her home from the hospital I was aching all over and then the PMR symptoms started to hit. Hard to roll over in bed, hard to get off a sofa, out of a chair and I could not put on my shoes etc. I was put on 10 mgs of prednisone and that was great except for the terrible insomnia and irritability. It did give me lots of energy for awhile though and we were able to finish our house and sell it immediately. As mentioned in another response after 20 months I was able to get off of prednisone by tapering very slowly and have been off for a month. I still feel I need to pace myself though because if I push myself too hard I get really tired. However at nearly 76 years it might be expected to have that happen