I was diagnosed with PMR in early January 2025 with PMR.

Hello @samiyementer, Welcome to Connect. I'm sorry to hear that your rheumatologist wasn't open to listening to his patient and discuss alternatives and lifestyle to help with the PMR. Here are a few related discussions you might find helpful:

-- Cause of PMR: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cause-of-pmr/
-- What is the root cause of PMR? Is it contagious?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pmr-root-cause/
-- Anti-inflammatory diet and supplements for PMR: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/anti-inflammatory-diet-and-supplements-for-pmr/

Here's a list of the discussions in the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Support Group - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/polymyalgia-rheumatica-pmr/

How long have you been diagnosed with PMR? Have you started a treatment?

Unfortunately no one knows what causes it. If you have been on these sites for any length of time you will find that everyone has a different reason for why they think they contracted the disease. I think thats true with many auto immune diseases. I do not believe its just UK healthcare. A google search of causes of PMR you will find its believed to be genetics and environmental factors. Thats about as close as research has gotten. They did find that corticosteroids help with the symptoms. That has become about the only treatment that works. The treatment then becomes worse than the disease. If you have a good Doctor that runs all the testing to make sure its not something else then that is about as close as you can get. I may be genetically predisposed to the disease but I also think stress and covid vaccine helped set it off.

As a person who has several autoimmune diseases, I have had PMR also. I had success (after one flair) with prenissalone. I switched docs when I could see the end and my new doc had a different take on it. She had been in practice over 30 years and did a lot of testing on me, where the other two had not. She diagnosed my Sjogren's. She thought that PMR only lasted about 3 yrs, that it was self limiting. I think most of us would disagree (myself included). You, however, are coming up on PMR at a good time. There is a lot of research on it now that when many of us went through it. And a personal note: steroids will make your eye pressure worse. So glaucoma people, watch out!

Thank you for your advice Sue. I am slowing stepping down since being prescribed in January 2025 with 25 mg prednisone. I am down to 4 mg and will be on 3 mg in two days. I am slowly stepping up my dose of Naltrexone (LDN) prescribed by my private functional doctor to treat my hypothyroidism. After 21 years of relying on my GP , I am making my own decisions about my health. PMR was a wake up call!

Boy, is it ever! One of my mottos is "The best helping hand is the one at the end of your own arm." However, try to realize that those docs that you encounter do have something to offer. It may be totally wrong for you but still useful. Read as much as you can and look up words when necessary. And ask lots of questions. Feel free to refer to us now and again. There is a lot of experience on these pages. Good luck!

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever set mine off - same for my husband but he went into remission quicker.

There you go . A new one for me. There are a billion reasons why something that seemed to not matter in the past suddenly sets off our weakened immune system. One guy felt a weekend of excessive exercise set it off. Who knows? Medical field does not . I thought maybe OCD , type A personalities. But it doesnt hit all of us. It seems our immune system is in sort of a perfect storm. Along comes RMSF or covid vaccine or to much gardening and wham. Our immune system goes crazy trying to fix it. It could be we are being poisoned by the jet trails.. 🙂