1. < Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)
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Is hormone imbalance a cause of PMR.

Posted by pawprintpeg @pawprintpeg, Jun 2 6:35am

My PMR onset was very sudden and I had some traumas build up in that year, plus a rotator cuff injury which could just have been frozen shoulder. I’m wondering if there’s any research that PmR is just hormone imbalance, (for both women and men?).
How do I find out if my hormones are at appropriate levels for maximum health, or why is my PMR changing me and my life at 65?

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Mike | @dadcue | Jun 2 7:10am

Hormones levels vary dramatically based on what is happening around you and to you. Hormone levels aren't measured too often until you see an endocrinologist. Even an endocrinologist will say hormone levels aren't that useful because they vary so much. Hormone levels have a wide range of what is considered "normal."

PMR and hormones go together because of taking Prednisone. I don't think too many hormones are out of balance when PMR is diagnosed. They get out of balance after we take prednisone for a long time. When PMR is diagnosed, inflammation is the primary issue but maybe some baseline cortisol dysregulation exists. Cortisol is called the "stress hormone." Many people report some form of stress as the "trigger" of PMR.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22187-cortisol
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The major hormonal imbalances occur after starting prednisone because it replaces cortisol. Hormones are a complicated field of medicine which I'm starting to have a greater sense of appreciation for.

I was recently diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor (NET). That also explains some of my hormone imbalances since I tapered off Prednisone. A NET type of cancer might be described as a slow motion train wreck.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/neuroendocrine-tumors/symptoms-causes/syc-20354132
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My NET was likely present when I was still taking prednisone for PMR 6 years ago. My hormone imbalances weren't discovered until I tapered off prednisone when I needed an endocrinologist for adrenal insufficiency.

The following link is one example of the complexity of hormone imbalances.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12508908/
I suppose there are some people who can understand this abstract but I certainly don't.

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