New to this diagnosis

Posted by valesp @valesp, 2 days ago

I was diagnosed with PMR in early December 2024 so it has only been a little over a month. I am a 64 year old female and the pain stated in one shoulder them went to both shoulders, my neck and hips. I have never experienced pain like this in my life, I have always been very active and this stopped me in my tracks. I started on 20 mg of prednisone and am now at 17.5, most of my pain has subsided, my one knee bothers me and my wrists and fingers have painful days. I have cut out alcohol, caffeine, red meet, sugar and gluten from my diet. I take magnesium, calcium with vitamin D and fish oil. I read that some individuals are taking extra virgin olive oil. How much do you take a day? I am so glad I found this support group, I felt very isolated, uneducated and scared. Thank you for all the information all of you provide.

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

John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | 2 days ago

Hello @valesp, Welcome to Connect. You might want to join in this discussion started by another new member recently diagnosed with PMR within the past few months.
-- Feeling defeated: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/feeling-defeated-2/

You are definitely not alone in your PMR journey and there is a wealth of information shared in the above discussion and the many more discussions in the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Support Group. Here's a list of all of the available discussions - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/polymyalgia-rheumatica-pmr/

Hoping you no longer feel isolated now that you have found Connect and hopefully you won't feel uneducated once you get started here. There are a lot of us here with many different experiences so feel free to tag any member using their @ member name when you have any questions you are trying to get answered.

jeff97 | @jeff97 | 1 day ago

I've read that you should also take vitamin K2 whenever you take vitamin D and calcium for bone health. I take a single pill that combines calcium, D3, K2, and B12. I like the convenience of having them combined.

I'm a 71 year old man. I was diagnosed with GCA in late June of 2024, and I had undiagnosed PMR for about a year before that. I was shell-shocked for a couple of months after I was hospitalized with GCA. It definitely gets easier with the passage of time, the medical treatment, and learning about other people's experiences on this forum.

ropnrose | @ropnrose | 1 day ago

You're not alone. This is a great forum for support and information. I was diagnosed with PMR and possible GCA in July 2024. Started at 60 mg. pred/day, got down to 8 mg. in early Dec. Had a flare up and am back to 13.5 mg. day.

I know sometimes it's easier said that done, but try to minimize the stress in your life. I think excess stress can cause flare ups. Good luck.