Newly diagnosed with PMR- concerns about vaccine reactions?

thanks to all for your responses.

@shelleyletts
Please read your prior posts for your sarcasm. Your comment about doctors making mistakes is just one example. I made a simple comment and you turned sarcastic. Maybe that's your writing style. I never said that your writing of have a nice day was sarcastic. You seem to have a unique way of interpreting my comments that no one else does. So be it. I await your next comment so you can have the last word. I have better things to do.

@boomermeg
Thank you for this information. My doctor was the head of Medical Society of Ontario. He did a pile of bloodwork and that is how he diagnosed this. The prednisone was effective after 1 day of the 25mg. I am going to try to get into him today. I have been putting it off but it isn't getting any better. Time for action.

it is indeed a super interesting discussion;-) I had COVID booster and flu shot mid November 2025 and by early december diagnosed with PMR. In the next few months (3rd hand info) 6 docs mentioned they had seen increased cases of PMR, child type 1 diabetes, so we thought, mmmmmm. Of course further discussion makes one realize that this very well could be the immune system of people who had COVID. I was very sick with Covid mid 2020 when it was still very virulent, before vaccines. Our immune systems fights, and maybe the system is weakened in all of us on this horrific ride. That said I just took my last 2.5MG of prednisone. Last 6 weeks kept same amount 2.5, but skipped an extra day each week, as per GP. Pain and fatigue, but not any worse than what I was tasking pred every day. The next couple of months will be telling. Another anecdotal story. My cousin has a cardiac workup years ago and had a baseline, clean arteries. PMR and pred for 5 years, another workup and the cardiologist said: 'redo test as it is physically impossible to deteriorate this much in 10 years' Well, doc concludes damage caused by pred. Fatigue, shortness of breath, high BP, etc. I am grateful to be off all meds, let's see if the pain stays manageable Good luck to all.

I was diagnosed with PMR October 2025 and GCA February 2026. I have had every covid shot (starting in Jan. 2020) and booster that comes down the pike as well as Flu shots every year. I have always had reactions of fever overnight and usually feeling like I had the flu the next day. However; I had both covid booster and Flu shots yesterday. Took 500 mg Tylenol last night and, voila, no overnight fever, just right deltoid discomfort. I have tapered to 2mg of pred and am on weekly Tyenne injections. I have never contracted covid, PTL! As we all know, these diseases affect each person differently. Just wanted to share my experience. God speed to you all.

@louieglen I'm glad you're going to try to get in to see your Dr today. I hope you can get more Prednisone at the dose that works to resolve all the symptoms. Is this Dr a Rheumatologist? They really are the best equipped to handle PMR and it's ongoing treatment, from what I understand and have personally experienced. Good luck today. Blessings

I believe that my PMR was a direct result of my Covid vac. It took me 9 months to taper down from 20 mg of Prednisone to 0. I still have shoulder pain at night but plan to stay off the prednisone. I am 72 but afraid to receive any vac for flu or Covid at the risk of PMR flaring back up.

@kayept You are fortunate if having both at the same time did not trigger a flare. Both my rheumatologist and my pharmacist have counseled me against this. Doctors don't understand the difference between public health messages and medical practice, and public health (my field prior to retirement) frankly doesn't do a good job of communicating exceptions to a general guideline. The current "wisdom" is that it is a good idea to get both vaccines at once. This is more for the sake of expediency than anything else -- one trip rather than two. By definition, public health acknowledges within the field that everybody can't be saved, so the decision is to aim to do the greatest good to the greatest number of people. A frequent analogy is a lifeboat. That the people who don't "get on the lifeboat" are the ones who don't fit the standard mold. That's us and other people with autoimmune disorders. Doctors see one patient at a time and SHOULD be considering that patient's individual health history. Don't count on it. I avoid senior vaccines (with my pharmacist's blessing) because they contain an adjuvant designed to boost the immune response to the vaccine. I also space the flu and Covid vaccines a couple of weeks apart (recommended by rheumatologist and pharmacist).

@droy444 I'm sorry to hear about your PMR, but happy you're off of Prednisone now.
Vaccines have become a very controversial subject. There are those who believe they're beneficial and necessary for themselves while others do not. There are those who have had either a bad reaction or actual harm done by them. There's a lot of data that has come out over the past 6 years particularly about the Covid shots. They're a new platform, the mRNA, as most probably know. It's up to each person to decide what is best for themselves and what they believe is true or not true about the "vaccines" themselves, what they actually do "help," "prevent," or could actually "harm." It really is a case of we need to be able to agree to disagree about our differing opinions, experiences and knowledge. No one of us can say what's right for another's body or health. That's up to each person.
Personally, I'm 73, and I have chosen not to take anymore "vaccines," but that doesn't mean my choice is right for anyone else. It's mine. I hope your shoulder pain isn't too bad at night and that it will go away. Mine was brutal and incessant prior to Prednisone. Just started 7/31/26.
Tapering down from 25, 22.5, and today 20mg. Hoping not to get flares. My Rheumatologist wants me on Kevzara due to needing to step up from 15, to 20 to 25mg to get it under control. She's concerned re flares. Waiting for insurance authorization. Blessings.

@potterywoman
Thank you so much for your knowledgeable insight. I'd like to have known my Rheumy's opinion on getting both vaccs at one time. I should have considered that. I do know she advised to definitely get the vaccines. I am just perplexed that I didn't have my typical reaction. However; 48 hours later, my left deltiod is still quite sore and slightly swollen. A different post vacc reaction for me. I sometimes forget, everything is different for me now!
God speed to you in your journey. K