Is fatigue a symptom of PMR?

Tiredness is listed as a symptom of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). See more info from Mayo Clinic here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polymyalgia-rheumatica/symptoms-causes/syc-20376539

Others have talked about fatigue related to the condition as well as while tapering off treatment with steroids. See this related discussion:
- PMR and Fatigue. Interesting study: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pmr-and-fatigue-interesting-study/

@rllh5403, have you been diagnosed with PMR?

For me, there was PMR fatigue which wasn't so bad. I lost a lot of sleep when PMR was untreated. When PMR was treated with Prednisone, I had energy to spare for awhile. I felt like I didn't have any need for sleep. That kind of energy was not sustainable.

After long term treatment with prednisone another magnitude of fatigue crept in. Some people call it "overwhelming fatigue" or "deathly fatigue." I called it "fatigue on steroids." That type of fatigue is extremely overwhelming. The overwhelming fatigue got worse and worse as I tried to taper my prednisone dose lower. I didn't realize that adrenal insufficiency and a low cortisol level can cause that kind if extreme fatigue until someone explained to me.

I just tapered down to 2mg this morning. Milestone! But I take naps almost every day. Sometimes at ten in the morning. Just part of the ride is my thought. My muscles get stiff and tight but they don't hurt like when the PMR was at its worst. So I stretch and try to do everything I can without hurting myself. I even went to a dance festival last weekend and danced about half as much as usual, and took a three hour nap in the middle of the day Saturday. I call it a success. B

I've had fatique in the past year or so. I follow Dr. Steven Gundry even though I question some of his ideas. I know the reputation of the hospital that he worked at. I started taking his MCT and now his Energy powder and it seems to work. Sometimes Gundry reminds me of the old fashioned "Snake Oil" doctors that used to roam the west selling stuff to people. At least his stuff doesn't do any harm. You just have to be careful or all you will be taking is a handful of his pills instead of food! Check him out and see if some of his stuff works for you.

I'm not taking prednisone and haven't for about a year. I do think I have "overwhelming fatigue." I don't want to go anywhere or do anything. This just isn't living, I was diagnosed with PMR in 2012. But I'm not sure what is causing the fatigue.

Yes, in 2012. Is PMR an autoimmune disease for life?

Yes. I was always going 110 mph. And then last spring I couldn't do an hour of yard work without having to go inside and lay in my recliner the rest of the day. I thought I was just tired from arriving home after a 4 day drive across the country. I thought I may have Covid and took a test, which was negative. The extreme fatigue continued, then the hip and knee aches started. Then, the headaches. When my inflammatory markers were high, my rheumatologist put me on 60 mg. of prednisone due to the suspected GCA. Then, I was sleep deprived, because of the prednisone. I only got about 3 hours of sleep a night. I would take 1-2 hour naps every afternoon. Once, I started tapering down from the 60 mg., I started to sleep better and wasn't extremely fatigued. Just tired. I'm now down to 7 mg. of Prednisone and have had 4 Actemra infusions. I spent 7 hours each on Saturday and Sunday doing yard work. Happy to say I wasn't anymore tired than I would have been before PMR.

Have you mentioned it to your doctor and asked if they can test to see if your adrenal glands are back to full function and if cortisol production has returned to normal after being on the steroids for so long?