1. < Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)

The good and bad of Prednisone for PMR

Posted by marilyncarkner @marilyncarkner, Sep 24, 2019

I have PMR..having been diagnosed Jan 2019 .It was severe at the outset with stiffness but not pain but prednisone helped me so much
Everyone talks about it being so nasty but I am not so sure ..with monthly blood work to check blood sugar and regular blood pressure checks and taking ACTONEL to protect the bones I always feel it has done so much good . I also keep an eye on my weight so feel it is more of a miracle drug with side effects like all drugs but they are all controllable.So many other drugs out there are a definition of nasty

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jfannarbor | @jfannarbor | Jul 23, 2022
In reply to @tsc "Hi @thenazareneshul, I'm sorry to hear of your difficulties with prednisone. PMR is an autoimmune disease..." + (show)
@tsc

Hi @thenazareneshul, I'm sorry to hear of your difficulties with prednisone. PMR is an autoimmune disease with genetic markers. Sometimes an accident or trauma can cause the immune system to go into overdrive. My PMR symptoms started with an ankle injury, my aunt's started with an injury to her back.
What dosage of prednisone did you start with and what was your tapering schedule like? I was prescribed 40 mg for Giant Cell Arteritis and tapered down by 5 mg every two weeks after that. Now I'm at 2 mg with no symptoms (knock on wood) and a normal CRP. I do have osteoporosis, but I had a dexa scan right after starting prednisone. I suspect I lost bone density the year I was incapacitated with PMR because prior to that I was physically active, but there is strong history for osteoporosis in my family.
It probably was best for you to move to WA. That must have been difficult! I'm fortunate to have good care in Hawaii. Wishing you the best!

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You mentioned in your post of July 10 that PMR has genetic markers. This is the first I have heard of this. I have had my genome sequenced and a variant of interest was in the area of LGMD/2A which in its classical form affects the muscles of the shoulder girdle and hip girdle the same as PMR. My variant is on chromosome 15. What information can you give me to help me investigate to see if I have the genetic markers associated with PMR. How did you find this out?

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Teri | @tsc | Jul 23, 2022
In reply to @jfannarbor "You mentioned in your post of July 10 that PMR has genetic markers. This is the..." + (show)
@jfannarbor

You mentioned in your post of July 10 that PMR has genetic markers. This is the first I have heard of this. I have had my genome sequenced and a variant of interest was in the area of LGMD/2A which in its classical form affects the muscles of the shoulder girdle and hip girdle the same as PMR. My variant is on chromosome 15. What information can you give me to help me investigate to see if I have the genetic markers associated with PMR. How did you find this out?

Jump to this post

Hi @jfannarbor,Many articles about PMR and GCA mention that it frequently occurs in persons of Northern European ancestry and Scandanavians in particular. ""These disorders occur primarily in patients older than 50 years, in women more than men; they are propagated by antigen-driven cell mediated (TH1) immune mechanisms that may be associated with specific genetic markers, and they are highly responsive to corticosteroids." Giant Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Robert Spiera, in Cecil and Goldman's Textbook of Medicine.

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