Hi guys, I'll try and be concice. Diagnosed instantly in 2016, difficulty walking, rolling over in bed, shoulders etc. 15mg pred, miracle, tapered over 2.25 years to zero, lucky. Past 10months managed quite well daily, unless doing something strenuous such . as golf, moving furniture, lifting grandchildren, then paid for it for 2/3 days. Last 2 weeks, have felt very old, tired, low, achy hands,backache (not like original pain) completely lost mojo, not myself. In your opinion is this just part of aging (69) or is it Pmr creeping back? I have loads of tablets somewhere, shall I just take one?
Sorry you have got the pain back. Which pain? I'm not qualified to answer that but if you still have the doctor who diagnosed you instantly last time, I think s/he'd be my first port of call.
Pain is not easy to describe and, after a few days of suffering it's hard to know whether it's first degree pain, so to speak, or whether it's referred pain or whether you've tensed up form day to day challenges which I know has happened to me and I have to remind myself to drop my shoulders and un-clench my teeth.
It's only 2017 now so I'm wondering about the arithmetic in your post ( Sorry, don't mean to criticise ) It looks as though your reductions must have been quite fast, less than two years, in which case you were lucky.
It's not unusual for PMR to come back and when it happened to me I seem to remember that the pains were not identical. I would ask for ESR CRP tests and see if they are raised. That isn't always the case with PMR nor is it just PMR that can cause the raised levels but, if they are raise and 15mgs helps the pain significantly then PMR would certainly be more than possible.
I would be careful about just taking Pred. again without seeing your GP. if only that some get very offended if patients jump the gun.
hope you soon get sorted. Do let us know.
Thank you Betty for your quick reply. I have made an appt with Doc for next week. Just thought I would run it past you lovely lot.
I note you corrected your start date in a new post. Why not just post the correction here as a reply?
Correction 2014 not 16.
thank you Anhaga
It could be PMR returning. I had it from 2010 - 2013. No symptoms and no prednisone from 2013 -2017. In 2017 it returned every bit as dibilatating as first time. If I were you, I would take 15 mg for a few days and see how you feel.
Good luck
Good morning, Pam
If it were the PMR having a flare, your old symptoms would be having a go at you. You really should chat up your doctor and possibly have a new sed rate done.
I don't think I'd hunt down old tablets and try to decide what might be a proper dose. I'm sorry you're feeling out of sorts. Please ring your doctor and ask. Perhaps he'll have a ready answer for you.😉
Please let me know♥️
Thank yout Daniel for your kind reply.
thank you Kathy, I will do as you suggest.
Hi Pamros - 'The usual course of this disease is anywhere from two to four years. In most cases people recover completely from the symptoms of PMR and lead normal, active lives. Although relapse may occur once treatment is discontinued, symptoms respond rapidly to treatment with corticosteroid'. Hope your rheumatologist is looking after you with treatment.
Please excuse me Pamros for jumping into your thread with a different question but I won't take much time.
BettyE what other conditions can cause the elevated sed rate and C-reactive protein?
I hope Eileen reads your post because she will know the answer to your question which I do not. I only remember that raised ESR and CRP can occur when inflammation is present and that can be for other illnesses/conditions than PMR. I think this accounts for the many patients whose PMR is not diagnosed immediately; other things have to be excluded.
I am struggling right now...so, if I were you I would take 1m and see how you feel.
I am 70....life is short. Prednisone is not the enemy, PMR is. Best..
Thank you Kathy for your kind reply, sorry to hear you are struggling. This is such a confusing condition sometimes. Best wishes in your journey. I recklessly took 5mg and felt so much better, now got to explain it to Doc!
Many many things amkoffee - they are both just signals there is inflammation somewhere so any disorder with inflammation will raise them. ESR is particularly non-specific and it is raised in injury and pregnancy as well just to illustrate the point! CRP will rise a lot with chest infections.
Fibromyalgia DOESN'T raise them - so that would be a way of distinguishing between fibro and PMR for example. But it is as important to know what doesn't raise it as what does,
Sorry it is late - have had no internet for 2 days while travelling to a science meeting.