My husband has recently been diagnosed with possible PMR but has been on Steroids now for 3 weeks, 2 at 20mg per day and the last 10 days at 30mg a day. He has not shown the rapid improvement you all mention and is still suffering badly in the mornings and is very sleepy until after lunch. He also is quite depressed poossibly from the steroids or maybe from 5 weeks in hospital with all manor of tests before being given steroids. He has also been taken off the stomach and bone protection tablets due an allergic rash. I am finding it quite difficult to know how to help him, any ideas? :cry:
Sorry to hear about your husband's recent diagnosis of PMR I am recently diagnosed too, and did not experience the rapid response that was expected from the steroids. It was a couple of weeks, not days, before I felt any improvement at all. It's now 4 and a half weeks and I would say I am 80% better, not pain free, but manageable without any painkillers which is good. Apparently it is usual to experience rapid response, but is not always the case.
I hope things improve for your husband very soon! I found great relief with an electric heat pad in the early days. It made sitting more comfortable and reduced the stiffness.
So sorry to hear of the problems being suffered by your husband. If he does definitely have PMR, then 20mgs of Prednisolone should have brought about at least a 70% reduction in his pain during that first couple of weeks as 15-20mgs is the usual recommended starting dose for PMR. Higher doses are reserved for a linked condition called Temporal Arterities (or Giant Cell Arteritis), which usually manifests itself with head pain, sometimes jaw pain on chewing and vision problems. Symptoms of PMR alone generally means pain in the large muscle areas such as the pelvic girdle, the top of the legs and the shoulder/arm girdle. Also, if your husband had raised inflammatory markers in ESR and CRP blood tests at diagnosis, if the diagnosis was correct and the steroids were working then these inflammatory markers should be reducing towards normal and the pain decreasing.
I was also unable to tolerate the stomach and bone protection meds, so I have relied on a daily live yoghurt at breakfast just before taking the steroids to line the stomach. The calcium from the yoghurt can also help with bone protection, plus I eat oily fish several times a week (including the bones from the sardines!) and lots of green leafy veggies, milk and cheese.
The depression can, unfortunately be a side effect of PMR let alone the onslaught of the steroids, added to which your poor hubbie has also had a lengthy stay in hospital.
If there is still no improvement in the next couple of days, if I were your hubbie I would go back to the doctor or rheumatologist and tell them so.
I do wish him well and do come back and let us know how he is getting on.
Also, if your husband had raised inflammatory markers in ESR and CRP blood tests at diagnosis, if the diagnosis was correct and the steroids were working then these inflammatory markers should be reducing towards normal and the pain decreasing.
Hi MrsO
Thanks for your replyHubby's ESR is now 43 & CRP is 128, down from 390 & higher when in hospital. We have appointment with the Consultant this Friday so may ask to increase the Pred. Will approach the youghurt issue as anything nearly healthy in the food line meets with contempt! Typical male eh?
In spite of your hubby seemingly not having much pain relief at present, it does seem as though his illness is, hopefully, responding to the steroids if the CRP has reduced from 390 to 128. My CRP was also high in PMR but particularly so before being diagnosed with GCA (156). The good news for your hubby is that things are going in the right direction as regards the inflammatory markers so fingers crossed he will be finding some relief in his pain very soon. Hopefully the rheumatologist will be able to reassure you both on Friday and possibly add some further pain relief if there's still no improvement.
At the risk of incurring the wrath of Rick....what is it with men???
My hubby ended up in hospital with Divericulitis last Christmas, & ever since it has been...oooooh I can't eat this/ that, panic attack if there is as much as one sesame seed on his bread roll :roll:
I had diverticular disease diagnosed long before he ever did, but because I eat a high fibre diet with loads of fresh fruit & veg it has never been an issue....but he thinks that lettuce is a high fibre veg & refuses to accepct that, having studied nutrition as part of my nurse training, I might JUST know better than him :lol:
Different species totally...but I suppose they have their uses :wink:
off to bed now as going on hols with the hypochondriac in the morning
If you're not in the land of nod yet then just wanted to say have a wonderful holiday in the sun 8) - we'll miss you and wish we were there! Now you love that \"hypochondriac\" really and after all he is taking you on a wonderful holiday! I'm sure whatever Rick's got to say will save 'til you return - he won't let you off that lightly, I'm sure! :lol:
Very sorry to hear about your husbands suffering As Mrs O has said it is normal to start on 20mg with PMR But his blood markers are very very high The highest mine have been is in the 30s
The good thing is his bloods are improving I think finding you are ill especially when the Drs arent sure what it is can be enough to depress even an optomist Im sure if it is PMR and it gets under control as the steroids decrease and he feels better so will his moods Steroids are used for a multitude of illnesses so he might not have PMR
On the PMR /GCA Fighters North East all the symptoms stories treatments etc are well listed and are a bit of a one stop shop for sufferers It is very difficult if you are allergic to any of the drugs but as Mrs O said the Natural probiotic yoghurt is a good stomach liner
The good thing is he has another appointment very quickly so his symptoms are being treated seriously and I hope you will have some better news then