New to PMR - the pain !

Hello everyone,

I am a newcomer to PMR having reached 60 and felt in reasonably good health suddenly feeling dreadful and crying with pain in shoulders and hips - could hardly walk and on getting out of bed in a morning it was excruciating. I'm glad I found this site and can look at what everyone else is experiencing and interesting to see that the weather could affect the aches & pains. I am on 5 mg of Prednisolne x 3 times a day and it is helping - although I'm not happy at having to take Steroids it seems I/WE do not have a choice.

I started going to the gym approx. 12 months ago going on rower/cross-trainer/bike and was wondering if this could have brought it on - any thoughts on this anyone ? Regards, Susie :? :?

Hi Siouxie,

I've just replied to your other post - I hadn't seen this one! The pain you describe along with the difficulty with walking and getting out of bed are classic. You're on quite an unusual dosage regime. I started on 15mg Prednisolone, but most people I have spoken to are advised to take them all at once with or straight after breakfast which is what I've always done. How long have you been on Prednisolone and do you find they've helped much? The relief I felt was almost instant (took about 6 hours and I was a different person). I have had the odd wobble but most of the time I would say I'm pleased with my progress. It'll be interesting to see if anyone else on this site take their steroids in three doses and if they find it better for them. Good luck, hope you feel better soon.

Regards

Lizzie Ellen

Hi Siouxie

I am also fairly new to this site and complaint but now feel something like an expert with all the knowledge and helpful advice that is available here.

I agree with Lizzie's comments and there was another posting fairly recently regarding taking 5mg 3 times a day and the reasons why this isn't the norm.

On the subject of exercise you may like to read the comments I received to my recent posting entitled \"Has exercise contributed to our PMR\". I don't know the answer but we were in the main a pretty fit bunch before being struck down by PMR.

I would also be interested to know if your PMR hit all your affected bits at the same time or crept up slowly a limb at a time like mine which started in left leg then progressed to right leg, right shoulder, left shoulder and wrist over the course of a month or two?

Good luck and I hope things soon improve.

Bob

Hi, Siouxie,

I am male and 67 and my experience is pretty similar to Bob the Builder.

I also wonder about the physical side of bringing on this illness. I was v. healthy and active and 2 days after doing some woodland clearance, thought I had strained my thigh, it started and reduced me to a wreck until it was diagnosed.

I am on 20mg steroids and although they took a week to take good effect I feel fine. Tried cycling a couple of miles this AM and legs feel very weak.

My steroids are all in one whack, and of course, I am now on calcium tablets as well, is anyone else on these?

Alan

Hi to all Never heard of anyone being prescribed steroids 3 times daily I might ask my Doctor when I go next but I did think if you took then later in the day you would have more trouble sleeping I always wonder ifm doing a lot of exercise contributed to my initial PMR in 2002 I was 54 I was going to the Gym Aerobics classes riding my horses We have land for the horses and I was always doing heavy work cutting down trees !!clearing streams lugging 70 lb bales of Hay all sorts of things with no trouble at all My PMR was a bit insiduous and when I looked back it had probably taken about 3 months to develop but I know some people wake up and there it is I dont know if anyone read the article in the Daily Mail on Tuesday but I thought it was very informative and shows what can happen if you dont take steroids I hope Lizzie Ellen you manage to get back in the Gym even if it is light exercise as I think if you are used to exercise I think it is good for you mentally to keep going I am a couch potato at the moment as I have had to increase from 4mg in Dec to 15mg now to cope and I hope not to go higher so I will not push my luck with exercising at present As soon as my bloods have improved I intend visiting what was a cottage hosp but seems now to do therapies and exercises for people who have had strokes Heart attacks diabetes etc So hopefully they will have someone there who understands PMR as I dont want to damage my muscles further I have tried investigating the adrenal glands a bit on the internet as they appear to cut out when you are on steroids and they should start working again when you go down to 5-7mg but I dont think mine did Most of the information seems to be American but I have read something about Accupuncture Im ready to try anything !! as my Dr did say there are a lot of people on 5mg permanantly and I tried at least 3 times to get below 5mg so I obviously dont produce cortosteroid myself I also had low sodium levels ( another thing these glands control) and stess ( My problems in Jan were all stress related I think and possibly the cold ) Any way best wishes to all and hopefully a fitter February !! Will be very glad to see the back of January