Can those of you who suffer from both, differentiate between the two? I used to be able to, but I can't any more, which is a real nuisance. I never know whether to up the Pred or take an extra pain killer!😏
I have gotten confused in the past. In fact, I don't believe now that my last flare was in fact a flare but rather OA. Now I wait it out and have found that the pain from OA subsides in a few days and believe the pain from the PMR would only get worse.
I share your confusion. Sometimes I feel like I can tell but there is no way to know for sure. I have avascular necrosis in both hip joints and OA. I don't know whether the Prednisone caused it or not but it is clearly a risk factor. I never took over 10 mg and my taper was slow and gradual. I will be having total hip replacements. I am on 4 mg Prednisone and trying not to "rush" off it as I don't want a flare before surgery. On the other hand, this could happen to other joints so I don't exactly relish continuing to put it in my body. It would be so helpful if I knew that the pain was caused "just" from the mechanical problems. It doens't seem to me at times that that could cause this much pain and disability but who knows? All by way of saying how to treat it is a real challenge.
As I have OA in specific joints only I know the pain in those is OA rather than anything else. PMR causes me muscle pain and Fibromyalgia is a touch-sensitive pain perception problem. I just wish it had stayed that easy to tell them apart.
It has only recently been accepted that OA can cause inflammation also, so under those circumstances it must be difficult to differentiate between them. I also find that the weather has a distinct (nasty) effect on all of them and with the current change of temperature here (UK) that all I can say is that I hurt all over! I generally reach for the pain pills once my stamina runs out, but I do have prescription ones.
Thanks Nefret. As you say weather certainly affects us. Three weeks ago we had temperatures of 20C - on October 14th it SNOWED. The sudden change has really hit me. Can't say I felt that when I "only" had PMR. As I said before, I'm never sure whether to up the Pred a bit or take a pain killer!😡
Ah well! Perhaps the sun will come out tomorrow!
I agree with you about the snow on the 14th October, it was surreal. I went out to the garden and discovered that it was melting into rain long before it hit the ground, my husband noticed it first and couldn't believe his eyes. We're on the south coast.
I've seen snow in June before, but that was on Dartmoor!
I have quite widespread OA, back, neck, hips, shoulder elbows, thumbs, since being diagnosed with PMR (GP now unsure) OA of elbows, neck and thumbs have become more painful, partcularly thumbs. I now tape my left thumb to my finger for a day every couple of days for relief. I don't think there is a difference, When you have OA, PMR seems to interact and make the condirion worse.JMO.
Hi Constance, I have both, and I feel more comfortable to take two Tylenol for the OA pain. I am not always sure what it is, but Tylenol helps, and do not want to up the prednisone.