Polymyalgia Rheumatica Prednisone

red my mind), gained 22 lbs and losing my hair. I want my old self back who would work out everyday for an hour. My carpel tunnel is back with a vengence. Is there any hope for a normal life again?

DEMARQUIS wrote:

Chris wrote:

God, I hate this disease.  I got back from an 11 day safari in Africa and after a 22 hour flight back, my hip flexors locked up for about 5 weeks, along with severe carpel tunnel in both hands and arms, knee hurting, severe upper arms (both), and terrible insomnia.  I was on Vicodin, Ambien, you name it and nothing would help.  I finally begged to see a neurologist who sent me on to a rheumatologist.  I was diagnosed back September 2011.  Started out on 20 mgs and was down to 5mg prednisone.  Flared up and am now on 7 mg for a month, down to 6 for a month, and then 5mg.  My HUGE problem is I have severe insomnia.  I have tried Ambien, Ambien ER,  Trazodone, and now

Lunestra.  I am now going to give medical marijuana a try tonight.  I cannot go on without the sleep.  This disease is killing me.  Everyday is terrible, I hate who I am, I am moody, thought about suicide (never in my 60 years has this entered my mind), gained 22 lbs and losing my hair.  I want my old self back who would work out everyday for an hour.  My carpel tunnel is back with a vengence.  Is there any hope for a normal life again?

red my mind), gained 22 lbs and losing my hair. I want my old self back who would work out everyday for an hour. My carpel tunnel is back with a vengence. Is there any hope for a normal life again?

Have you tried cutting back or eliminating sugar I think it helped me.

I am now tapered to 10 mg prednisone.  I am really stuggling with pain.  I hate taking so many medications for an illness that doesn't even seem to be real.  What is Polymyalgia Rheumiticia?   Many muscles inflamed.. Whatever!  What is the deal?  Right now my best stratagy is to set a 20 minute timer, try to do something and then stop and take a 10 minute break.   I am waiting for the medications changes to settle.  I changed 3 meds yesterday.  I am tired from the insomnia of the prednisone. 

Chronic Fatigue didn't seem so bad before!

Yes, I was diagnosed with PMR in October of 2011 because of the arm, knee hip pain, exhaustion and high sed rate. I started on 40 mg of prednisone a day and felt better almost immediately. I was weaned off of prednisone in January of 2012 and within weeks my symptoms slowly started to return. I had numerous blood tests and the sed rate was always normal so my doctor said I no longer had PMR. By May of 2012 I was in complete agony and begged to go back on the prednisone. Again after taking the prednisone for a short period of time I felt much better. I was weaned off of the prednisone in August and now in October of 2012 I have all of my symptoms returning. I can barely get out of bed in the morning, have extreme difficulty getting dressed because my arms, wrists, and hands are so sore. Just went through another round of blood tests that all came back normal but I know that this is PMR again. I am a 56 year old female and prior to this I was an extremely active and healthy person never on meds of any kind.  I am confused and don't know why the doctor doesn't keep me on a low maintenance dose of prednisone for a longer period of time.

above



10 years

I too have had debilitating pain in both shoulders neck and at times in my hips, seen my GP many many times, seen an orthopaedic specialist all to no avail. Finally seen an Osteo she cared to listen to my symptoms and she diagnosed PMR, going to see my Dr tomorrow to inform him of my diagnosis, how do l know it is PMR bc the only way out of pain is with the use of Prednisolone.

So true.  My PMR started with neck hips , legs.  Couldn't roll over in bed. Had to sleep on back because of that.  Had it for a 

Year. Then was told I had frozen shoulder. went to physical therapy. Did not help. I am convinced that too was PMR because it

all of a sudden after several months cleared up on its own. PT said I frozen shoulder would take a year to get better.

If it wasn't for a friend of min who,had this I don't think I would've found out what it was.   Doctors aren't too up on this disease.

 

I started on 20 mg of prednisone 4 weeks ago and now down to 15 because of PMR> My sed rate was 120 which more or less said I have PMR. I had all the symptoms of not being able to turn over in bed, get dressed and it was like somebody hit me in both of my arms, butt and thigh. Since I've started prednisone, I've noticed flushing, sweating and my hands shaking. Also getting up to use the bathroom more often in the middle of the night which I've never done before. I just feel weak and depressed. The PMR pain is gone but what a trade-off. I keep telling everybody I feel bad but they think I'm a hypochondriac. Please tell me these are symtoms of this medication and I'm not imagining things. My poor husband has taken over the housework. What a godsend he is. I can't continue to feel this way for long. I'm also diabetic and have sleep apnea using a CPAP which makes trips to the bathroom a job. I'm 70 and feel like I'm going downhill fast. My husband sees me shaking and thinks I'm having a heart attack.

I started at 40 . 11 months later at 6 , now having major relapse starting back up . what a terrible disease,

I developed PMR after getting a flu shot. I felt like I hd been hit by a train the very same evening. I thout it was just the normal reaction until the pain wouldnt go away.After 3 weeks I returned to my doctor and she made the diagnosis right away. This was confirmed by elevated sed rate and c-reacted protein.T started on prednisone 10 mg, then 20mg.with no improvement. T then went to a rheumatologist.I was having headaches and jaw discomfort and he was worried that I might have an associated condition called giant cell temporal arteritis, an inflammation of the temporal artery in the head. This is treated with high doses of prednisone.He increased my dose to 60 mg and I had to have a biopsy of the temporal artery. This was negative.I have all the nasy side effects of  steroid therapy.Now I am starting to decrease my dose very slowly.It will take almost a year to get off totally and pray i dont have a relapse.

Did you doctor do a Sed Rate? Mine was 120 and I had all the symptoms of PMR. Put on 20 mg of prednisone and it was a miracle. The pain was gone in less than 12 hours. Tapered off to 15 mg and took another sed rate test and it is still at 40 and now my back and hips are hurting again. I now have a moon face and I'm pretty depressed.

I had a sed rate over 100 when I started on 10 mg of Prednisone and the stiffness was greatly reduced in 48 hours. I could bend my legs again and raise my upper arms high enough to wash my hair. I started on 10 mg not the 20 mg in the clinical trials. I thought that if 10 mg did not work within 48 hours I could take a higher dose. This was 18 months ago. I have tapered off to 2 mg. When I try 1 mg the stiffness comes back. My sed rate is now 34. I am 71 so the upper range of my sed rate is 40. I never got a moon face but I bruise very easily and have had lost muscle strength. I get infections more often, also. I go to the gym and lift weights 3 times a week and this has helped me deal with the stiffness and weakness. How long have you been on Pred? I think this is a key factor. I get aggitated with some people. This may be the Pred.

I am 72 years old and have had PMR for over 6 years.  I take 3mg of prednisone a day just to take the edge of the discomfort and pain.  I was told that most patients have it for about 2 years.  The prednisone really does agree with me but I am paranoid about staying on it because of the permanent side effects.  There really is no alternative and before the onset of PMR I walked  3 to5 miles a day for over 20 years.  It is such an effort for me to do anything and I have developed painful osteoarthritis in my knees and elbows.

I just don't understand that there is no information out there and only through the internet.  My younger sister had it in her fifties and that is how I learned about it. She seems to have overcome it but she has other issues that are likely related.

I am still under the care of a rheumatologist but the bottom line is "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired".

 

 

I started on prednison in September, 2012. I noticed my shoulder started to hurt so I got injections thinking I had a frozen shoulder. The the pain in the back of my head, the same side as the shoulder. Thought the two were connected. Next thing I noticed was I couldn't sit at my grandsons football game on the bleachers cause my bottom hurt and under my thigh. Then came the two arms like somebody had socked me in the upper arms. I had to have my husband put my clothes on me. The worst part was I couldn't turn over in bed. Just thought I had done too much work. One morning I couldn't take it anymore and went to the doctors crying because of the pain. He did a sedrate and it was 120. Started out on 20 mg a day until another sed rate came back 30 and he tapered it to 15. Just had another sedrate done and it was 40. I can feel it in my back but I don't know if its from putting Christmas things away. My husband says my face is fat and sure enough I looked in the mirror and it was. Hate it!! I am also 71 and not worried like a younger person would be but I know friends are looking at my fat face. Two more weeks and I get tested again. I have type 2 diabetes and the pills are not helping that plus I've gained 15 pounds and all I want to do is eat. I get aggitated to where I never was before. Oh, the woes of aging.............

Hi Mamie, I replied to this once before & it didn't go through after all my writing!!! Anyway this will have to be brief as I already typed out enough before.  I am 55 I started with PMR in feb. of 2011 it lasted about 1 1/2 year total .  A first dr. Didn't know what it was so I suggested PMR cause a friend of mine had it. His was more severe but he thought that is what I might have.  Sure enough I did. Finally in July after seeing a rheumatologist I started with prednisone. 20mg for 5 days, then 10 then 5 then off.  Symptoms came back so kept doing this til December. Then seem to be or not as bad. Then in April of 2012 got what i thought was frozen shoulder.  After a month of PT I couldn't afford anymore they said my frozen shoulder would last about 18 mo.  It was gone after 3 or 4 mo.  I think.  I'm convinced it was part of PMR like the final stage.     Also I wanted to say that prednisone raises your blood sugar levels. So I was pre-diabetic for a bit Wile on the prednisone.  The blood showed that that. I sure hope I never get this again  I it is AWFUL.  Good luck to you!