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As a 56 year old female,1 year post menstruation I suddenly experienced severe pain in my hips trying to turn over in the night. Symptoms quickly got worse spreading to my shoulders and upper arms and my joints seemed to be snapping and cracking so bad in the mornings. I thought this was the next stage of the menapause following on from hot flushes and adrenaline surges. I searched the Internet to see if anyone else had experienced these symptoms during menapause and found many posts with similar symptoms. After an appointment with my Gp he suggested I may have poly myalgia and sent me for blood tests. Esr was within normal limits but Crp was raised in double figures. He suggested I start prednisone to confirm diagnosis but I was really reluctant to test the drug as I knew I couldn't just stop taking them and preferred to take ibuprofen which I could adjust according to need. However i was concerned as I ibuprofen was necessary for pain relief at different amounts but at least daily for the previous 6 months ! ( retired nurse with reluctance to take drugs unless absolutely necessary !) I asked the Dr to check my hormone levels and found my oestrogen levels confirmed menause. After discussion with my Gp he agreed to try low dose Hrt with a follow up in 6 weeks. I definitely felt better without hot flushes and adrenaline rushes, also pain in my hips disappeared, more importantly I was sleeping! However, the pain in my shoulders, upper arms and neck continued ( both sides but more predominant on Left side possibly because I am left handed and use this side more readily) at my follow up visit my Gp tested for rotator cuff compression/tear and I agreed to a one off injection of prednisolone into my shoulder . Day 1 I just wanted to sleep, Day 2 I felt really sick and experienced an episode of blurred peripheral vision, but day 3 I felt good and no pain except in my left shoulder when moving my left arm out to the side and above my head and left Achilles' tendon area. Although it's still early days, my response to prednisolone may support my poly myalgia diagnosis and perhaps offer an alternative medication route, more importantly I am back to taking no tablets at all for pain relief! My follow up is due next week .
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pam7653 Handbrake
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I can do everything. I just rode my road bike 100 miles in June.
Not everyone has it like I do, many have side effects. Guess I'm lucky. Yes, I bruise easily, but that seems to be it.
First of all get to a rheumatologist. Move beyond a GP. You will get lots of info on this site. Try to determine what is truly post menopause issues and PMR. I'd stay away from shots until the PMR is determined. PMR can affect many parts of the body.
Take one thing at a time.
MrsO-UK_Surrey Handbrake
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Secondly, long term Ibuprofen also carries its risks to your stomach, liver and kidneys, especially when taken for as long as you have. I took just a small daily dose of Ibuprofen for many months during my early non-diagnosis days just to enable me to get off the bed - later that year I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Coincidence maybe, but after my experience I would advise everyone to steer clear of it for more than just a few days.
I have in the past come across a few people for whom a PMR diagnosis has been changed to the diagnosis of a hormone deficiency - this can occur especially in those people entering or going thorugh menopause. There is no definitive test for PMR - it is mainly diagnosed after the exclusion of other pssible causes, and a hormone deficiency is among those exclusion tests that should be carried out especially if the patient is of menopausal age. Another necessary test is for Vitamin D deficiency which can lead to pain in similar areas of the body as those of PMR. Yet another exclusion test is rheumatoid arthritis, although sometimes that test can produce a false negative.
Although both the ESR and CRP blood tests can rise due to causes other than PMR, your CRP being found to be in "double figures" does point to inflammation going on in your body rather than a hormone deficiency.
It must be a relief to have such relief in your pain following the cortisol injection, and I do hope that improvement continues for you. However, if it doesn't, then please don't hesitate to agree to your GPs earlier recommendation of at least a trial dose of Pred.
ptolemy Handbrake
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step at a time pam7653
time
MrsO-UK_Surrey Handbrake
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carol20979 Handbrake
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denise76179 MrsO-UK_Surrey
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A question in your " remission" do you still have some pain either from time to time or chronic but bearable and in the background.
MrsO-UK_Surrey denise76179
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denise76179 MrsO-UK_Surrey
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LayneTX Handbrake
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I too wish I knew what is actually inflammed/hurting...
For me, I feel as if I have 8 pulled muscles, but as I researched, my pains happen to be in all areas of bursa's. Didn't know we had so many bursa's. My shoulder rotator cuff area (hurts to raise to side and rotate inward).
My hip area, it's my Hipflexors (I can not lift legs from standing postion higher than 8-10 inches, must lift with my hands to get in car or get dressed), also my inner thigh (groin/adductors) and my hamstring area of butt, ear butt bones, hurts sometimes sitting in car or chair in mornings.
All are bursa spots. Sometime pain refers (spreads) down arms or thighs.
I've tried to get answers too, is it tendons or joints, or fluid in between, muscles connections points, muscles, or is this also different for each person? Because there is a bursa syndrom that I wondered if I had, but since it's BOTH sides then they say PRM.
Where exactly is your pain?
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EileenH Handbrake
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I had been on HRT for some years and finally stopped after the latest scare about 12 years ago. Within months the symptoms of PMR started - and I really don't think it was entirely unconnected.
While pred may have some nasty side effects - so does ibuprofen and if the 2 I'd rather take my chances with pred if I have to take it every days for years!
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MrsO-UK_Surrey Handbrake
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Handbrake MrsO-UK_Surrey
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