1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Polymyalgia Rheumatica and GCA

flare ups and preds

Posted , 12 users are following.

beatrice74480
beatrice74480

I am now taking 3mgs of Pred for the flare up I had a few weeks ago. This is a very comfortable dose and am pain free at the moment. However doc today wants me to see Rheumy to clarify it is Pmr and not masking Arthritis. I have started slow reduction to see if I can get to 2mgs before I see Rhuemy. After 2 yrs Doc is keen for me to reduce totally. Dread the thought of no preds again in case I get another Flare up or Rheumy says Arthritis so stop and take other Meds. Well will find out in August till see Rheumy. Good luck everyone trying to reduce it isn't easy coping with the stiffness and pain.Wonder how people coped before Preds were used and Pmr was discovered.Does anyone know when this was I had never heard of it till I got it.

1 like, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • lodgerUK_NE
    lodgerUK_NE beatrice74480

    Posted

    I would stay where you were on 3mgs as you are comfortable.

    It could be a possibility that you might have Late Onset RA and if so the Consultant will find out.

    You can have both PMR and LORA.

    Yes it is an old illness and they think it has been with us forever. Just not recognised until medicine progressed.

    However, it wasn't until the 1940's and early 1950's that reports on this condition started to appear under a variety of names such as secondary fibrositis, periarthrosis humeroscapularis,

     

     In 1957 the term “polymyalgia rheumatica” caught the attention of many, and this name was eventually adopted.

     

     In the 1950s, shortly after the discovery of the potent anti-inflammatory properties of cortisone,   showed that GCA responded well to this drug. Later, low doses were found also to be very effective in PMR.

     The link between GCA and PMR wasn't recognized immediately but in the 1940's and 1950's

    We have the person who found pred (warts and all) to thank for saving people's sight and controlling the inflammation until they decide to go into remission.  Auto-immune illnesses have minds of their own.

    There is still no known cause or cure, but there is much more research being done now than there was 10 years ago.

  • julian.
    julian. beatrice74480

    Posted

    PMR was first identified in 1888 but has undergone a couple of name changes.

    Pred first available 1955.

    I don't know when pred was identified as a treatment for PMR symptoms.

    • dan38655
      dan38655 julian.

      Posted

      julian, do you remember what that first descriptionwas called?

      I thought that I read here a while back that it started with "senile", which I might be able to use in more humorous (humerous, lol) discussions ith friends.

      Meanwhile, I will try to de-code "periarthrosis humerospapularis", which must be Latin or Greek I suppose.

    • julian.
      julian. dan38655

      Posted

      Senile Rheumatic Gout, from Bruce, 1888

      google translate thinks "periarthrosis humerospapularis" is English,

      I was initially misdiagnosed with frozen shoulder in Kuala Lumpur which at least scored me some non-steroidal anti-inflammatories with sufficient reduction in hand swelling and pain to allow preparation of truck for shipping - took me a week to do what normally took a few hours - so I would translate "periarthrosis humerospapularis" as "painful memories".

       

  • tavidu
    tavidu beatrice74480

    Posted

    hi beatrice. The thought of only taking 3mg of pred a day sounds like heaven to me and probably many others that have joined this forum. I for one can't wait (but know I have to) for that day, in the meantime stick with whatever is comfortable for you and do not rush to get further down the ladder. Well done for what you have already atchieved and good luck in the future.
    • tina-uk_cwall
      tina-uk_cwall tavidu

      Posted

      Hi Beatrice, I agree with tavidu and lodger, if 3mgs works for you then STAY on it. If you have arthritis then most times X-Rays Can pick up on that. In the meantime, maybe if at zero when the PMR symptoms began returning and if they did did your Dr take a blood sample before you resumed at 3mgs. If yes and the ESR/CRP levels had increased and now, provided you've had another blood test since resuming the preds, they are normal again that again could help the rheumatologist decide what is wrong. However, as has  already been stated, you could have both. All the best, oh just to add, we are on preds for our benefit and not the dr's benefit. Regards, christina 
  • beatrice74480
    beatrice74480

    Posted

    Thank you everyone for taking time to reply to me.Much appreciated Will keep updating as things progress.I have also had hand Xrays and arthritic hands and Carpel Tunnel are results but whilst on preds not too bad at all. Good luck to u all fellow Pmr .
    • EileenH
      EileenH beatrice74480

      Posted

      All the more reason to stick at 3mg! I'm on 5mg, trying for 4mg again but if it doesn't work both I and my GP are perfectly happy at that.
    • beatrice74480
      beatrice74480 EileenH

      Posted

      Eileen you always make good sense of everything.I am really happy on 3mg but waiting to see Rhuemy in August. Am doing 2.5 every 4th day for a couple weeks but any probe will be straight back to 3mgs. Today I have played 4 games of very competitive bowls in Sunshine each game lasting 1 hour. Expect to have quieter day tomorrow .So have been pain free etc but prob won't be tomorrow. We can only keep trying. Good luck .
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.