're to sweating

Thank you Anhaga for your advice I appreciate it all from this group

Well said, catherine. I'm sure that paula was very reassured by that. 

I also had to endure various tests and scans in the early stage of PMR diagnosis because the rheumatologist thought that some of my symptoms were 'atypical' and she needed to  rule out 'anything else'. Thankfully all test were normal also. I suppose they have to be thorough or they wouldn't be doing their job properly. . . .   J

Thank you very much Catherine I was a bit scared when I found out they were testing me for cancer silly me but it's good that they are trying to rule it out so thanks once again for your advice

I'm pleased that all your test came back fine as I'm sure mine will it was just a bit of a shock when I got to hospital to find out they we're testing me for cancer as doctors never told me they were sending me for them to rule out cancer

I wonder if it ever occurs to them that telling the patient what they are doing actually would stop patients panicking. Though of course - if they are ignorant of the fact the illness with which the patient has already been diagnosed causes sweats, they are probably quite concerned themselves. Of course, cancer is also one of the things they should have ruled out in the first place before making the diagnosis since the symptoms we call PMR can also be caused by a few cancers...

Thank you Eileen I told the consultant I had shingles when they took blood also about this group what everyone was saying regarding the sweating he still said he never heard of sweating with pmr or pred I told him lots of people on this group suffered with sweating but like you said its better to be tested to rule it out thank you for your reply I don't know where I would be without this group your far more knowledgeable than the doc iv seen so far thank you very much

Some nights I've sweated so much, I've had to dry off with a towel... My Rheumy asked if I had night sweats, but was still worried about it when I said I did, especially as I had an occasional fever, and also sent me for lots of investigations, including a referral to the infectious diseases department to exclude other conditions. My white blood cells were raised, iron stores low, Hb low, and the usual inflammatory markers were raised. It's reassuring to have serious conditions like cancer ruled out, but in the beginning you feel like you're constantly having hospital appointments and investigations, and it's all quite daunting. It's quite a relief when they eventually settle on the PMR.

Thankfully all the tests for infectious diseases were negative, but it was tedious having yet more blood tests.

Southern Cross in New Zealand:

"The pain and stiffness is caused by mild inflammation in the joints and surrounding tissues. Other symptoms of PMR may include: Headache. Fever and/or nightsweats"

Night sweats are almost always listed as symptoms of GCA - and since PMR and GCA are probably at different ends of a broad spectrum there will an overlap. 

I had PMR for 5 years with no pred - frequently had sweats, not just night sweats, any time of day, especially if I exerted myself. The night sweats tended/tend to be in the early morning, about the time the inflammatory substances are shed in the body. And swears are listed on EVERY list of side effects of pred I have ever seen!

Where do some of these doctor get their information? Apart frm anything else - if they don't ask the patient won't tell them because they'll assume it is "normal" for our age.

Thank you Claire I'm pleased that everything came back good for you. And yes the hospital appointments are quite daunting I must say I not a very good with hospital I'm not a patient person which is a big fault with me

How do I know that this is PMR that I have and not some occult malignancy?   I've never been worked up for that?

Me neither.  I just figure if it was anything like that I'd be dead by now!

They will have done some basic blood tests which would be abnormal of it were most of the cancers that can cause the symptoms - it isn't all cancers that cme into question.

If it were a really obscure cancer you couldn't really blame the doctors for missing it - but mostly, if the symptoms respond dramatically to pred and then you are able to reduce relatively easily it is most likely to be PMR or an inflammatory arthritis. That is part of the reason I keep saying that if the symptoms don't respond fairly well to 15-20mg the doctors should keep looking to be sure.

Ok, thanks.  I'll worry less now.

Hi Eileen been for the ct scan today it took 3 hours from start to finish but at least it's out of the way now . On getting home I had a letter from hospital regarding blood test most came back ok except calcium they said it was marginally high and to stop taking calcium tablets the thing is I never taken them lol so now got go back to doctors next week for more blood test I feel like a pin cushion can I ask you Eileen as to why it high when I don't take calcium tablets when I f got diagnosed with pmr the doc told me to get some calcium tablets I know your meant to take them with pmr so I'm confused sorry for being ignorant and asking you questions Thank you

You are meant to take calcium and vit D when you are on PRED - it makes you lose calcium via the kidneys and having some extra does protect from loss of bone density.

Have they also done a vit D test? There are a few reasons for raised blood calcium levels but I'm sure the CT and the new blood tests will work out why.

Thank you Eileen not sure if they done a vitamin d test all I know is they said calcium was marginally high and to stop taking the calcium tablets I suppose ill know more when I go see the doctor thank you

Vitamin K2 and magnesium help calcium out of the blood and into the bones.