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  3. Polymyalgia Rheumatica and GCA

Calf problems when walking

Posted , 12 users are following.

pat38625
pat38625

Hi, was diagnosed in November past with PMR but was undiagnosed for approx 6 months.  All my pain and stiffness was from neck down to knees.  I have never had problems below my knees.  When I go for a short drive to do some grocery shopping it's really not a problem (my son comes with me so that he can pack and put away my groceries).

Two weeks in a row I have walked to my slimming club which is 5 mins away but after a short while my calf muscles start to ache, the left more than the right.  I have to hold on to my son for support.  Before PMR and on a good day I could walk 4 miles.  Never in my life have I had a problem with calf muscles.  If it's not bad enough having PMR, now I cannot go out for a short walk without real discomfort.  Thank you in advance for any replies.  Also I have lost 1lb in weight in 7 weeks even on a very low carb diet.  So am not going back to slimming club, am just fed up with everything at present, but it will pass, when I don't know, but sure I'm not going anywhere.

2 likes, 35 replies

35 Replies

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  • mikethebuilder
    mikethebuilder pat38625

    Posted

    Hello Pat, my name is Mike, I'm 55 and from Queensland Australia. I have the exact same condition as you but have not as yet been diagnosed. I've been to a few specialists and had scans and ultra sounds done but still have no answers. I'd be very interested to chat with you to see how you are going and if you have been able to get any answers to this condition. Mike.

    • pat38625
      pat38625 mikethebuilder

      Posted

      Hi Mike, I take it you have not been diagnosed with PMR yet?  I was diagnosed November 2014 and started on 20mg pred and it helped greatly.  I never got the calf muscles sorted out.  I cannot remember why.  At present I have been on 3mg of pred since July and am exhausted most of the time.  I have not been out walking in a very long time but when I did I was able to go a bit further each time and yes my left calf muscle will still pull, the right one seems fine.  All in all my left side is weaker than the right.  I do hope you get a diagnosis soon as the not knowing is far worse (my opinion).  Regards Pat
  • tim10706
    tim10706 pat38625

    Posted

    There is a very easy way to give your calf muscles a workout at home, find something around an inch thick that you can stand on with just the balls of your feet, a piece of wood is fine , maybe close to a wall or something to use for balance. Just lift your heels up level and back down again, past level later if you like. 

    You can't always walk outdoors in bad weather, but you can do this watching telly. It's a martial arts exercise, we do a lot of bouncing around on the balls of our feet so we need to strengthen our calves, more for stamina than power which is what walking does. 

    No painful walks home , just flop in a chair with a brew. 

    Good luck getting it better, it's a bloody nuisance I know 😔

    • pat38625
      pat38625 tim10706

      Posted

      Hi Tim and thank you for the tip re; calf muscles.  I know that excercise, I used to do it in the gym.  I am walking a bit further each time, when I go out with my son, so as each year I am walking a bit further and further with less pred.  Was on 3mg and went up to 4mg which I'm still at.  Thanks for the tip anyway.  Regards Pat

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