Having a good cry

I've been having a problem with a shoulder, but it's not PMR, it turned out to be a rotator cuff injury.  Have you done anything (and it could be something minor) which might have strained something or is perhaps causing referred pain?  i do think pred makes us weaker and more inclined to get injured from things which once upon a time wouldn't have bothered us at all.  Meanwhile, try icing or heat (I prefer heat, others like ice) and be kind to yourself.  <3

There was a day when I did not take my prednisone in the morning like I always had before because I had a stomach ache I thought I would just take it at lunch time. This was early on in my diagnosis. Well within a couple of hours I was in agony my arms hurt so bad. It was worst than when I was first diagnosed. I was in the tag office and I had to ask the man to write the check for me because I couldn't do it. After that incident I would be sure to take my prednisone as soon as I get up in the morning.

Then on one other occasion I had what I thought was a flare it lasted about 5 days and on the 5th day I had had more than I can handle because again the pain was worse than when the disease first started. And the pain was all over my body this time, not just my arms. My doctor told me to increase my prednisone substantially and of course it stopped the pain right away. My reason for telling you this is to let you know that I too have had two incidences where I had pain worse than it originally started. But in both cases I was able to get it under control with prednisone.

In agreement with anhaga and amkoffee and the fact that the extreme pain is on one side only it is possible that you have either an injury In addition to the pmr or possibly  pressure on the nerve pathway running from the neck down the arm.   Sometimes one of the cerrvical vertebrae shifts and squashes down on a nerve root in the neck and this can cause agonizing pain going down the arm.  If you have a good physical therapist he or she will be able to immediately identify the source and cause  of the pain and show you how to release the pressure with some simple exercises.   

hope you feel better very soon.  

margaret89358, we are all different and have had different experiences. I always have more pain on one side. Few weeks ago pain in shoulder, that evening up my daily dose to 20 from 15, took 20 the next 2 days. Then on 4th day drop to 17.5 and continued my taper to 15 with no more problems. Seeing it a Saturday I would increase my dosage, then you will know if you are having a flare. It seems to me that if you are the quicker you act the better you are.

Good Luck, stay positive and try to smile. :-)

I'd call your doc immediately and probably increase prednisone by at least 5mg.  My doc always has me with one extra bottle of both 5s and 1s so I can deal with sudden flare ups.  If you think it might be another injury, ask for an MRI.   If you increase pred. Go back Down very gradually.  Good Luck..  also  might try Tylenol for pain

You need to go to the doctor - this really doesn't sound like PMR but more like an acute shoulder problem. Have you done anything that could have injured soft tissue? It MAY be worth trying A&E - this sounds like an injury needs to be ruled out and that will need an x-ray to start with, possibly other imaging, and your GP won't be able to do that without sending you to hospital anyway.

It sounds like a flare up to me.

However I too am new to this illness,having been diagnosed in August. The pain you are describing sounds exactly like what sent me to the emergency of our local hospital. My pain was in both arms and wrists and I could not lift my arms to get dressed or undressed, my knees became so sore I could no longer get into the bathtub. My husband helped me dress ! and I am a young (56) person to have developed PMR. At least that is what everyone has told me.

Wish you all the best.