How did your PMR start ?

I now know I had symptoms months I'd not longer when working with back and shoulder problems and kept asking for a more ergonomic chair and keyboard. I also suffered with headaches. The stress was bad and I was exhausted with body breaking down so Dr. Recommended time off work. I know now I delayed the diagnosis because when off work I was at the cottage and swam daily for hours to loosen my muscles that ached.

I then noticed severe pain in fingers then legs hips then toe couldn't walk then shoulders which was excruciating.

Dr on holidays so took till September to diagnosis.

Started on 20mg now 17.5mg and have all the prednisone side effects mainly mood sleep and sensitive during reduction.

All the PMR symptoms started almost to the day Oct. 15, 2014 at age 63 with sudden typical difficulty moving, turning, lifting my arms up, walking, sleeping, etc. I had no flu shots nor vaccines. I had moved a heavy boat and dock (over-exertion) but had done that sort of thing for years with no issues. I also found body building, running, climbing, nearly impossible due to new pain. There was some stress as my father died the year before, my mom was/is in advanced stages of Alzheimers, and stress of teaching and husband losing almost all work/debt collectors. I suspect the straw theory (straw that broke the camel's back) in that I already had lichensclerosis, Hashimotos, hypoglycemeia with the added load of herpes, Epstein barr and shingles virus (dormant).  Stumbled upon the answer when a round of high dose prednisone (for poison ivy) cured all the pain.  The 2nd rheumatologist I saw sorted it out after a series of doctors & after I had tried many different diets, treatments, holistic, naturopaths, etc. that didn't work. Now tapered to 8mg Rayos split dose.

Mine started May 2014 after a 2 week auto trip. I had a gastric flu or something during this trip and the aches & pains I attributed to that never went away. I strongly suspect like others have said, that a virus triggered or at least facilitated this. It could have been waiting for awhile. I did have high stress levels before and during the trip, plus arthritis in various joints.

Now I am on 5 mg pred and 10 mg methotrexate. I have pain in the known arthritic joints but everything else seems to have quieted down for now.

How to avoid? Beats me!

Clearly, most of us have different paths to PMR/GCA.

I'm more fortunate than most who are engaged here. My PMR (no signs of GCA) is relatively mild. The worst symptoms were extreme stiffness/pain first thing on arising. Stiffness/pain was almost entirely lower back, quads and inner thighs. It took me many minutes to just get to a vertical position using every ounce of will power to fight against the pain. Once vertical the pain was far less. As I moved around, stiffness/pain eased off a little at a time. By afternoon I could function reasonably well so long as I didn't move in the wrong manner. Once diagnosed, methyl prednisolone completely relieved all stiffness/pain. And even "restored my youth". Felt GREAT. I'm 81 years old.

Symptoms leading up to the very serious stiffness/pain seemed to exactly follow those of "trigger points". There were many nodules in my back that were like tiny spasms. They could be completely relieved by the "right kind" of massage. A really targeted massage could even relieve symptoms for several days. Then massage didn't accomplish anything. Then the full-blown stiffness/pain. All of this build up occured over several months. During this time, in retrospect, I noticed a serious decrease in the ability to exercise at my usual pace. The combination of thigh pain and shortness of breath cut my per-mile walking pace from 12 minutes per mile to well over 15. (Immediately after prednisolone I even improved my pace to a good 11.25, but that didn't last very long.)

Eileen has said, "It is almost certainly a vasculitis (inflamed blood vessels) affecting the very small blood vessels called capillaries which are found in the muscles and that leads to reduced blood flow and poor supply of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles - they don't work as well and the reduced blood flow doesn't clear the products of metabolism away as efficiently. This all leads to the poor muscle function and aches and pains after overdoing it - like having done really strenuous exercise." That is almost precisely the description of what causes "trigger points".

It seems clear that, WHATEVER the original and continuing cause might be, the adrenals are directing pro-inflammatories toward specific locations. Those locations are typically bilateral. And the locations vary from individual to individual.

fairly stressful,moving most days, stopped for prolonged rest before last 4 months of 3 year traveling. Hadn't felt quite right for a month or so but thought just general wear and tear and wife also tired. A change to "cleaning and polisihing" which became more difficult over a few days until almost impossible. Typical "can't lift arms above shoulders. Sharp local pain in upper arms. Massage made it worse. Difficult to drive, change gear painful. Imagined everything from some form of repetitive strain to trapped nerves but pain somehow different. Also went from endless walking in steep hills to very limited. Step length reduced due to stiffness at tops of legs and overwhelming tiredness after a couple of km. Every step a huge effort.

Lots of injectons for travel three years earlier. A couple of minor chest infections but nothing within a few months of pmr onset,