Posted , 8 users are following.
hi still have so many questions
the past 6 months have been incredibly stressful for me. Waited 2 months to see dr thinking my pain and decreased mobility in hips and shoulders were my body locking down reacting to stress
IS STRESS A TRIGGER? do symptoms noticeably worsen?
0 likes, 7 replies
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EileenH Joymarla
Posted
Anything that can affect the immune system can contribute to autoimmune disorders developing. That may be chemical/environmental, illness, injury, emotional or physical stress. No one single thing can be identified but it is probably an accumulation of effects until a straw breaks the camel's back and the immune system goes into meltdown and malfunctions, turning on your body because it no longer recognises it as self and attacking it in error as it would a flu virus or other foreign body.
So the stress may have been the final straw - but it probably wasn't the only thing. But there is nothing you could have done to stop it - no-one knows which things added up to get the result.
kathy61958 Joymarla
Posted
stress is definitely a trigger for me. I have been completely off prednisone since November 7th of last year. I was doing great until my granddaughter contracted a staph infection in her blood when she had her wisdom teeth removed. she was admitted to hospital on December 13th and spent 6 weeks in CICU. She ultimately had open heart surgery because the severe infection damaged her tricuspid valve. the staph infection went into her lungs and kidneys as well. it has without a doubt been the most stressful time of my entire life. it didn't take long before the PMR was in full flare. I have been refusing to swallow prednisone again! I have lost 30lbs and will cry and suffer this out. Along with the PMR, came shingles on my left shoulder. THIS SUCKS!
nick67069 kathy61958
Posted
I understand the trauma you went thru, but be careful. Untreated inflammation can cause far grater damage to your body then steroids would. Untreated PMR may progress into full blown GCA. There was a study by Mayo Clinic that evaluated damage from pred and compare PMR patients to a group of healthy individuals of similar age and found virtually no difference in incidents of illness except higher number of cataract issue, which is either caused by steroids or people with PMR are more likely to check eye since they are aware of potential accelerated rate of cataract.
EileenH kathy61958
Posted
It is not a case of pred is bad, no pred is good.
As long as the underlying autoimmune cause of PMR is active it is attacking body tissues and causing inflammation. Long term inflammation is never a good thing, in the blood vessels it is particularly damaging and can lead in the longer term to vascular disease of various sorts and cardiovascular damage which may lead to stroke, heart attack or arrythmias - I have atrial fibrillation which is due to damage done by the vascultiis and requires a dose of pred that controls it. Untreated PMR is 7 times more likely to progress to GCA and the ultimate risk there is not only stroke but permanent and irreversible loss of sight. That requires a much higher dose of pred to control than you need for PMR. In the meantime you are in pain and have no decent quality of life - which leads to worse depression, which is part of unmanaged PMR anyway.
This isn't just scaremongering or dramatics. I do know what I'm talking about - I had 5 years of unmanaged PMR because it wasn't diagnosed. I was housebound and unable to do anything without assistance. I could barely toilet myself and bath was out of the question as I couldn't get out of the bath. I lost contact with friends as a result and was thoroughly miserable. Pred gave me my life back. If PMR only lasts 2 years I suppose it might be doable - but after over 14 years I still have PMR symptoms if I reduce the dose too far, not to mention the cardiac symptoms which, without pred, would be extremely limiting.
You want to be there and happy for your granddaughter I imagine - so don't rule pred out altogether.
kathy61958 EileenH
Posted
SIGH
Thank you, Eileen. I know you're right. I started back on the prednisone this morning. I was just so unhappy with the way prednisone changed my body. Looking like a pumpkin was awful for me. Being slender my entire life, then reaching nearly 200lbs was devastating. I'm currently at 164. Of course I don't want to cause damage to myself due to mere vanity. I've placed a call to my Rhuematologist and...Here I go again 😦
EileenH kathy61958
Posted
I DO understand that too - although I didn't gain quite as much weight as you, I did gain a lot, first through the inactivity and comfort eating of PMR and then when put on Medrol for several months, it wasn't as much a problem with prednisolone and now on prednisone it isn't too bad either. But I do have to be careful.
Did anyone suggest to you that you should restrict carbs and salt when on pred? A low carb diet does make a big difference to the weight gain - it may not have to be NO Carb, everyone is different. But all white and processed carbs should be avoided and probably also fruit - above ground veggies all the way, root veg have lots of carbohydrate. You are the same weight as me at present - I'm a whole 5'1" so that is a bit much and I was less until last summer so I know I have to take myself in hand again! But I do still have a waist - and I do put that down to low carb! I was even told a day or two ago that I'd lost weight - if only!
margot34956 Joymarla
Posted
HI joymarla, I am certain that stress is a trigger. i was very stressed too and unable to rest, always rushing. That was my lifestyle. Then diagnosed with PMR November 2017