Muscle Weakness Anyone?

Posted , 11 users are following.

I am currently on 20mg of Prednisone for about 10 days now after a PMR diagnosis.  In 26 hours, all my stiffness and pain was completely gone which is great.  However, I am noticing that my muscles are weak in my arms.  Having trouble doing things such as hanging laundry on a clothesline and drying my hair.  Before the prednisone I was so stiff and had trouble doing this things, but now the stiffness is gone and it's like my muscles are so tired that I am having difficulty keeping my arms up for any length of time.  Is this common?  Also, should I be doing exercises to strengthen these muscles?  I don't see my specialist for another two weeks and was just wondering if anyone else had the same experience.

 

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Posted

    I hate to say this, but you almost certainly will not be able to strengthen muscles at this point.  Maybe as you get lower strength will return.  What I've done, and maybe it will work for you, is do exercise less with the view that I'll get stronger, but more hoping I'll keep what I have, plus maintain range of motion.  Walking is good.  Tai Chi and Nordic walking have both helped me, although I didn't start the Nordic walking until I was at a relatively low dose.  It helps strengthen the upper body, including the arms, of course.  Tai Chi helps with balance and coordination.  All of these are supposed to be helpful in maintaining bone density as well.  Avoid strenuous exercise for the time being.  Be kind to your body so it can heal.

  • Posted

    Yes, it's common - most of us have had this somewhere along the line.  It's difficult to say whether it's the Pred or the PMR or both.  PMR causes muscle weakness and a Pred side effect is muscle weakness..............so you pay your money and take your choice. 

    If it's a Pred side effect it will disappear as the dose reduces (mostly...I got the short straw) and if it is the PMR symptoms, they will hopefully go

    as the  inflammation is brought under control.

    As for exercising/exercises, if you target specific muscles it just adds to the stress they are already under.  What's normally suggested is walking as much as possible. 

     

  • Posted

    You haven't been using those muscles as much recently - and it will take time for them to recover. 

    And I bet you have been doing more now you feel better with the pred? You aren't back to normal and won't be for a long time yet. The pred only manages the symptoms, it does nothing for the real illness, an underlying autoimmune disorder that makes your immune system attack your body by mistake. Your muscles are intolerant of acute exercise as a result of the damage it is doing and will remain unable to work as normal - you have to manage that with adaptation and lifestyle changes. In fact, it is less the muscles that are the problem as the blood supply to them and asking them to do things - especially repetitive or sustained actions like hanging the washing up where you expect to hold your arms above shoulder level.

    We've all been there!

  • Posted

    Thanks.  I have been reading on some sites that muscle weakness is NOT a symptom of PMR and others say it is a symptom.  In my case I feel it is not prednisone as I have only been taking it for 10 days.  It makes sense that because I am feeling a lot better, I am trying to do more things and maybe that is why it is acting up.  
    • Posted

      I found I was very weak when first diagnosed although the pred worked like a miracle. I could hardly move before and my muscles really had atrophied. Now I have been on pred for a while I have problems lifting shopping etc. My doctor said it was steroid neuropathy. I do go swimming which I think helps my arm muscles, some people do gentle weight lifting.
    • Posted

      Go to the PMR GCA North East Website,under Health & Wellbeing there are exercises for people with PMR.

      Walking is best and if you can try Nordic Walking poles.

    • Posted

      Part of the issue there is that what patients perceive is "weakness" but the physiological tests say the muscles aren't weakened - what the patients probably mean is the lack of ability to do things, a feeling of powerlessness, that's how I felt it at least, my limbs wouldn't do what I wanted them to. It is just terminology. That is slowly beginning to percolate through into doctors' awareness! It is very common for patients to say "I feel weak" and for doctors who aren't thinking about what the patient is saying decide it must be due to pred - which after a few days is hardly likely to be the case.

    • Posted

      Perfect description.

      All along I too have been describing my symptoms as feeling "weak" for lack of a better explanation.

      In fact it is actualky a feeling of "powerlessness" and a lack of ability to do things.

      Thank you for helping to describe my symptoms more accurately. Hopefully it will help my rheumatologist understand things better.

  • Posted

    Hey bro ive tried doing exercises with those stretchy bands u get from physios and my shoulders wrists didnt like it at all .😡😡😡😡😡
    • Posted

      Before diagnosis I went for physio for my shoulders and I recall on my second or third visit almost crying when I was being set up to do the stretchy band exercises.  They changed their ideas for me at that point, although I now know physio wasn't what I needed.

    • Posted

      Me too - I did very little, knowing the problems, but nevertheless I felt awful the next day...

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