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
Anhaga k8211
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.
Nefret k8211
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.
EileenH k8211
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!
k8211
Posted
ptolemy k8211
Posted
lodgerUK_NE k8211
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.
EileenH k8211
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.
rocketman42 EileenH
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.
maurice1962 k8211
Posted
Anhaga maurice1962
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.
EileenH Anhaga
Posted