Newly diagnosed

I'm 62 years old and newly diagnosed with PMR. It was tough to hear that it wasn't something that could be fixed by a swift course of antibiotics and I think I was in denial for the first few days. But after researching and looking into alternatives to prednisone, I've come around. Armed with more knowledge, this morning I took my first dose of 15mgs. The doc had originally prescribed 20mg and we settled on 15mgs after discussion. I plan to up it to 20mg right away if the aches don't cease and I'll let you know how I get on.

On my learning curve, I have found this forum immensely helpful. Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and good advice. From you, I've learnt to think of this as a chronic condition that could go into remission in two or three years if I'm lucky. I've learnt to be vigilant for temporal artemis and GCA. I've learnt reducing the prednisone will need to be done very, very gradually. I've learnt I'm going to need to take steps to combat the negative side effects of prednisone so I have some lifestyle changes to make. And very importantly, I've learnt I'm not alone.  

I'm a writer and video maker by trade. I've never been very physically active but I've always been busy and worked hard and the impact this might have on my work is a big concern for me. The last couple of months of aches and fatigue have been very difficult.

But I'm starting today with a positive frame of mind and it's largely down to this forum. I've found the stories you've been willing to share so helpful and if I can get my energy levels up, I plan to vlog about my experiences with PMR. I'd just like to pay forward in case my story can help someone else, as you've all helped me. Thank you so much. 

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