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Not sure i have pmr.

Posted , 9 users are following.

patricia71865
patricia71865

Hi all .started in about last november.had lots more pain in back and shoulders asusual went to gp with unberable pain .had fbc wich showed high esr and crp not shore how high was given low dose of iron tabs for for onemonth and put on pred at 40ml for 2weeks down to60ml for next 2weeksand soon for eight weeks then come off the mBut had very bad pulpitations vision problems and other reactions to pred so i reduced dose earlier did c slight improvment with meds but still in lots of pain whent to rheumatologist he was not convinced iy was pmr at that time i was taking 5mg of pred was feeling slightly less pain he told me to stop taking pred .but since then i feel alot more pain in shoulders and hips some days it can be unberable sorry for long winded text but this is first time have been reading all of you lovely peoples emails with lots of simpathy .

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • EileenH
    EileenH patricia71865

    Posted

    I don't understand what your GP gave you: you say you started with 40 and WENT DOWN to 60?

    However - IF this is PMR then you have been totally mismanaged. The starting dose for PMR is 15-20mg which should be enough to manage the pain and stiffness giving about a 70% improvement in the symptoms in a relatively short time, up to a week or two at most. Then you reduce the dose of pred slowly until you find the lowest dose of pred that gives the same result as the starting dose. PMR lasts for at least 2 years - but may last more than 6 years, the average time for treatment with pred is 5.9 years - it is not an illness for which you take pred for a couple of months and stop. If you were put on 40mg then it is hardly surprising you had unpleasant side effects - that is a dose for patients with GCA which is much more serious and needs a high dose.

    If the symptoms do not respond to a moderate dose then there must be a question as to whether it is PMR. DID you have a good response in terms of pain when you started the pred at the high dose? 

  • Michdonn
    Michdonn patricia71865

    Posted

    Patricia, every case and person is different. With me it is a stiffness and when I try to move excruciating pain. The condition is normally worse in the morning when rising. When I have hurt myself from over do it, the pain normally increase as the day goes on. We do not recover as quickly with PMR, as I say that time to get back on my ice pack from over do it. Try to stay active, positive and smile. ☺️
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