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PMR and life expectancy

Posted , 12 users are following.

Danrower
Danrower

After months of diagnosis failure for my initial PMR experiences, I thought my time was coming. Like most here, Prednisone was a miracle, and the second miracle was remission, 18-20 months later. 

I subscribe to several medical journal ticklers, and read occasional studies of the correlation of some inflammatory diseases (RA, lupus, fibromyalgia, eczema, vasculitis) and longevity. Some of these describe some correlations.

Has there been a study or examination of the correlation ( if there is one) for PMR and longevity?

Thank you, in advance, for this information. It may be a bit of a downer, but I hope not.

0 likes, 19 replies

19 Replies

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  • amkoffee
    amkoffee Danrower

    Posted

    This is something I'll be interested to hear what people say.

    • constance.de
      constance.de amkoffee

      Posted

      Not me!  I'd rather stay innocent.  It might scare the death out of people and CAUSE an eary demise!!!

    • Silver49
      Silver49 constance.de

      Posted

      That was my very thought, Constance. There are always other factors no matter what is stated.
  • ricky23486
    ricky23486 Danrower

    Posted

    That would be very interesting to know.......  I am now in my third year of prednisone.....  and have become aware this year that my general health has now deteriorated markedly.... overweight, lack of stamina, tendinitis poor sleep, slow walking, fatigue......  and  the realization that I have had enough of this.... I still work physically ....And though I would love to reduce my hours even more I cannot afford to.... so when one considers the alternative as (Winston Churchill said when he was in his nineties,  ) my own personal feeling is that I would like to be out of it....
    • constance.de
      constance.de ricky23486

      Posted

      You've a long way to go Ricky, don't despair - PMR doesn't kill. It also, at sometime or another, goes into remission.  Imagine if you are looking down 'from up there' and learn you would have had a good 20 or 30 years of good life and no pain.  Wouldn't you be sick!😀

       

    • ricky23486
      ricky23486 constance.de

      Posted

      You have a point there...I do hope you are right!  Thanks For the encouragement :-)
    • RD_Swede
      RD_Swede ricky23486

      Posted

      When I was diagnosed with pmr and GCA the doctor said that I could be glad that it is not life lastning and after 1 - 1 1/2 year I would be free from it. Well, it took 3 1/2 years but after more than 8 years I am still OK. The "trick" is to take it slowly and not risk any flare ups that usually prolong the period. It would be great that sufferers realize this

    • EileenH
      EileenH ricky23486

      Posted

      You do have to be grateful at least that this is a disease of the elderly (medically speaking that is over 55) and we have had a pretty good life first. Lurk for a while on a lupus or vasculitis form where they are sometimes in their teens and 20 or 30s when they become ill and have little or no chance of ever holding down a "proper" job - you will soon realise how lucky we all are.

    • Silver49
      Silver49 ricky23486

      Posted

      Take heart. I had ME following a nasty virus. I thought I'd never see 40 never mind 70 as I head towards it. I worked through it even though my husband had to pull me out of bed some days. I never gave up but thought it would never end. Stairs felt like a mountain climb....not that I've climbed mountains. I don't know how I got through it but I very gradually realised that I could do a little more without being wiped out and in pain. It will get better even though it may not seem like it now. I had several years of ME and thought I'd never recover. I gained my full energy again and the pain finally went. All the palpitations, dizziness etc went too. 

    • ricky23486
      ricky23486 RD_Swede

      Posted

      In all the 8 years post pmr does that mean you no longer have any pain?
    • ricky23486
      ricky23486 EileenH

      Posted

      i will do some lurking and maybe emerge grateful... !  
    • RD_Swede
      RD_Swede ricky23486

      Posted

      I was lucky and had very little pain while I had pmr and GCA and during the last 8 years I have had not pmr- related pain
    • ricky23486
      ricky23486 Silver49

      Posted

      I am glad for you that you were able to overcome the ME  in spite of all.   That is very encouraging.   
    • Silver49
      Silver49 ricky23486

      Posted

      Thank you. That's what has given me hope for PMR going in to remission. I realise that being retired has helped and 2 years down the line I'm at 3.5. Sometimes it's been difficult but I feel I'm improving though not being complacent as I know it can come back and bite. I have a friend who had PMR for 15 years and it has now gone in to remission. She is normally full of e energy so that gives hope for the future.

    • EileenH
      EileenH Silver49

      Posted

      Interesting though Silver - I had what was almost certainly ME when I was about 26/27. It went away eventually but the fatigue persisted for a long time. Then in my 30s I had sweats and fatigue that my gynae thought might be pre-menopause (no such luck) but HRT made a major difference. It was a couple of years after stopping HRT that PMR appeared. I do wonder what would happen if I tried HRT again...

      I hope I'm like your friend though - 13 years and counting so far :-(

    • Silver49
      Silver49 EileenH

      Posted

      I was nearer 40 and I think it was more debilitating than PMR because there was nothing to take to ease the pain and fatigue. I was unable to plan anything.... just went to bed when I got home from work. It took a few years to go away. I took cod liver oil capsules and ate lots of oily fish. I stopped eating meat because I went off it completely. One of the consultants with whom I worked took blood as she hadn't known anybody get better when I was starting to improve. It seems that fish oils help and I just followed what my body was craving. It's amazing how my friend has recovered so well from PMR and she had a number of flares. I hope it goes in to remission for you, Eileen.

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