PMR in remission, want to excercise hard again can that cause a relapse?

Take it easy. Don't beat yourself up.

You are correct, there is hardly any information about PMR and exercise. I have tried to keep a log about my experience in that and you can find it here

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/pmr-and-excersize-experiment-in-progress-492585?page=0&order=Oldest#main-reply

It depends what is your goal. If it is for health, then moderate, longer exercise 3-4 times per week is probably best choice.

Basically I have started my exercise withing 2 months of getting PMR and kept up. My focus was on endurance training and trying to increase my tolerance for long, but slow effort. I can tell you that if you keep moderate effort ( up to 70-80% of the maximum) you should be fine. Once in a while I exceed the upper limit and push myself harder, but it usually is in the middle of a long and moderate exercise, so body has enough time to worm up and cool down.

I am still on pred ( in 1.5-3mg range) and currently my regiment is 2x MTB ride for about 90 min and 1x swim of 1 hour/2,5Km distance.

It is my understanding that high dose of pred changes protein metabolism and prevents muscle recovery. This is why I opted for moderate endurance training. I plan to ask my rheumi, which I see next week, if lower dose of pred would interfere with muscle recovery. In you case, you don't have to worry about it.

Start slow and increase load over time. Your body will let you know when it had enough.

There is no reason why ordinary exercise should cause relapse - though there are theories that excessive exercise could be the final straw that sends PMR into freefall. But is just as likely that the PMR was already there and a really hard work out or long mountain hike (my memory of just before PMR) makes the muscle soreness obvious and it takes a long time to resolve, merging into the PMR.

Not yet published research has suggested that pred affects oxygen metabolism in muscle (can't remember the details, I was just sorting the language). If you are off pred that shouldn't apply - but I don;t know how long the effect would persist. But starting a slow increase and seeing how your body responds seems a reasonable way to go as Nick suggests.

Woodrow,

I can only relate to my own circumstances but I was diagnosed with PMR a little over a year ago. At its worst, I had severe pain in my lower neck and shoulders, my upper arms, wrists, hips and upper legs. I had trouble dressing, tying my shoes, getting into and out a car and especially putting on a seat belt. I had to lift a coffee cup with two hands.

My wife said that I 'rocked' when I walked due to the hip pain. We had to move all our dishes down to a lower shelf so I could reach them.

I had been a former runner but at 73, still very active, fast-walking 5 to 10 miles a week at about a 14 minute pace and was playing golf 2-4 times a week. After starting with 20 mg of Prednisone, and PT, I started getting better.

Then I reasoned that I could take my PT exercises and do a modified version of them every morning in our hot tub. When I get up in the morning, I still have significant stiffness in my shoulders and at the base of my neck but after my 45 minute exercise routine in our hot tub and then 20 minutes of TENS, I'm almost 90%. I then walk our dogs 2 miles every morning.

I'm back to playing golf 2 to 4 times a week and am actually hitting the golf ball as far or farther than ever before which I credit to my daily exercises.

I have started the process of slowly decreasing from 6 mg to hopefully be off Prednisone by the end of the year, assuming no flareup relapses.

I have not noticed on days when I combine my workout, with golf, and sometimes hiking as well, any possible relapse the next day, but as knowledgeable people on this website emphasize, everyone is different and you should just listen to your body.

I'm about your age, have had PMR for nearly six years and am now requiring 2mg-3.5mg

(seasonally adjusted) to prevent symptoms (initially it required 20mg, and I struggled for three years to get below 5mg).

I have participated in high-intensity (45-minute) "cyclocross" bike racing each Fall and have never experienced any flaring of symptoms as a result. I would say that, if anything, the sports activity is beneficial to my condition and helps to keep my dosage requirement lower.

My low dosage of prednisone definitely reduces the normal sort of soreness/stiffness that typically follows a day at the races, and also does wonders for my seasonal allergies. I notice no negative effects from the prednisone at all, and I don't have to beg for sufficient pills, so I have nothing to complain about and no concerns other than being in a fresh outdoor air environment as much as is possible here in California.