Polymyalgia hit me out of nowhere......

:o How lucky ! Rimini on the lovely Adriatic ! I was in Pescara, when it was warm....As a child, I spent holidays at Rimini Bellaria...Why do we have to grow old...and spend our time just remembering....? Wish you a lovely time, in spite of the snow ! To keep you out of mischief...I send you this Title and you can call up Google...* Pain's People: Former TV dancer Babs Powell .....and I hope it will come up so that you can read all about it !...Also, I just remember having read an article about a lovely consultant ( Foreigner...) in the Southend, Essex Hospital. He is VERY interested in the study of PMR and he is in touch with another consultant in the US (Harward ) I think...They want to find out all about it. Also OnTV there was a brief mention of PMR and someone has found that starfish tentacles (?) have suckers that have a glutinous substance, that if extracted could be use for the ben efit of medication for sufferers of PMR ? For me is about a bit late.....But you youngsters, have something to hope for. Have a lovely time, and at soon. Love, Granny Moss.

:?Hello everyone....I have been preoccupied a bit yesterday, bec ause the pains in my hands and shoulders, although shadowy, were giving me trouble. I became very depressed at the thought that the horrible pains of months ago, would be coming back. I have gone back to 7mg Pred a day, from the 6mg I had dropped to, and today the pains were much, much less. I am taking 15 mg Lansoprazole gastro blocker, before I take Pred, but I have been thinking if it would not be best to take the Pred ready coated tablets that include the right ammount of gastro blocker ? Taking Lansopraz at 15mg, when dropping the mgs in Pred, would that dose be a bit too large from the smaller dose of Pred ? If I change to the Pred gastro tabs, the ammount of blocker would be scaled to the relative strenght of Pred? I do not know if I make much sense, but I do hope so much that someone can help me sort this out? I have to go tomorrow to M&S to get a couple of bras to fit me !.....I was getting so much dizziness, and then I realised that I have put weight ON !....and size 16 has said goodby to me, for a while ? I found this out from going without a bras for a few days !......and none of my skirts fit......I am a bit depressed at all this.....Will I lose some weight sometime ?I am 87,,,,I cannot like you younsters go jogging Skying etc.....But I MUST give the mince pies a miss.....I have already eaten a dozen in about two days..............! !

Let's hope this weather will change soon, so that we can have a peaceful enjoyable Christmas day !....It is already so full of stress, that we do NOT need this weather to add to it ! All the best. Love. Granny Moss

Hi Granny Moss

I am no help on the gastro inhibitors as I dont take them but I think Eileen said it didnt matter if you took extra of this when she replied to you ??

Yes I have had to buy bigger clothes but at the moment I am just trying to get off the steroids one thing at a time is enough and coping with this cold

I am well stocked up with food and also for my horses as when we had snow early in the year there was a shortage of one of my horses favourite food and as she is 33 I let her be fussy !! Water is our big problem at the moment even our tack room is frozen so we went of to buy more water carriers today

So far the only difference I have noticed in how I feel in this cold is that my hands feel very stiff and a bit achey but I am reducing from 4 to 3.5 at the moment but am prepared to increas if I dont feel well as I really struggled mentally with the increase at the beginning of the year when I went back up from 4 to 15 but i have come to terms with all this now

My niece is stuck at Gatwick Airport trying to fly back to Bologna and isnt very happy but I am sure she will get there in the end !!

Be careful on the ice tomorrow I have some wonderful snow boots and they have very thick soles and they are worth their weight in gold at the moment Roll on spring !!

Best wishes

Mrs G

:roll: Hello everyone ! !....It's me again, trouble !....I have received a posting under \"Polymyalgia Rheumatica\" on page 3...from EMIS Moderator (1) Site Admin, about the names muddle I have created....Even I got thoroughly confused, and I do not remember who I am.... :?: I have been told via e.mail, to get in touch with THEM on PATIENT UK FORUMS...and THEY have given me Margherita as a user name and a new password......But in a previous e.mail from THEM, they gave me a different password.....I am going to use my name Mariarita, and sign as Granny Moss.....and hope this will go through to the page. I shall not know, until I submit.....Forever hopeful ! Granny Moss)

:D Hurray ! !...I have checked posting. It is on the page !...I am going to be very careful from now on so as not to lose my way ! Have all A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS ! including ME ! LOVE, Granny Moss.

Come on Granny Moss, if my memory serves me right you're 87 years old? If I'm half as active, quick witted, humorous and computer literate as you in 5 years time, I'll be a very happy bunny :bunny: Have a lovely Christmas :cracker: and I hope that you will soon feel much better and able to enjoy 2011 to the full.

Take Care

Lizzie Ellen

Hello everyone, I have been to pick up my prescription from the surgery. The pavements were covered in ice....With my and my husband's legs and two walking sticks....we made it Then we took the prescription to the Chemist, just across the road to collect my Preds to last over the holidays ? :roll: This time I read the prescription, and it was for 5mg tabs, for me to take 3 a day ...!.....That would be 15 mg a day !....I am down to 7mg.....per day !....When the chemist gave me the tablets, and said : to be taken 3 per day...I said : NO WAY !.....oh, well, she said, you know better yourself, you know what you are doing .....She is really a very nice young person. The I thought, I have been to give blood samples, and I have not heard anything...So, on the way back from the chemist, I called again at the surgery, and asked the receptionist to ask my doctor to give me a ring, as I wanted to know my blood resukts....Dr 'phoned, and I asked her what my ESR count was...(All thanks to dear EileeH and the rest of my friends, I was now able to speak to my Dr on a different level....) I think she was quitely impressed....My ESR count is 31 and she told mr that the count is not bad, but 30 would be better....Also she told me to alternate the doses of Pred. One day 7mg the next 6mg and so alternate like this for about two weeks, and then go down 1 mg....I wonder what you young girls think of this ? Interesting to know your view. Hope this will find the right site....one never knows....Granny Moss.

Hello Granny Moss

The Dr will have taken the blood test result into account before advising you to start reducing and if you have been on 7mgs for about a month and are feeling comfortable, then it would be wise to follow her advice to do 7 and 6 on alternate days for the next couple of weeks thus easing you into the daily 6mg dose. Do hope the reduction goes smoothly for you. Keep warm and safe.

MrsO

Hello Granny Moss

Not very efficient with your prescription your surgery are they !!!! i wouldnt be very happy with that as some people would just take what they were told !!

With the blood results I always keep records of mine to see how things are going With my ESR at 30 I would be very unwell !! My ESR and CRP need to be around 5 for me to feel really good and under 10 to feel OK but everyone seems to have a different level at which they feel OK So if you keep your individual records and the dose you are taking at the time and how you feel you can see a pattern emerging

With the reduction plan I have been doing 2 days at the higher dose and

1 day at the lower dose for 2 weeks then then 2 weeks at alternate days the 2 weeks at 2 days lower dose and 1 day at the higher dose then on too the lower dose but I know Lizzie Ellen has an even slower regime prescribed by her Rheumatologist I think what you have to remember at the moment we are all struggling a lot with all the cold weather and extra work with Xmas and my Dr always says if you are planning anything hectic or under stress dont reduce for a few weeks and she always says you know best how you feel

So dont stress yourself to reduce the most important thing is not too struggle too much I like Lizzie Ellen think you are great I know 70 year olds who are frightened of the internet !!

Best wishes Mrs G

GrannyMoss. I've just looked on my box of Pred. and it says \" as directed\". I am always given a mix of 5s and 1s which allow me to combine in any dose depending where I am up to. Actually, that is what I always ask for. We can do our repeats on-line and have them delivered to our village shop which is very convenient and my requests have never been queried.I wonder why you were given just 5s?

Re the ESR. Iwas told by one of our Practice that half one's chronological age minus 10 was ok. I know MrsG is a good deal younger than I am but 5 by the formula I was given would be ok for a 30 year old. So much for formulae. Never was keen on one size fits all. It all depends how you feel. Haven't had mine tested lately but I know I was ok at ESR 30 ( I am 78 ) Perhaps we could do our own survey on here and see just how well the formula translates into actual patients.

Speak agin soon. Sleep well. BettyE

I seem to remember Eileen complaining that some modern doctors are too ready to look at the blood tests rather than the patient.

Help !...I have been too busy with my pains...to notice that I have, since taking Pred. acquired the legs and the belly of a Sumo wrestler.....anyone able to tell me what to do ? apart from \"eating less \"?...Remember, I am 87....and jogging or gimnastics are not on the menu....Please help me with any suggestions...I can take it ! Love and Best Wishes, again. Granny Moss

Granny Moss

The short answer is 'grin and bear it'.

It will eventually go - but in the meantime, bag your current clothes and put them somewhere safe - then hit the January sales.

Dear Mrs K,thank you for your kind reply. I am so confused by the months of pain (on and off...) and all the months that PMR has robbed me...and the wolliness in my head, that I forgot my Dress designer years in London ( circa 1950...) I still have my sewing machine...and my dress stand ( albeith in the dress size I was then...14 ! ! ) If this Polything allows me to do some sewing, I shall be glad to pass the time doing it. But the way I feel at this moment, wobbly head and all the rest, it is difficult to imagine me ever being able to do anything but moan.....But I will not moan on this site...FOR I should be mortified if I lose the friendships I have made. I suppose, all of us, are awaiting with ansiety the coming of spring. Our poor battered bodies need it so badly ! I am now decreasing my doses of Pred gradually, and I do hope I can keep on until I reach a daily maintenance dose where I will feel less depressed and fearful of the future. Lets hope Christmas day will be free of this miserable snow......so that people CAN travel safely and go and visit family and friends. Whish you all a Free From Pain Christmas ! Love, Granny Moss

Hello Granny Moss

Yes, as mrs k has put it so well, as far as extra fat goes we do just have to \"grin and bear it\" I'm afraid. BUT we can help ourselves somewhat with just a little tweak to our diets - if you cut down on the carbs (bread, cakes, pasta, potatoes, etc) you should be able to lessen the weight gain as somehow steroids and carbs do seem to connive together to cause excess weight. I have tried to stick to this low carb diet throughout my time on steroids and my weight gain overall is about 5lbs (admittedly this all seems to be on the tummy! :grrr: ). If I increase the carbs, my weight will also increase and I then spend a week or so restricting the carbs to get back to where I was......and it works. I'm hoping that the extra few pounds will quickly disappear sans steroids. :magic:

Good luck with the dress designing - those shift-style dresses of the late 50's/early 60's would be a great shape for us PMRers methinks!

MrsO

Hi Mrs O

Im afraid my weight gain is now in the stones not pounds and my size 10 clothes are hidden well away so they dont depress me when I see them !!

I am hoping New Year new diet and I will really try and cut the carbs My forms all came through today for my Nordic walking today so I am hoping the snow will go away otherwise it really will be Nordic walking

Hello too Granny Moss the answer is really to try to do different things that you can manage until you feel more yourself and also dont underestimate how much you need to rest with PMR I have been worried about how I would react to this cold weather as I was so bad at the beginning of the year but so far so good ( fingers crossed ) !! Spent a lot of today sorting things out with my horses as we go off to the sun on Sunday and we are hoping that all the snow will be gone when we get back !!

Take care everyone

Best wishes

Mrs G