polymyalgia or what?
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I started having excruciating unfamiliar pain in my left upper back last January. GP prescribed Lyrica and Tramadol. Pain went after 3 weeks, but painful area of skin remained 'numb' like and sensitive as if the nerve endings were exposed. Eventually all symptoms went away until April when the pain returned on my rights side. I had muscle spasms in certain 'vulnerable areas (IBS type abdo pain on right and a muscle that 'spasmd' for no apparent reason since turning 50 ish) a very tender area at back waist level and, again numb like exposed nerve skin at the painful areas. Also pins and needles in my hands.CRP was very raised and slight anaemia.
Specialist diagnosed polymyalgia and put me on 20mg prednisolone. The relief within 2 days was miraculous. My bloods all returned to normal then, when I got down to 12.5 mg pred 3 weeks ago, the pain returned in my left waist area plus the numb sensations. My GP thinks its neuralgia and prescribed amitryptiline. Hasn't done much so far. Am still taking 12.5 mg pred.
Anyone had similar please?
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EileenH sue56198
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Google it and look at the articles from the Mayo clinic and Cleveland clinics. There is also very good information on a site called spine health which has a video showing you where the worst bits are.
I used massage/mobilisation therapy and Bowen therapy when I lived in Germany and the UK and here in Italy I have had mobilisation of the trigger spots by both a massage therapist and a physiotherapist, injections into the trigger spot areas and a technique called needling to relax the spasmed muscles in my back.
carol16456 sue56198
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debra38992 sue56198
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EileenH debra38992
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https://patient.info/forums/discuss/pmr-gca-and-other-website-addresses-35316
This link will take you to a thread where the first post has other links in it. They will provide you with a lot of reliable information about PMR, all approved by doctors, as well as other PMR forums. The final link in the first post is to a paper by top experts in PMR aimed at GPs to help them diagnose and then manage PMR. It includes a recommended taper over 2 years which achieves a flare rate of 1 in 5 rather than the 3 in 5 that the usual tapers used induce. The most common cause of a flare in symptoms is reducing the pred dose too far or too fast for the active disease. You cannot force a reduction - all that will happen is that you will end up back in the same state as at the beginning, and each time it happens it becomes more difficult to get the inflammation back under control.
sue56198 debra38992
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EileenH sue56198
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Overoptimistic consultant? Yes - the only people I know who have got off pred in well under 2 years have been men. They often suffer PMR very differently from women.
debra38992 sue56198
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sue56198 debra38992
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debra38992 sue56198
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