Polymyalgia returning

I was diagnosed with Temporal Lobe Arteritis more than 5 years ago, and Polymyalgia started within 3 months.

I have been on steroids ever since.  My doctor encouraged me to lower my dosage very gradually but every time I got down to 5mg per day the pain flared up and she had to put me on a high dose again.

Over the last year/few months I seem to have developed gut and abdominal problems in that order.  I'm being attended to for these.  One unfortunate side effect of one of the drugs I was given Esomeprazole meant I had to come off a beta blocker for my long standing palpitations.  As if life weren't hard enough.

Now I have developed what the doctor thought was a swollen gland on the left hand side.  If I don't try to keep my head reasonably raised it always results in some jaw pain and a headache, plus some earache.  Doctor checked my ear and said there appeared to be a slight infection and put me on a course of amoxisillin.  This has made no difference.  He also checked my shoulder and neck pain which appeared recently and it looks as though the polymyalgia is returning.  I will see him again this week.

Have any others had similar situations, particularly the recent gland/jaw, ear/bad headache?  I feel as though I've had health problems since the end of last year, although the palpitations are much longer standing..I've had two angiograms, but was declared clear.

Do you think the two conditions are returning together i.e. shoulder pains and recent jaw area pains?

It was very interesting to read your previous discussions, although it is a pity they are quite "old".  However, some of you might still be reading articles, and I would be very pleased to read them

Good luck and better health to all.

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