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Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Posted , 3 users are following.

sparklin
sparklin

Hi everyone I just joined up here yesterday.

I gave up smoking 4 weeks ago because I was getting a lot of pain in my legs and arms etc.

So I went to the Doctor on Monday. I burst in to tears and could not speak, she must have thought \"jeepers what have I got here\" finally between sobs I was able to tell her all about my pain etc.

She took a blood test and asked me \"could I wait 24 hours so that she would know what to treat me with\".

I came back to her on Tuesday and she had the paper work on her desk. She said I had Polymyalgia Rheumatica never having heard of this before it was a bit of a shock to me.

Reading all the paper work and the possible side effects of the pills was also a shock. All of this scared me as well. But pills it is.

But it is now Wed evening and the pain has reduced greatly I can even put my socks on ha ha. And I am still off the ciggies.

I personally feel that now that I know what is wrong with me and that there is something wrong with me I will cope with this and do all the right things. It could have been so much worse I could have had something that was much worse than Polymyalgia Rheumatica.

Should I be eating any special foods etc.I eat lots of fish

So I have sort of rested the last two days and this Friday I am returning to my swimming. I am only a slow swimmer but it is very relaxing in the water.

Very happy to find you all

Sparklin

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • RickF
    RickF

    Posted

    Hi Sparklin,

    Welcome to this forum. As is often said, \"misery loves company\". There is a lot of good information on this forum and good people to answer your questions.

    I remember when I was first diagnosed with PMR, about seven months ago, I could hardly walk into or out of the Dr's office without shuffling my feet. As you say, it could be worse. The Prednisone (or Prednisolone) really helps with the symptoms so you can get on with your life. Pred is not a cure, but sure helps to manage the pain and stiffness.

    Good luck and read a lot of the discussion threads here on the forum. And... don't hesitate to ask any questions. Do a search (Google?) for \"PMR-GCA UK North East\" as there is a lot of good information there for us.

  • sparklin
    sparklin

    Posted

    Good morning RickF lovely to hear back from you.

    I don't feel so alone now and a little less scared :D

    I will have a good read here today and do a google search as you suggested catch you later

  • Mrs_G
    Mrs_G

    Posted

    Welcome ( I think !!)

    Sorry to hear of another sufferer but you have come to the right place for help and information You will see that though we have PMR we all have different histories symptoms and recoveries I myself have had a totally different time with my 2nd bout of PMR to my first

    I think basically its a case of look after yourself with healthy eating and go as low on carbs as you can You also will probably need to rest more and even if you do feel a lot better just remember you still have PMR

    The other thing that helps me is keeping records of my blood levels doseage and any flare ups I have had I take notes to my Dr and she is great and is letting me manage my own reductions now by listenning to my body after a massive flare up at the beginning of the year You need to have regular blood pressure checks diabetes dexa scans because of the steroids but the PMR /GCA northeast is the best place to get all the techical info and there is DVD as well from them

    We all share our ups and downs here so feel free to post anything you like !!

    Best wishes

    Mrs G

  • EileenH
    EileenH

    Posted

    Hi sparklin,

    Welcome - unfortunately for you! Rick cheats - he's around when we're all asleep! But he's given you the best advice for the moment - go and have a good read around the forum and you will get a lot of questions answered straight off. In addition - we are not allowed to give links or mention doctors or anything on this forum - so google pmr gca uk northeast support site and you should find a link to the site set up by the PMR and GCA charity which was launched in March this year and which provides info for sufferers. There are articles by both patients and doctors about PMR and taking steriods, info about groups where you can meet others and so on.

    After that - if you're not exhausted - if you have any other questions, ask away and someone will try to answer them. We are not doctors but between us have a lot of years of experience with PMR or GCA. And if you feel you need a moan to a group of people who understand just where you are coming from - we'll listen and sympathise too. And offer ideas for coping.

    keep in touch - believe you me, you are NOT alone and there isn't a lot to be scared about with PMR. It's pretty uncomfortable and may spoil your fun - but the positive side is that it won't kill you and can usually be managed pretty well. And if you are lucky, you could well be off steroids in a couple of years - about 50% are and if not, then you will be on a much lower dose than at present.

    EileenH

  • sparklin
    sparklin

    Posted

    Hello Mrs G happy to hear from you also. sorry to hear that this is your second bout sounds like you have a great Doctor and that you manage Ok.

    EileenH hello there I am just going to google that site now. Will come back on later

    :D

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