1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Polymyalgia Rheumatica and GCA

Possible PMR

Posted , 11 users are following.

Jubilant1
Jubilant1

I am a 60 year old male with a recent history of pain in my shoulders, neck and hips tha occassionaly involves my wrists. The pains come and go but they are painful and the pain moves around. I am somewhat stiff and have been doing strectching exercises. I am seeing a rheumatologist next week to be worked up for PMR and Fibromyalgia. I thought these ailments were mostly seen in women so it surporised me! Also all my perevious blood work was negative for Rheumatoid Arthiritis and my SED and CRP levels are always normal. Do some people have normal SED rates and still get this ailment? Also, one of my doctors suggested I take 15mg of Predisone for 3 days and if that worke, then it was probably PMR. Thougths?  Thanks for your help. Jim

2 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

Next
  • mrs_k
    mrs_k Jubilant1

    Posted

    Your GP is correct, as long as he starts you on 15-20mg.  Fibromyalgia does not respond to Pred.

    Yes men get PMR about every 5 out of 100.  It is not exclusive.

    Yes you can have any illness without your ESR or CRP being raised.  Some people 'markers' are never raised and if they are, it is just asing of 'something is going on'  then they have to find out what.   You can be diagnosed with how you feel - ie actual symtpoms.

    I would stick with that GP of your, s/he sounds clued up on PMR and that is not usual.

    On the right hand side of this page, there is a yellow box, scroll down and click on Polymyalgia Rheumatica, it will take you to the main thread.   There are three charities all with websites and they contain a wealth of information and where support groups are currently located and yes men do attend those support groups.

    knowledge is power  and you need to gain it.

  • ann98860
    ann98860 Jubilant1

    Posted

    Hi to you its not true it only females get my doctor told me it was caused by a virus which attacks your immune system if it is P M R no pain killers take the pain away I had the strongest they had anot one off them worked untill I was given preds good luck hope you get sorted out nothing worse than being in agony and not knowing why ;
    • mrs_k
      mrs_k ann98860

      Posted

      Hi Ann

      Your Doctor is wrong, currently there is no known cause or cure, and a lot of research is now being undertaken.

      There are as many theories as there are grains of sand.  Auto-innune illnesses are the most complex and there are over 800 of them.

    • blodwyn
      blodwyn ann98860

      Posted

      Hi ann98860.

      ThIs is the first time I've heard it suggested that PMR is caused by a virus !!!.

      As far as I'm aware there is no known cause  for PMR and no cure either.

      Jubilant1 is lucky (as I was)to have seen a GP who has some idea of the condition.Some are clueless.

      Although there is pain and fatigue with Fibromyalgia, it is different and is treated differently.

      Good luck with your diagnosis

  • david14272
    david14272 Jubilant1

    Posted

    LO Jim. I am a 73yr old male& have PMR I was started on 15mg of pred it worked wonders, With briliant advice from mrs k and others on the 3 forums i am now slowley  working down to 8mg.if you need any advice on this strange journey there is always someone there.All the best for your journey. the first two bits of advice given to me Rest&slowley. Dave
  • EileenH
    EileenH Jubilant1

    Posted

    The proportion is about 3 women to 1 male but sorry - men get it too! about 1 in 5 patients have normal bloods - mainly the atypical patients, men and younger women.

    Your GP does sound clued  and go with their suggestions for now - fine tuning can come later.

  • Light
    Light Jubilant1

    Posted

    There is an alternative group (I think it's called Dr Brown's theory) that believes that some so-called autoimmune diseases are actually caused by a virus and can be cured. They advocate 6 months of antibiotics.

    It's a fringe belief but apparently it does have some clout.

    I experminted with it for my RA, not by taking regular pharmaceutical antibiotics but by taking colloidal silver (a 'natural' antibiotic) for six months, as advocated. It did not touch my RA.

    • ann98860
      ann98860 Light

      Posted

      Thanks for that information ;when i was told that i had P M R my doctor told me they thought it was caused by a virus but they did not know witch one there was no cure but it was treatable with preds but how long it would take nobody could tell you each person is different ;
    • Xxxxxtttttttttt
      Xxxxxtttttttttt Light

      Posted

      Thats interesting actually and i have wondered the same thing. How could I get my doctor to let me try this?
    • ann98860
      ann98860 Xxxxxtttttttttt

      Posted

      If you have been told you have got P M R this treatment is used straight away 'if not been diagnosed yet please insist the do a blood test for not all tests will pick it up good luck :
    • Light
      Light Xxxxxtttttttttt

      Posted

      If you're talking about Dr Brown's approach to RA with antibiotics, I suggest look it up first and get all the info on it. I seriously doubt a regular GP will give it any credence, but you can try if you come to him/her with some authority on the issue.

      Most GPs are very cautious and reluctant to try anything slightly out there. But if you are confident, it's your body, after all, so they might agree to oversee it.

      Let us know how you get on!

    • EileenH
      EileenH Light

      Posted

      Autoimmune disorders caused by a virus and 6 months of antibiotics cures it????? That indicates the level of science behind that particular theory: antibiotics do NOT do anything to combat viral infections. That is why the authorities are attempting to reduce the number of prescriptions for antibiotics handded out for colds and flu. Both are viral, abx do nothing - and using them like that puts us all at risk as bacteria become resistant to the existing abx. 

      The only benefit of most of these touted alternative remedies is to the pocket and bank blance of the people selling them.

    • EileenH
      EileenH ann98860

      Posted

      See my reply to light - it is rubbish science and potentially dangerous.
    • EileenH
      EileenH Xxxxxtttttttttt

      Posted

      See my response to light. This is rubbish science and potentially dangerous.
    • Light
      Light EileenH

      Posted

      Yes, of course! – this is absolutely true. Antibotics respond to bacterial infections not viral. What was I thinking?

      Check the Browns theory website for clarification, but if this is 'viral', as I remember it, then phooey to it all!

      Probably my diminutive brain remembering it wrong!

      Could well be rubbish science anyway.... that's for you, Jubilant,  to decide.

    • blodwyn
      blodwyn EileenH

      Posted

      Well said Eileen.

      We'll soon be in a situation where antibiotics will be useless for anything.

Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.