Rheumatologist says I do not have PMR: not a muscle disease but due to bursitis or synovitis!?

I don't know what to tell you. There are several people on this and other site dedicated to PMR who had also problem with diagnosis because they had "normal" blood test. 20% of PMR patients never have increased inflammation markers. Synovitis is sometimes add-on to PMR, but not always. As far as "PMR will NEVER give muscle atrophy even when left untreated for a long time", that is complete nonsense. If you cannot use your muscle due to pain ( or any other reason, say you are immobilized in a bed), you will have muscle atrophy.

If I were you I would look for more experience, older rheumatologist, who has actually seen and treated PMR to diagnose you properly.

I am sorry to hear about your dilemma.

I've been dealing with PMR for about 6 years. In the beginning, no-one knew why I was hurting. My GP didn't know. They sent me to a Rheumatologist, who was worthless. They sent me to a muscular-skeletal specialist -- he didn't know. Then, one day I read a news article about a woman with symptoms just like mine -- who said she was diagnosed with PMR, who after taking prednisone had her symptoms disappear within hours! I took the news article to my GP, who agreed to treat me with prednisone -- and my symptoms disappeared within hours. I've been on prednisone ever since.

In the beginning, My GP had me on an aggressively decreasing dosage pf prednisone-- and I flared up immediately. That's when I found this forum and learned about the dead-slow tapering method. I printed out what I learned on this forum and took it to my GP -- who said it was worth trying. I've been on it ever since. I got down to 0.5 MG but had a bad flare upon injuring my shoulder. I had to go back up to 5.0 MG but and back down to 2.5 MG again (and still decreasing).

My GP started getting on my back to stop taking prednisone, since I was "beyond the 2 year life of PMR." Well, I knew better than "a 2-year life" from this forum. So I printed out what I had learned and showed it to him. He backed off immediately.

Then I learned, from this forum, that long-term low dosages of prednisone ARE NOT HARMFUL (except for increased likelihood of cataracts). I printed out this information and sent it to my GP. He actually said something like "well then at your low doses I suppose that quality of life trumps any downside effects, so I'm with you."

Bottom-line: I developed a working partnership with my GP, treating him as a professional who had to deal with all kinds of patients but who had little time to dig into any ONE particular, strange illness. I took my disease into my own hands, and tried my best to educate my doctor so that he could help other people better than I was initially helped.So far, so good.

I despair when I hear the limited knowledge of some of the medical profession. It is the fact that they are so wrong in their knowledge which is really frightening. I imagine they must be treating people with other illnesses the same way. Aghhh.

Krillemy, I sorry that you have met several doctors with the GOD complex!🤔

Strange chap - PMR includes bursitis and synovitis. Is he sure he's thinking of the right disease?