Tender spot under left ribs

Hi Martha,sorry to here your having pains too, it would be good for us all to come back once we've checked them out.

Wil do thank you 

Gosh Tina that sounds painful! This PMR really is foxy! If we have a weakness anywhere it will point it painfully out to us.Did you need to up your prednisolone or did it just go away on its own?

Hi handbrake, no I did not ave to up my preds. The last time it happened I was literally turning over in bed and that was it, it was as if I'd been stabbed with a knife. It took my breath away and I was afraid to take in a deep breath. After a few moments I just got used to it but by this time the pain was a huge ache and I daren't touch the area right up under my rib. The pain went away after a few days but as I said I went to the minor injury unit and have at least received a diagnosis. I believed it was my heart but they did tests and everything there ok. But as I say the pain and soreness normally goes away after about 1 week.

i have to honest, if I get a cold, or I break my heel, or I am rushed to hospital with a PE i never up my preds. I may hold off a reduction or stay on the reduction plan longer without actually moving onto the next lower dose but I only ever increase my preds if I'm experiencing a flare. I have had one flare when reducing from 9-8mgs. After I got the flare under control I then reduced using the dead slow and almost stop method. Now 2.3 years on I'm on 5.5mgs. Regards, tina

Thanks for the info Tina that's really helpful.I feel otherwise good so will stay put for now (2mg) x

Haha your first point did make me chuckle 😂 Your point around fibromyalgia is an interesting one ! I recently read an article discussing a breakthrough in understanding the physiology of fibro. it suggests that instead of as previously thought the brain determining the condition they identified an increase in sensory nerve endings in the skin.These sites control oxygenated blood between small vessels in the skin. They become particularly active in cold conditions and it's thought they could be blocking blood flow in the muscles resulting in pain....thought provoking for PMR sufferers I think yes?

".thought provoking for PMR sufferers"

especially for those whose PMR disappears in warmer climes - but doesn't really help those of us where it just carries on in its own sweet way summer and winter! In fact, dry cold doesn't bother me at all whereas warm and humid isn't good.

Something I did notice during the 5 years of "PMR no pred" was that the skin across my lower back, bum and upper thighs would be icy cold compared with other areas at the same time. If I once got cold, it was very difficult to warm up.

I think that is the thing Eileen,it will be there whatever the temperature but possible that more pain can be experienced in colder weather. What struck me was they need to completely rethink pain medication. those poor people who have taken amytryptillin all these years!

And I bet using amitryptillin was to assuage the doctors unease at not being able to "cure" anything! Mind you, if I found it didn't help me I would refuse to take it. Nefret on here is adamant she can tell the difference between her fibro pain and the PMR effects.

I still believe that a lot of fibro isn't fibro at all - it is PMR or a close relation.

I'm finding this very interesting conversation. Thanks to all.

just for record, FlipDover, I too have the odd tender spots near my knee, thankfully my knees do not bother me, but I rubbing my legs and found that odd spot very tender! Thought it was odd, I had not strained it, it does feel like it's on another tendon, so I'm sure it's PMR, I think these other spots need to be recorded. And yes, sometimes over my rib cage, but mine more toward back under arm pit.  

My PMR pain spots are always tendons or bursa areas and not muscle, or more of the small blood vessel areas I suppose. 

Quite possibly Eileen! And both conditions if their findings are correct have similar effects in that they ultimately result in a lack of oxygenated blood getting to the muscles ...leading to pain..and extra sensory nerve endings so more pain...vicious circle! It's certainly worth further research don't you think and I do hope they consider PMR also if they do

Hi Layne, I agree something else seems to happen alongside PMR.My dr said I was classic case and there was me thinking it was something to do with being menapausal ha ha...well they did think the world was flat once!

I spent a long time talking to an orthpaedic specialist at a meeting in Innsbruck 3 years ago. He had been doing research into the trigger points that are found in myofascial pain syndrome and identified them to be packed with the same inflammatory substances implicated in PMR. He said he often saw the two together - and also piriformis syndrome. Both of them can lead to irritation of nerves and referred pain - which can be some distance away and not where you would expect. When my PMR started I had odd patches that were painful down the side of my legs, in the knees and even down to my ankles - sciatica but not as you usually experience it. One dismissive rheumy said OA in the knees but it went after a few months on pred and has never come back. There is no evidence of OA now and the funny crunching sensation and feeling as if it was going to collapse at times has disappeared too.

Interesting points Eileen, it seems each specialist area has a perspective we could look at to get a bigger picture of what is happening to us. In cardiology they are moving away from the previously thought of fatty plaques causing narrowing of cardiac blood vessels in heart attacks in favour of addressing the issue of the effects of inflammation on blood vessels...

Oh flip you have cheered me up i have had a good laugh at your comments. Brill