Too young?

Hello Charlie, sorry to hear you are feeling so unwell. I am no expert but it has been known for people to fall into the clutches of PMR and not fit into the age group of 60+. I was 52 when I first suffered from PMR and like you displayed all PMR symptoms and my blood ESR/CRP were both raised. My GP said that she couldn't for the life of her know what could be wrong with me. I replied that if she didn't know what was wrong with me then she needed to refer me to someone who did. By the time I finally saw the rheumatologist my husband had to practically carry me into the consultation room. Within 1/2 hour he had diagnosed me, and I have been on preds since. I am now almost back to my normal self, but I still have a long way to go. I am classed as atypical simply because my age doesn't fit into the normal age group of sufferers.

if you are unhappy with your gp's diagnosis , ask for a referral and don't take no for an answer. All the best, christina 

Hi there, I was told that a huge number of people have PMR symptoms but do not want to take steroids so rub on topical anti-inflammatory creams and gels which seem to provide some relief. I had PMR symptoms for about 6 years (difficulty getting out of bed and the bath, unable to get into the back of a a 4 x 4, unable to walk up steps easily or hang the washing out or get up from bending down, etc., All this was prior to developing GCA and during these years got by with a £100 massager. It certainly flared up very badly the weekend the GCA symptoms arrived. Watch out for head and face pain or discomfort and beware of other symptoms which could indicate sluggish blood supply to organs other than the brain!

If your GP won't do anything he needs to send you to someone who will investigate it properly. You are quite young to be considered as having PMR - but I believe quite firmly that there are many people with PMR who are ignored because they are "too young" or don't fit some fairly arbitrary criteria. If you get it in your mind that under 50s don't get PMR you won't see it in a 44 year old will you? They are labelled as fibromyalgia, depression, hysteria, "your age" or a few other things. Anyone who would count as "atypical" needs to see a rheumatologist - preeferably a broad minded one who will think outside the box.

The diagnosis of PMR should be made on the basis of the symptoms and, possibly, the ESR and CRP having ruled out a load of other things - and looking at a couple of blood tests is meaningless. What you describe could fit a load of things but could also fit PMR with slightly raised ESR/CRP. I have never had raised blood tests, about 1 in 5 never do. But I responded to a trial of 15mg pred in 6 hours - I could move without pain and walk up and down stairs instead of crawling on hands and knees.

A couple of years ago a 37-year old man died of a stroke in South Wales and at the post mortem it was found he had had undiagnosed GCA, a close relative of PMR. If a 37-year-old can have GCA, a 37-year-old can have PMR.

If your GP is unwilling to try you on a moderate dose of 15mg pred to see what happens, make sure you are referred to a rheumatologist because you could have rheumatoid arthritis or another inflammatory arthritis - and they don't have age criteria. 

What they said 

your doc is an idiot. I was fortunate that my doc didn't look at me and poo-poo the diagnosis of GCA-I was 53 and black. She sent me for surgery asap and biopsy proved the diagnosis. seriously, some of us aren't 70 and/or white. And you shouldn't have to die or go blind to prove that point. *sigh*

Hi Charlie, sorry to hear of your plight.  You need to persist with your dr. (and I know it can be difficult when you're feeling low and in pain and therefore vulnerable) but you need a diagnosis, so hang on in and keep your chin up and this one size fits all nonsense.  A gp in my practice told me that "I was too young" at 59/60.  What a load of balderdash.  Keep us informed of how you are doing, when you can.  All the best on your journey.  Regards Pat