Has anyone ever been diagnose with this condition?
What was the treatment?
Does a hotter and dryer climate help?
Thanks
PMR = Polymyalgia Rheumatica
“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”
Maya Angelou
Oh yes. PMR is an auto-immune disease that causes inflammation of the arteries. Cause unknown. I woke up on a summer day in 2003 and found that I couldn't get out of bed or walk. I couldn't even dress myself or put on shoes. My leg muscles burned like I had tried to climb all the stairs in the Empire State Building. At the same time, I had an excruciating headache and stiff neck that never let up. Somehow, it took my HMO 6 weeks to diagnose Polymyalgia Rheumatica and it's sister disease, Temporal Arteritis. By that time we had bought handicap grips for both bathrooms for me and had ordered a bed railing that I could use for support. The pain was absolutely excruciating. By the time I got to a rheumatologist, he said it was outrageous that the intake doctors didn't recognize PMR when they saw it.
The only treatment that I know about is Prednisone. I was given a fairly strong dose at first and couldn't believe it when two days later I was shopping at a supermarket, alone. The pain was almost entirely gone. Prednisone is the drug some people call "A dance with the Devil." There is always a price to pay for taking it, but by that time, you often have no choice. I ended up with glaucoma, weakened muscles and hastened osteoporosis because I took Prednisone for 2½ years. The last couple of years were a pretty small dose, though, and I would do it again. Being over 50 and of Northern European descent apparently predisposes a person to this disease and although there are a number of articles online about it, I don't remember reading that climate is a factor. You need careful monitoring with a rheumatologist and do what he/she says. And as soon as you feel better, keep moving, that is very important. PM me with any questions you may have. And good luck to you.
Judy
Judy & Bud (Judy usually the one talking here)
2004 Pleasure-Way Excel TD
co-pilots, Rosie & Poquita
Went to the specialist for PMR and learned that I have PMR. Have been put on prednisone. I just hope I can deal with side effects such as wanting to eat constantly and the one the doc said, moon face.He also said that by the end of the second day of being on the meds, I should be feeling much better and free of the pain.It has been so long dealing with the pain.We discussed many things which could have brought this on. I am still leaning toward the black mold which I inhaled while in Bay St Louis,Ms after Katrina. I went for a week and stayed almost four months and we breathed black mold every day because you could not wear a mask because if you sweat it would get on mask and then you could not breathe.
So many health issues since Katrina.
But right now I am looking forward to pain free days and more fishing trips.
I am so glad you finally were diagnosed and started on the Prednisone. You should start feeling better soon. As for side effects, the increased appetite and insomnia do get better with decreased dosage. I never got the moonface and only gained 3 or 4 lbs but I really watched what I ate. I had lost 80 lbs on Weight Watchers a year or two earlier and was darned if I was going to put it back on. The trick is to not bring junk food into the house. Make it so that you only have "good stuff" available to munch on. When I went off the pred, the few extra pounds came right off. I read everything I could find and there doesn't seem to be any common trigger for the auto-immune response that causes PMR. My rheumatologist didn't even speculate about that. I have read that sometimes just a common virus is suspected of sending the body's defense system into overdrive. The black mold would have to be bad for a person, but we are in dry, old California desert here. Take care of yourself and keep us posted.
Judy
paulin wrote: How do they diagnose and test for PMR?
The symptoms of Polymyalgia Rheumatica are similar to many other diseases, but according to my rheumatologist, the gold standard in diagnosing it is this particular blood test
The most common treatment is oral steroids in the form of Prednisone. The same blood test is repeated periodically and the dosage of Prednisone is lowered accordingly until you are within normal limits. I was told I responded to the meds especially quickly but that is not true for everyone. Some need higher doses for a longer period of time.
The most distinct symptom of PMR is extreme pain of the thigh, shoulder and neck muscles. First thing in the morning or upon getting up from a chair where you've been sitting for while, the pain is agonizing. It does get a bit better after moving around. I also had a related disease (at the same time) called Temporal Arteritis. The symptoms for that are a nightmare headache 24/7. The pain in both diseases is caused by inflammation of the lining of the arteries. You don't get the normal blood flow so muscles can't repair themselves as they usually would. For some reason, it took my HMO 6 weeks to finally diagnose and begin to treat my illness. That's because nobody ordered the blood test I mentioned above. BTW, nobody in my family has ever had it besides me, that I know of. Some of us are just lucky...
Judy
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