Polymyagia

[Tash1971]

Hi,can i have aome help pls as ive just been told ive polymyagia !dr wants me to have steriods ive said no?.anyone in same situaltion?

[desquinn Partner Volunteer FMAUK Trustee]

Polymyalgia is different from fibromyalgia but is well treated with steroids. From what I understand you will quickly get significant symptom relief. I wonder why you have said no?

[LoneEra]

If you join the NRAS forum on Health Unlocked there are a few people with Polymyalgia on there.

As Des said, steroids can be very effective for this. If the treatment goes well, you can often taper off the steroids after about 18 months. Or some people bump along on a low dose.

If you’re scared of the steroids/ don’t want the side effects you can always just try them for a little while and then come off them if they don’t suit you.

[rosewine]

I've known 2 people with polymalgia. Neither improved until they had a course of steroids and they both said within weeks they were feeling improvements. After about 18 months the steroids were slowly tapered off as they had worked well. I suppose your decision must be influenced by how much the illness is impinging on your life. The two people I knee had quite bad symptoms so were pleased that there was something that could help them. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Cat00]

My mother has Polymyalgia, it must be treated unlike fibromyalgia it is an autoimmune condition. The inflamation itself damages your body so not treating is not a good idea. My mother has osteoporosis and the various drugs that treat polymyalgia are bad for her bones but after much consultation with bone specialists and rheumatologists it was concluded that the damage caused by inflamation outweighed the harm caused by the steroids. My mother got virtually instant relief from the drugs, like within 24 hours. For her it has been a long journey, 3 years, they gradually try and wean you off the drugs hoping your own immune system with take over in a normal fashion which it kind of has now. She is on a different drug now which she has to remain on for a year past the end of her symptoms. It's not an ideal situation but polymyalgia shouldn't be taken lightly.