I have just been diagnosed with pmr. I am not sure whether its the right diagnosis. I feel so ill and very down.

[dillydally1]

I had a lifting accident at work, x 3 operations on my left shoulder, x 1 on right elbow and collapsed discs in my cervical spine in 2004. at that time the doctor ? pmr but didn't want to go down the route of prednisolone. my esr has always been raised since then maybe 30-35. and also I have been very fatigued, and painful in shoulder, hip, buttocks, hands and neck. my dr started me on prednisolone about 3 months ago starting at 20mg ( the pain eased in about 3 days) over the three months, then gradually reduced to 0. I then had a blood test 5 days later and my esr was 68, so I have now started back on 20mg for one week then down to 15mg and gradually to reduce down, I see doc in 3 weeks time. last time with preds I felt quite good, this time although pain as eased I feel really down. I have great trust in my doctor, but still ? my diagnosis, I always thought pmr started pretty quick. I know this is a long question and im sorry but I feel in turmoil. last time with the prednisolone I put on a stone and got the chipmunk face. please if anybody could just give me some advice I would be very grateful. kind regards

[PMRpro Ambassador]

PMR can start quickly, literally overnight, or it can creep up over a period of months. Since your symptoms responded so rapidly to pred it seems a reasonable diagnosis but your doctor has gone about things totally the wrong way, pred for PMR is a long term use, over years not months unless you are very very lucky and even then it's more like a year.

Take this paper to your GP - it is aimed at GPs to help them care for PMR patients but using the consultant's knowledge. You need to remain at 15mg for a good 6 weeks, not reduce steadily and this paper explains how to proceed. If you reduce again the same thing will happen and you will have all the downsides of pred with very few positives. Pred doesn't cure it, it makes the symptoms manageable until the underlying autoimmune disorder that causes the symptoms goes into remission. The choice is simple: take pred and have a life, don't take pred and be in constant pain and at an even higher risk of going on to develop GCA.

This paper is available free to download and print off - it is quite easy to read most of it even for lay people and essential reading for a GP who seems to know half a story - you need pred for PMR but not how long you need it for.

rcpe.ac.uk/sites/default/fi...

[dillydally1 in reply to PMRpro]

Many thanks for your quick reply. I will download the paper and take it to my doctor. By the way I am aged 56 and had to take early retirement from work in 2009, even then my occupational health doctor ? pmr. Is it normal for prednisolone to make you feel so down so quickly

many thanks

[polkadotcom]

Mood swings are a listed side-effect of PMR and one of the symptoms of PMR is depression, so we all get a double whammy.

I think your problems have been aggravated by the way your doctor has given you short term steroids for PMR. It isn't a short term condition, it is a long term chronic condition and needs to be treated as such.

PMRpro has given you the information you need in order for your doctor to manage it successfully, so I hope that your mood will improve once on the right treatment plan. .

[dillydally1 in reply to polkadotcom]

thank you, I will read the leaflet and take it to my doctors.