It's late spring here, and my seasonal allergies are back!
It's my second spring season after PMR diagnosis, and a pattern is emerging!
My first symptoms of PMR began in August 2013, after a summer allergy event which culminated in full blown asthma attack. Summer, 2014, same struggle, allergies and PMR pain increased.
it's allergy time again, and PMR seems to be stirring, eg. Pain in shoulders, hips, and lots more! I'll increase my pred a bit, and hopefully head off the full blown flare that appears to be coming.
Anyone else see this connection?
Written by
1Purplecrow
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I've never been bothered by allergies much in the past - but this year both I and husband are sniffling and sneezing badly! He even asked for an antihistamine yesterday! Thinking about it though - in previous years I have been on a higher dose of pred, this year I was down to 4mg. But the last few weeks I have felt quite rubbish compared to how I was - and have gone back to 5mg. I feel better - but do I feel better enough?
Hi Purplecrow,
Have you ever been checked for Churg Strauss Syndrome ( EGPA ). It's a rare type of vasculitis which presents with late onset asthma and the usual myalgia's and arthralgias. It is characterised by an elevated eosinophil level. Just a thought.
I DO see a connection between the weather and my pain. Whether it is allergy or simply dampness I do not know. The disease likes the sun better than the rain as far as I can tell. I live close to the Pacific Ocean so get a lot of marine layer. I think of England as being somewhat the same without as much sun.
30048, I believe a mild summer cold, combined with severe allergy attact (Asthma) actually caused my PMR to start. I never had any asthma before, but since PMR started, its been an ongoing aggravation. I live on washington coast, north of Seattle.
Yes am now newly allergic not only to normal spring allergies but dogs as well .diagnosed mid January this year and have to have antihistamine tabs now
I, too, developed PMR in August 2013 and didn't get it property diagnosed until December. It was well controlled with prednisone (initially 20mg, gradually down to 5 or 6 in February 2015, and on the first of March 2015 i came down with a horrible sore throat, cough & cold--and incredible fatigue--which lasted 4+ months! I resumed a 10mg dose in August and did fine until this Spring--same thing happened as I (stupidly) decreased my pred over the fall/winter to 5 or 6 mg in late Feb. Both Springs I had to go on antibiotics (green gunk in chest and horrible congestion in my ears), then got a fungal infection in my mouth and couldn't eat my strawberries or drink wine! So I, too, am seeing a PMR-allergy connection, as my biggest allergen is early tree pollen that we begin to get here in Seattle in late February. But I didn't flare, at least my muscles didn't. But something was clearly going on with the allergies, the reduced prednisone, and PMR. My doc doesn't agree with the allergy part--he just thinks that my adrenals are shot from having been on pred for 2 1/2 years and can't fight off things very well any longer. But outside my allergy season--March-June--I'm doing pretty well. At 7 mg. and coming to the end of my allergy season the hoarseness & congestion are gone, and I am just now able to eat my berries and drink a little wine without getting a mouth reaction, but the fatigue continues with at least 1, sometimes 2, nice long naps/day. Have you found anything else out since you posted about your pattern?
We seem to share similar patterns re allergy season in NW. I have only had one cold this year, with 2 rounds of abx to finally end the chest and sinus infections. PMR behaved pretty well, with only one occasion when I bumped up steroids for a few days to ease some of the chest involvement.
Our evergreen trees produced enough pollen to turn the cars yellow, imagine lungs also. During May, we took a month long road trip through the southwest US, and I found the blowing dirts in Utah, Az, NM, and CA a huge problem. My inhaler lived in my pocket for the entire trip. Our next short trip will be over July 4, going for 6 days to Olympic peninsula. Hoh rainforest is a treasure.
I do not think my adrenals are shot from being on steroids for almost 3 years. At 2 mg, most of the side effects have gone, (lost 20 lbs with weight watchers). , however, I am pretty stuck at 2 mg. Anytime I've tried dropping, it seems I aggravate my balanced system, and I get lots of pain in shoulders, hips and back. Most of the extreme fatigue of the first 18 months is gone, but I still faithfully take my daily naps. Also, I have been taking alaska salmon oil daily, it seems to help with inflammation and overall health
Our gorgeous red strawberries are coming to the end of season, although I find the tasty little gems , a few at a time, in my garden, all summer. Wine, now that's another matter!, LOL,
We head up to Alaska on a month-long road trip, in July. I hear the road dust is an issue, as has been forest fire smoke in years past. Hope neither are problems for me, but I will have my arsenal of inhalers, sprays and tablets in my pocket!
I haven't had an asthma event this year, but then, I'm much more proactive with medications. Also, I don't think we have had as much rain (mold) this summer.
I hope I'm coming to the end of PMR, and the same to you.
Thanks, Jerri. You're an inspiration to have reduced the pred. to 2mg! After getting so sick March-June these past 2 years when I went down to 5-6mg I'm afraid to try again. But because March-June is my allergy season, I'm wondering if I should try again but not during my allergy season. Suggestions from your experience?
I am extremely conservative when deciding to reduce pred dose. I stayed at 5 mg for about 6 months. Gently dropped to 2 and have just plateaued here for two months. Prednisone is a gift to me. It gave me back a bit of normal in my life, and I am not in a great hurry to leave the life raft. All that said, I will begin a .5 mg. reduction, every other day , and see how it goes. Again, I am in no hurry to get off this fairly low dose...at least until I am sure PMR has decided to leave me alone!!
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