PMR Link with Frozen shoulder?

[cassie1208]

Hi

I have a question. I was diagnosed with PMR a few days ago. I have experienced shoulder pain since April for which I have been seeing a consultant who diagnosed frozen shoulder. I have had hydrodilatation for my shoulder and it eased somewhat. I have also felt fatigued and unwell since April.

Since I have been taking the Preds, 4 days ago, the shoulder pain has gone as well as PMR pain which was severe.

Has anyone had a link with PMR and frozen shoulder?

Thank you

Cassie

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi Cassie,

Funny you should ask that question. My GP (at the time) did not think I had PMR, as the ESR was not conclusive and as my pains were more severe in one shoulder than the other, so proceeded to treat me for frozen shoulder for the best part of 18 months. Neither the physio nor the steroid injections touched the pain, but, bingo, once GCA had been diagnosed and I was on Pred the pain disappeared! Mind you at 80mg all pain disappears! I also had fatigue all that time.

So, you may have had PMR all along, or maybe both. It's difficult to seperate the pains ar times. But certainly the Pred will have got rid of your shoulder pain, whatever it was.

[cassie1208 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks - I find this frozen shoulder connection interesting and will do more research in to it.

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Cassie, as DorsetLady has said it can be difficult to separate what is what in this situation, but I'd be inclined to think the shoulder problem was PMR all along. The main thing is it has gone along with all your other pain after just 4 days on Pred - whoopee! Don't go overboard celebrating though! Lots of TLC is still called for, remembering that the steroids aren't curing anything, they are just damping down the inflammation that has been causing the pain.

[cassie1208 in reply to Celtic]

Hi Celtic

Thanks -Interesting stuff with connections with frozen shoulder. You are so right saying don't celebrate yet. I have just been awaay for a week seeing family and I have overdone it as I am exhausted. The train journey was long and I needed to lie down. 15mg pred is working fine most of the time but I am finding that I need to lie flat in the middle of the day as I have a dull ache across my neck and shoulders which can only be relieved by a period of rest. It is easy to overdo it as you say if you are having a good day but then I get the sting in the tail the next day.

Before PMR a few week ago I was swimming 5 times a week and today I want to get back in the pool if only for 20 minutes as I feel it will lift my mood but not sure if I have the energy.

Maybe I will try and do nothing else for the rest of the day. It's hard when you have to adapt to a change of lifestyle but its early days for me.

I will be fed up if I put on weight as I am so hungry - I have to make sure I have plenty of wholesome snacks in my cupboard so I am not tempted with too many carbs.

Cassie

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to cassie1208]

Cassie,

"Maybe I will try and do nothing else for the rest of the day. It's hard when you have to adapt to a change of lifestyle but its early days for me."

Yes, it can be a shock in the early days having to accept/adapt our lifestyle around PMR, but once we have accepted that and got into a whole new routine for a while, it does become easier, especially when we reap the benefits of reducing pain.

If your pool is not too cold, then perhaps you will be able to enjoy a short swim - you won't know until you try - but a short walk in the fresh air can equally help to lift the mood if the pool turns out to be too much.

My way of tackling the early hunger was to forego such things as the hi-carb sandwich lunch for instance - I replaced it with two smaller main meals, eg casserole for lunch and dinner, usually preparing larger portions of our dinner the previous evening.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It's quite common for doctors to blame frozen shoulder for early PMR signs and symptoms. This is especially so if initially only one shoulder is affected because PMR is classically bilateral in nature. Frozen shoulder doesn't usually produce the systemic symptoms though - the fluey feeling and fatigue.

It is listed in the things that should be considered in a differential diagnosis,

[geater16393]

Hi there yes I have had that linked with PMR, I ended up having op on shoulder, if you think about it it makes sense having a lot of our symptoms around neck and shoulder area, once I had op the terrible pain went and I could lift arm up etc

[fibrosandie]

I have had Shoulder, neck and arm pain since February. Just seen rheumatologist who says it's frozen shoulder. Gave me steroid injection.

Worked for two days and now I am back in pain again almost as bad as it was before the injection. It is worse in left side but also have pain on right side too just not quite as intense.

How do I know if it is frozen shoulder or possibly pmr??????