WAITING FOR IST HOSPITAL APPT

[tootired424]

Hi just waiting for first hosp appt on 3/5/16 have been in extreme pain untill i went to have my eyebrows done for a wedding and the lady had to help me onto the couch she said two things first i must drink plenty of water which until then i didn't do and secondly she could give me an Indian head and shoulder massage which i had done which has helped me such a lot i also have a very hot shower in the mornings which i concentrate on the back of my head shoulders and arm muscles i does really help.

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

tootired, welcome to the forum but hopefully we won't be welcoming you to the world of PMR after your appointment tomorrow.  However, if it is PMR, you have come to the right place for lots of help and advice from those who have been there and got the t-shirt.  Good luck with the appointment.

[piglette]

Are you taking steroids for the PMR? They should help a lot. I bought myself one of those lavender things you stick in the microwave and then put it round my shoulders which helps along with hot showers. I must admit I hate Indian head massages, although I have only had a couple, but do have leg massages which I do like. 

[tootired424 in reply to piglette]

hi piglette no not on steroids yet the doctor took my bloods and said the levels said i had PMR  but wanted me to be referred to the hosp before steriods prescribed had a couple of weeks of horrible pain which made me cry each day contacted the surgery to see when the doctor had referred me and she hadnt !!! A couple of apologetic phone calls from the doctor and practice manager followed and an appointment was telephoned thru but only for may 25th .Meanwhile we had a wedding to go to on April 2nd which i thought i would not be able to go but while having my eyebrows done the therapist could see i was in pain and struggling and she was so kind she advised me to immediately start drinking lots of water and supervised the lady washing my hair so she massaged it a lot i was able to go to the wedding and went back in the week to have the full massage it hurt abit but it has helped so much plus the water also the hosp phoned me and brought the appt forward for tomorrow so fingers crossed .

[piglette in reply to tootired424]

My gosh, I don't think there was any way I could have made a wedding before diagnosis, you must be made of sterner stuff than me! I could not even scratch my nose without intense pain and it could take me an hour to get out of a chair. My GP kept saying it was a virus. In the end I went to see a rheumatologist privately. He diagnosed PMR in about thirty seconds and gave me steroids. Within less than twenty four hours I was a new person. Looking back I cannot believe how much pain I was in. Hope it all goes well tomorrow and that you will be bouncing around by the end of the week.

[Annodomini]

Doesn't your GP know that a favourable response to pred is considered a reliable diagnosis of PMR?  More reliable than a blood test which may be negative. GP training leaves a lot to be desired as far as PMR is concerned.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Annodomini]

Only by some experts I'm afraid - it's another of the things that some think and some don't. My argument is: if taking a moderate dose of pred will give me my life back that's fine. 

But in fact abandoning the search at "responds to moderate dose pred" may miss a diagnosis of far nastier things than PMR which require other approaches. Though abandoning patients with symptoms but no blood markers is abominable.