Is it contagious??????

[Content1]

After suffering with PMR & GCA for 14 months, yesterday my husband was diagnosed with PMR. What are the chances of that? Now we are popping steroids together! Is this unusual? Can lifestyle, diet etc be involved? Are there any studies done on PMR in families? Lets hope that we don't have bad days together! He is on 30mg and after 2 doses is already feeling less pain.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

At least he may be a bit more sympathetic towards you now!

There are one or two cases of spouses developing PMR on record and at one time it was thought to be proof of an environmental cause of PMR. But they are very rare so that was discounted. There are what seem to be "hotspots" - which also support the environmental theory - and since spouses tend to live together that would come under that aspect.

There do tend to be trends in families - but amongst related members, one thing that supports the concept of there being a genetic predisposition to developing autoimmune disorders.

[11caroline29 in reply to PMRpro]

My Mum who has had MS for 24 years was also diagnosed with PMR a year ago. I have had Fibromyalgia for 9 years and was diagnosed 2 years ago with PMR and GCA. So definitely a genetic link to autoimmune conditions.

[Jeanjean16 in reply to PMRpro]

I have had PMR for one year now, started at the age of 67..,my mother and one of her sisters both had it in their sixties. This I think supports the theory of a genetic connection rather than environment as we all lived in different parts of the country.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Jeanjean16]

There are lots of different components to it - and the genetic connection may just be that it makes you more susceptible to some environmental thing. They haven't yet identified one single thing that is common to all - and in most autoimmune disorders it is the same. That's what makes it so difficult!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Well, at least you can both sympathise with each other's problems. Might make for interesting times🤔 Maybe not such a 'content' household!

[SheffieldJane]

My husband has been complaining of very similar symptoms to me of late, as he also experienced labour pains with me I have given him short shrift. Perhaps we should investigate further?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to SheffieldJane]

My husband insists he caught atrial fibrillation from me. i had it first and then he developed it too!

[missmylefteye]

That's odd. Huh