New to PMR!

[Joannemoss2000]

I am very new to PMR! Had blood results last week and it was suspected I have PMR. Have suffered from groin and shoulder pain for a few months which I assumed weren't linked. I suffer from hip misalignment issues so assumes that this was linked to the groin pain. The onset of shoulder pain was a bit random though as I have never had any pain in my shoulders. It is only one shoulder that is the problem though. I had quite a bit of relief the first day I took Prednisone and managed to reduce the Naproxen. I am still in quite a bit of pain first thing in the morning though. I am so glad I have found this site as I had never even heard of PMR before last Friday. I'm not keen on taking steroids but I am at the end of my tether with the pain so will try anything. Does anyone else take Naproxen alongside the Prednisone. I am currently on 15mg of Prednisone and am getting reviewed this week with the GP. How long does it usually take before Prednisone takes full effect as I had relief the first afternoon but for the last two days still feel pretty stiff and achy but not as bad as before I started taking them. Any replies would be very welcome

[polkadotcom]

I never found that anti-inflammatories had any effect on PMR pain, in fact nothing did until I was put on steroids.

Apart from that, no you shouldn't be taking Naproxen along with pred as they can both act as stomach irritants so you don't want a double dose. PMR pain is enough for anyone, you don't want more pain added to the mix.

It might be that you need a bit more Pred to begin with, it's so individual that there is no one-size-fits-all answer. I was started on 20mg, so it wouldn't be unusual if you needed a bit more.

Hope your review goes well.

[SheffieldJane]

Hi Joannemoss2000 and welcome to the club you didn't want to join!

It sounds like 20 mgs of Pred.would be a better starting dose for you, 15 doesn't seem to be dealing adequately with the inflammation. Many people are started on 20. It usually takes a few days to settle, it took my symptoms 48 hours to go. It was amazing to get my flexibility back so quickly. Some people are never entirely symptom free however. Anti inflammatory pain killers are not recommended, they don't provide pain relief with PMR and they put more stress on your stomach. Nothing helps the symptoms except Pred. And being very careful how you pace yourself ( even if you feel great). Do not clean the house from top to bottom then walk the dog , you will be in agony the next day or week. Little bursts of activity then rest.walking and Pilates are good when your inflammation is down.

[Griggser in reply to SheffieldJane]

Try and think about the spoon theory! You start the day with 12 spoons and every activity you do uses a sooon, dressing 1. Showering 2. Making breakfast 3, I'm sure you get the picture. So if you have a quite day you'll probably use all 12 spoons. Have a busier day, hoovering, ironing, gardening, shopping etc and you'll use a lot more than 12 spoons. Now how can you as you only have 12? Simple you take some spoons from tomorrow simples! Ahh there's a catch as tomorrow comes and you are now minus what ever you borrowed so boy are you gonna suffer for having what you thought was a productive day yesterday. Once you can get your head around the fact that things have changed, overnight usually, and you have to adapt to it the easier it will be for you. Well that's what I think after 3 years of battling PMR.

[mzz70-70]

Hi JoanneMoss2000 and welcome to a forum with more information than any Rheumie or GP could ever give you. Its been my lifesaver ! In my experience if you take the right dose of Pred then you can say goodbye to the Naproxen, you certainly don't need both. Before I was diagnosed with PMR 2.5 years ago I took Naproxen for the pain and stiffness which I now know was PMR, I had never heard of it either ! Started on 15mg of Pred and within a day it felt like a miracle had happened. I had my life back, my little dog could not believe his luck with us able to walk further than we had for a very long time. You say its only one shoulder that is painful, its unusual for just one side to be painful, PMR usually affects both sides but you may be an exception. PMR works differently for some sufferers. I think in your case you need to take 20mg to get the results you need and gradually taper over the months, or years as in most cases. I am now down to 3mg and I am not frightened of Pred anymore....if I have to stay with 3mg so be it...I have a life to live. Good Luck...Maz

[Joannemoss2000 in reply to mzz70-70]

Thank you for your reply. I have looked on various websites and it can be in one side initially I think although I know two is more common. I did have a lot of relief on the first day I took Prednisone but the second, third and fourth day not as much so I am wondering if I need to increase to 20mg too. I am going to the doctors tomorrow for a follow up so will see what they say. It definitely feels like a muscle/ligament problem which I believe PMR is associated with

[s66-h]

I was diagnosed with PMR and it was so crippling in shoulders, knees and later jaw and hands. My doctor was insisting I take steroids but I refused and started with a magnesuim complex and turmeric. I also took glucosamine, zinc and some vitamins and black current seed oil (GLA) . With in 10 days most of my symptoms had deminished and within a month they were basically gone. I also changed my diet to a more healthy one cutting out processed foods and adding fruit and vege smoothies, and I took up chi gong (yoga would do too I suspect). 5 months later I am becoming fitter and doing a lot of bush walks. My knees dont like walking down extremely steep hills but apart from that I am normal. My advise, based on my own experience is to avoid steriods and try the above first.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to s66-h]

"My advise, based on my own experience is to avoid steriods and try the above first."

If you had jaw pain then you really were taking a big risk refusing steroids. Many of us have tried the dietary way and it didn't help enough to give us our lives back and that was with PMR alone. And frankly - there are things that cause PMR symptoms that do resolve in a much shorter time. But mine hadn't gone after 5 years - this is the disorder a lot of doctors still try to claim resolves in under 2 years, some in less than a year.

But it is not a good idea to suggest this approach when someone could potentially develop an illness that leads to irreversible blindness without pred.