Fatigue

[Fifelassieo]

I have recently been diagnosed with pmr, been put on 20mg a day of prednisilone,

l also have fibromyalgia, my question is can steroids help with my fibromyalgia as l no longer have the terrible fatigue of fibromyalgia

[PMRpro Ambassador]

No - it almost certainly wasn't fibro that was causing the fatigue that has gone but undiagnosed PMR. Fibro is a problem with pain perception via the nerves/brain, PMR is due to inflammation causing swelling and so pain and stiffness. The pred relieves the inflammation, reduces the pain and stiffness and so the symptoms they cause.

What might have happened is that 20mg is enough to give you the "Pred boost" of energy - something I've never experienced unfortunately! For some people pred turns them into the Duracell Energiser Bunny! Beware - it doesn't last and if you do too much now you may overdo it and the sore muscles will be back!

[Fifelassieo in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for the reply, it look as though l may have had pmr for a long time. My doctor kept putting my pain down to fibromyalgia as l was diagnosed in 2003. I have had these pains in my shoulders and arms for about 2 years but l just put up with it. Then l woke up one morning and couldn’t move my arms, then dr said it maybe Polymyalgia.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Fifelassieo]

Personally I think the concept of the diagnosis of fibro does no-one many, if any, favours. Once someone is told that is what they have, many doctors can't see past it and put everything down to fibro. I believe firmly that every patient with the "fibro/PMR" picture should be tried on a moderate dose of pred as that is a way of differentiating between the two. The symptoms are very similar and up to a fifth of patients with PMR have normal range blood markers so they can't be relied on to differentiate. There are several people with both on the forums and all say they can tell the difference between the two pains.

[Fifelassieo in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you for the information, very helpful

[Daisychain12 in reply to Fifelassieo]

You’ve had advice from the best cxxxxx

[Daisychain12 in reply to PMRpro]

You are exactly right as always PMRpro. Having had fibromyalgia for twenty years I knew the difference very clearly xxxxx