OH (PMR/GCA) curently reducing from 15mg pred to 12.5 this afternoon drove me from N. Wales to Walton Neurology OP and back as I can't drive that far and couldn't cope with the tunnel and crossing Liverpool since a sroke 6 yrs ago.
Will have to see what tomorrow brings re after-effects.
This does bring to mind something I've often wondered - I 've seen it posted that fewer men than women are diagnosed with PMR - but are they also less adversely affected in general?
I have heard that the duration can be shorter. Perhaps men moan less than us, having been conditioned not to.
Hi Nuff
It’s a bit of a drive across the border & out to Walton, travelling for me at the moment is hard, it makes me very tired.
But to your question, l think in general Men have a different ‘experience’ for want of a better word than we ladies seem to, Interesting?
Hope he’s not too tired tomorrow & you got on OK at your Appointment?
MrsN
He's seemingly not tired; went off this am 12 miles to Ruthin to put new tyres on his Cherokee; the current tyre business followed on from the one he and partner had for years so they get in the make he wants and discount 'cos he fits them himself)
The irrelevant bit - I had Botox injections into spastic muscle in calf to relax the muscle, will know how successful in about 3 weeks; then it's effective for about 3 months.
The ratio is about 2:1 women to men. And men do tend to have a very different experience of both PMR and pred for some reason. No-one knows why but it is so. There are some who suffer badly and have a longish journey but they are fewer.
My 74 year old widower neighbour had PMR type symptoms last summer, he couldn't get out of bed in the mornings and was racked with shoulder and hip pain. I said you need to get it checked out it sounds like PMR. He'd never heard of it and couldn't remember that I'd got it. I said best get it checked out you don't want it to go untreated and risk affecting your eyesight. He said he went to the doctors and after about 8 weeks said all his symptoms had gone and felt much better and doctor was good and looking after him. I didn't pry any more, he's very independent since his wife died.
Roll forward to last week he was taken to A&E by his grandson - lost the sight in one eye and very poor vision in the other. Diagnosed with GCA. He's devasted and said he didn't understand how serious it was when we spoke last year. When all his pains disappeared he never followed it up. He said he never had any headache or jaw/tender hairline symptoms of any kind prior to losing his sight.
There is a small proportion where GCA manifests like that - no warning, just sight loss. Though in truth, there probably were warnings just not recognised or put down to "getting older". There is a great emphasis on the headache bit - but the so-called "typical" symptoms are all only found in about half of patients or less. But many doctors have this fixed view of how it presents - and that's the rheumatologists!
The only thing he complained about was not feeling well!
There is a very elderly guy in the US who specialises in this sort of GCA - I don't agree with some of the stuff he claims (CRP is always raised he reckons, no it isn't) but he is big on the "silent" GCA, known as occult GCA. Hayreh I think his name is.
I'm with you on the tunnel/ new bridge, it's too daunting!! Where in North Wales are you? I am in Ruthin.
Not far away - Corwen.
OH (the one with PMR) was half of L&J Tyres, Ruthin, before he retired
Was that the place on The Venue road on the industrial estate? We used that all the time!!! How long has he had PMR ? It's such a pain, not going to kill you but you could really do without it!!!!
He always looked after us well. There are quite a few PMR ' sufferers ' in the Vale, I was surprised, not having ever heard of it before and a nurse for 40 years!!!!! Perhaps we should start our own local group. Yxx
Definitely have a go - doesn't have to be official until you work out if it is worth it. Start with a coffee morning somewhere. You could put a notice in the GP surgeries if they are willing - or other places PMR patients may congregate. Do you have a local magazine/newspaper?
Yes, I will give it some thought, if I can get a small group of those I know have PMR we might be able to take it from there.
going good so far
GCA - I am not going to apologise for this long post. 
Happy anniversary! NoT !!!!!!
Advice, told prob not PMR- 
