I live in Chattanooga, Tennessee, near my favorite trout water, the Hiwassee River. My diagnosis of PMR was in August of 2018, and I was prescribed 20 mg of prednisone and have tapered to 7 mg as of June 2019. I could barely get out of bed at first but get around now that I’m on prednisone. I’m stiff most mornings but better by noon. PMR and prednisone are not to my liking, but I try to keep a good attitude most days.
My hobbies include fly fishing, walking, hiking, reading, and cooking,
Welcome to the Forum Hiwassee!
Let us know if you have any questions.
Sounds like you’re doing very well.
Kind Regards
MrsN
Thank you! Glad to find some support!
Nice to meet you Chattanooga ! 😋😁
Keep stopping in and letting us know how you are doing .
We are always here for a chat or some helpful tips.
Love the view , obviously another place I should visit when I'm on my feet again.
You sound like you have a great sensible and positive attitude to your misbehaving friend so I am sure you will be able to keep it under control
Hugs x
Thanks!
your background picture doesn't look like appalachian mountains. looks more like the rockies.
Sierra Nevada; Yosemite National Park!
Very Nice. Hate to see you have PMR. These folks on this site have forgotten more about PMR than I have learned. There is so much knowledge on this site.
I’ve learned so much already
Fantastic. Have you seen dawn wall.and free solo?
Welcome to the forum Hiwassee. What a glorious spot. It must really help the healing!
Thanks! Tennessee is beautiful but this is actually the Sierra Nevada in California. Had planned this trip in 2018 and was going to cancel because of my PMR but started to feel better four days before and was able to go.
Glad the UK has such a great forum for PMR support!
That was so lucky , I'd love to visit the beauty spots of the US , never been there yet and Tennessee and Sierra Nevada was on my American road trip bucket list .
Great history and such a colourful place .
There are some beautiful places here. Thanks to Teddy Roosevelt some of them have been preserved for the public.
I am so glad that you had the strength and courage to go on your trip.
We actually have forum members from around the world but definitely America. Obviously there is a time difference between you and us but there are usually members on the forum whatever the time. Pred induced insomnia has its uses.
Insomnia and night sweats. All my fears loom large during the night; I guess that is a universal experience. Glad to see the sun come up!
Must admit night sweats are a symptom I havnt had luckily although lots of others have.
Sure sign of a flare for me!!!!!
Will watch out for them
Me too...pre pred i was terrible every night I was getting changed a couple of times.
I had a hysterectomy 23 years ago but they left in my tubes which meant I went through the menopause at a normal age, so at 53 when I started getting night sweats went to gp and tablets soon sorted them out. Havnt had one since thank god!!
My mother always said that we ladies
Perspire. 😉
I suffer day and night sweats. Can't win 😂
That sounds horrible having them day or night!! When mine started at night I couldnt sleep and opened the windows, put the fan on and my OH added more bed clothes and nearly moved out!!
We are so lucky, nothing in the states!
Really. Very difficult to find information out there. I got Kate Gilbert’s book (used) on PMR/GCA and had to get it out of the UK.
You have arrived to the right forum if you need advice and support about handling your PMR ..
Now that you have arrived to 7mg of prednisone, you really must start using the very very slow reduction method.
0:5mg per month or even longer. If you try reducing quicker then you will have a relapse
Good luck reducing, and welcome.
YuliK. Age 76
Thanks for the welcome and tip on the slow reduction! Very much appreciated!
Hiya
I was diagnosed last May exactly a year ago and have had several flares from reducing my steroids too quickly am now finally stable on 5mg prednisolone reducing now by 1/2mg steps so that is the answer don’t rush the reductions and be more careful once winter comes it seems harder for me to reduce
Thanks! I’ve been going down .5 mg this month thanks to this forum. I saw my rheumatologist on Thursday and he wants me to go down 1 mg. I tried that last month but felt terrible for two weeks.
Just remind your Rheumatologist that although you see his point based on the books , you have found a system that is working for you and that you would like to stick to , rather than trying the 1mg method getting the extra pain and potentially having to increase your dose again in the future that would end up making your success at tapering slower in the long run.
Get their blessing on things and reminding them you are partners in the fight against PMR helps take the stress out of dealing with the medical side and make all appointments alot easier.
It's better to run the race like a tortoise not a hare in this game.
Thanks. Good advice.
My rheumatologist now is saying to go v slowly whereas Dec this last year was trying to hurry the reductions- he is now much more chilled as I haven’t put on weight and have no side effects from the steroids apart from osteopenia which I may have had anyway
For some reason all the Rheumatologists I’ve heard of in the US, my own and others, want patients to decrease the prednisone by 1mg a month....like a rule or a mantra. I did that until the last 2-3 months and then I became part of this group. Wish I’d listened a bit more to my body and gone a bit slower for the last year...might have avoided pain and some injuries if I had. But I did get through it and of course I’m grateful to all my physicians and to the folks here. Anyway...my best advice is to pay attention to what your body says when it comes to weaning yourself from the prednisone 😊
Welcome! Your story is similar to mine, I was diagnosed May/18, started at 20mg, down to 9mg.
I found taking my pred dose before 4am resulted in totally eliminating the morning stiffness/pain I used to experience. Splitting my dose also helped me stay free of stiffness all day.
Glad you found this forum. It’s filled with folks who “get it”, and who are filled with wisdom and compassion. Ask us anything.
Thanks for the welcome! What time of the day do you split your doses? Do you take them with food?
I used to take 2/3 of my dose at 2am and the remaining 1/3 at 2pm. I managed to find capsules that have an outer coating that I stuff my first dose into, and the don’t dissolve for two hours so that allows me to take it now at midnight, just with water. My 2am dose of uncoated pills I always take with food.
Had a fantastic holiday in Tennessee 15 years ago , drove to Chattanooga singing the choo choo song . Naff I know . I’m so glad we did things while it was easier . The mantra now is ( do it don’t wait ) .
Haha! We get the Choo Choo song a lot from people while traveling. Great mantra! When I was younger, the thought of compromised health never entered my mind. Boy, I was wrong.
I wanted to do a road trip this summer - we have a science meeting in New Mexico - but it'll be a week and no more for various health reasons, Have to make do with my backyard Dolomites and Alps 
Welcome, Hiwassee, I have very fond memories of Chattanooga. My dad used to live at the very top of Signal Mountain and I remember driving up, up, up, past the mounds of kudzu and the the beautiful mountain views! Good luck with your PMR. I am currently on 5.5 mg of pred daily, and trying to be patient and optimistic. This group has been so helpful to me--I read it every morning.
I was diagnosed with PMR last December 12th. Think I had it for many months before, but attributed symptoms to aging. I am 91. I have tapered down to 4.5mg - 2 in morning rest in evening. I just got home from an hour at river with my dog, Lily. I walk while she runs and swims. am trying to strengthen leg muscles, used to be a competitive runner. It is disappointing to have what I call, "rusty robot legs" now, but am thankful I can manage as I do. Always hoping to improve. Now out to fill Hummer feeders and water tomatoes. Good Luck. 
You give me inspiration! It sounds like you are getting around wonderfully. I know you miss running.
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