Symptoms last an average time of what?

[georgedog]

I am new.. How long is my PMR to last? I have had this for 1 and a half years.

[Yellowbluebell]

Welcome to the forum. The average length of time tends to be around 5/6 years.

Some people have it for a shorter amount of time and others longer. Men seem to have a different timescale to women

You say you have had pmr for 18 months but is this since diagnosis or have you just been diagnosed but have had the symptoms for that time?

Could you please fill in your profile details as this allows our members to give more specific help. We especially need your age and country of residence.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask. There is usually someone about most of the time. Good luck YBB

[PMRCanada]

I’m afraid your guess is as good as ours would be. Research indicates folks are on pred for 5.9 years, some experience remission earlier, and a small bunch have it for longer. Others will be on soon with more accurate numbers.

As well, a few of the members/volunteers on this site have been in remission for some time, and have spoken of their experience in other posts.

Unfortunately medical professionals are taught/believe that PMR only lasts 2 years (a common misconception).

I dream of my PMR going into remission, but I’m also realistic and prepared for a long haul.

[Hidden]

Hi George Dog, research suggests that a proportion do go into remission in 2yrs, the majority fall into the 2 to 6yr mark and some go on for 10years plus. The median length of time for being treated with pred is 5.9 years. I was looking for exact percentages but can't lay my hands on them at the moment. Pmrpro may have them to hand.

Some men do seem to report being shortest time group. There may be many more who never use the forum or do so for a short time who go into remission. I am afraid its a case of how long is a piece of string. I am in my fourth year now and 7mg having just had a bit of a flare which shows me pmr is still active. I had been at 6mg for the previous 12mths. You do need to make adjustments in life. If you are busy, ensure enough rest. Adopt a low carb way of eating which helps stop or lessen the pred induced blood sugar spikes and weight gain. Minimise any stressors where possible as pmrgca don't like stress much. 🌻

[Margaret1951]

Welcome George, everyone is different, originally my doctor told me roughly 3+ years but as he told me there really is no time limit. I personally am only in remission with my GCA 6+ years ago had it. Just had an almighty flare up with PMR (had to ask my friends on here) forgot what it was like. My doctor asked me kindly if I would drop from 5mg to 4mg, and did I suffer !! so back to 7.5mg for a week or two then gradually drop half mg a time very slow taper. Do not worry how long it takes, you don’t want a flare up again.....not worth it.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

How long is a piece of string? I'm sorry - I know that's isn't entirely helpful but it expresses something too many doctors either don't know or won't say if they do. The comforting thing is that for some 95% of patients PMR/GCA does go into remission eventually which is more than can be said for most autoimmune disease.

medpagetoday.org/rheumatolo...

is about the study the others have mentioned. Only 1 in 5 are able to get off pred in a year or less. By 2 years just over 1 in 3 no longer need pred. But some 40% of patients still require a (small) dose of pred at 10 years after diagnosis.

I know a few who needed pred for 2 years, got off and lead a perfectly normal life. I know a lot more who needed 4 or 5 years - and also lead a perfectly normal life. And I have had PMR for 15 years, have been on pred for over 10 years and lead a fairly acceptable life, limited mostly by things other than PMR but not seriously, it can all be worked around.

[animalactivist]

Mine lasted 4 years with no steroid treatment.

[Joydeck in reply to animalactivist]

Were you well-nigh crippled, with bilateral shoulder and hip pain, for four long years?

(I have just spent two years on steroids generally pain free, tapering from 24 mg to 4.5 mg prednisolone.)

[animalactivist in reply to Joydeck]

Difficulty walking , sleeping and neck shoulder arm pain too. Had hydrotherapy physiotherapy plus lots of alternative medicines and treatments.

[Joydeck in reply to animalactivist]

Undressing and getting in and out of bed must have been excruciating all those years. I wonder if saunas would have helped?

For me, PMR pain without pred would restrict the strenuous exercise I so enjoy.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Joydeck]

The sauna/steam room helped me for a short time - I could get dressed as long as it was within 5 minutes of getting out of a warm bed or shower! I went to the pool and did aquafit every morning to be able to move at all during 5 years of PMR without pred. If the pool was too cool I couldn't manage anything so would go in the spa bit but the effect of that lasted at most a couple of hours - and didn't make much difference to the pain, just the stiffness.

[Charlie1boy]

I'm a 79 year old male, and coming up to five years with PMR. I was told "probably two years, could be more, but could be chronic"

Pick the bones out of that!

Good luck

Paddy