Confused

[Bagama]

Can anyone advise me as to why when my stress levels increase so does my PMR symptoms , even though my blood tests come back within the normal range ?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Stress impacts the immune system so possibly upsets that aspect of PMR but the effect isn't enough to raise the proteins enough to cause in increase in the blood markers. I'm quite sceptical about the blood tests really ...

[Bagama in reply to PMRpro]

I was diagnosed with PMR 5yrs ago , and those years have been a rollercoaster of a ride, at the moment i am experiencing a bad flare up, i have had niggles in the past but nothing like this, which in its self raises my stress levels , therefore the causing yet more pain and stiffness a never ending battle. but i am determined to get there in the end .

[Lafete in reply to PMRpro]

My experience certainly mirrors what you are saying. My bloods have been OK but the PMR is real and I also have depression and anxiety. At the present time. Any increased anxiety makes my pain worse and that is not in my head! However I will be well.

[Jampad]

Last week my husband had a bad fall, and I very quickly went downhill and had to increase my dose of prednisolone temporarily. I can only think it was the stress of my husband`s accident which caused the problem.

[Bagama in reply to Jampad]

Oh dear! I do hope he is okay now. and likewise yourself, this past year I have found that any hint of stress and my PMR reacts to it almost immediately ,

[SheffieldJane in reply to Bagama]

Me too Bagama I can start to get pains if my husband argues with me. He says I am like a character from Cold Comfort Farm. Seriously though stress really has a big impact and when it overwhelms you, you flare. Perhaps it literally increases inflammation, which is often present in Depression and can cause it.

[Bagama in reply to SheffieldJane]

Yes, I know I am not in a good place at the moment, and depression triggers stress and so on and so forth .I find I am struggling, what I do find however is the total lack of understanding of others, who thankfully don't have PMR. I think in my case as it has been so long a journey ,they forget the struggle , I feel that because there is no visual evidence of the illness{other than walking like a zombie at times, miserable expression when unguarded}, they forget or can not comprehend ,or don't want to . But this flare up will be short hopefully and then normality here I come !

[SheffieldJane in reply to Bagama]

Well we understand, so come here and vent as often as you need to.

[GlynisE]

I believe my PMR was brought on by stress and I also get a flare when stressed. My OH has cancer and is really ill and on chemo days I feel ,y symptoms return. I would like to taper my prednisone but can’t risk getting ill again.

[Bagama in reply to GlynisE]

I can totally relate to your situation ,and understand fully how you are feeling .My situation is so like yours , my D also has cancer and I try as best as i can to support her on the treatment days, looking after my g'sons .I have been trying to taper off prednisone and successfully got down to 2mgs or so I though! I was stable at 2mgs when I decided to reduce further ,this was a wrong move I should have stayed at the 2mgs . I reduced further to 1mg every other day. now unfortunately I find myself in the middle of a flare up and really struggling ,I have had to increase my dose to battle it . I can not risk being ill.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bagama]

At such a low dose - why are you taking the risk?

[Bagama in reply to PMRpro]

I guess that's the question, I wanted to be free from this situation ,tablets and yet more tablets. Risk didn't come into it at all, I honestly thought at the time I could get off them , and also was following Drs advice , I didn't know how difficult reducing the last small dose would be , given hind sight I wouldn't have been so quick to try to be free of them.

[GlynisE in reply to Bagama]

So sad and we have to keep a happy face too.

[Blues1]

The huge stress of supporting our aged parents and my Father through Alzheimer's for 10 years I am convinced was the cause of my PMR . I've been on pred since April and have reduced from 30 to 10 mg but have days when my symptoms are much worse after a stressful couple of days. (Am still supporting my mother at a 40 mile distance she refuses to move nearer or come and stay. )My blood results are much better but the stress is the key factor to symptoms in my case I am sure.

[Purplecrow]

Your story shows your amazing resilience.... daughter serious illness, grandchildren needs, ...PMR,.....and yet, you persist!! 👏🏽

My suggestion is to pick a level of prednisone, ...say, 5 mg., or the dose that manages your symptoms, and settle down with it. Forget about tapering and getting off the pred., for the next 6 months. Let things settle down, and enjoy some painless time while life works itself out.

You will survive, you will be OK! You will be there for your loved ones.

But , for now, take a few moments to come to peace with PMR/Prednisone and let yourself stop fighting.

Stress has a powerful impact on our body systems, and we cannot always control its origin. What we can control, is how we choose to allow it to effect our lives and our illness.

If you had a different illness for which you needed daily medication, ( blood pressure, thyroid, epilepsy) you would not be in a relentless race to stop taking your medication. For the moment, Prednisone is the medication we need to take daily.

I think we sometimes focus too heavily on "getting off prednisone". That mindset sets us up for the chronic merry-go -round of taper/fail.

Come join us at the table, sip a cup of tea, and let others pursue the Tiger after its tail.......we will all get there, eventually, ...

Kind regards, Jerri

PMR diagnosed 2013

[Bagama in reply to Purplecrow]

Thank you so much for your kind ,sympathetic and understanding reply what you have written makes so much sense and has given me another train of thought other than to reduce prednisone ,and realise that there is no rush . getting better is the main thing not the amount of time it actually takes . yes I need to be fit and I will be . thankyou again