PMR

Have fund this site invaluable and so informative thank you. Recently diagnosed with PMR and osteoporosis. Long term osteoarthritis. Have been prescribed Prednisolone 15ms daily gradually decreasing over next few weeks. My Doctor rang today to advise further blood test as concerned about kidney function but I always present small amount of blood in urine. Also wants me to have a chest xray as a precaution this week. I am not breathless, never smoked or consumed alcohol should I be worried. I do feel a bit shaky first thing in the morning but apart from that no side effects from Prednisolone. Any advice would be very much appreciated please.

[SheffieldJane]

Your doctor is being thorough. Have we welcomed you? A warm welcome anyway. Let us know the results.

[Hidden in reply to SheffieldJane]

Yes you have welcomed me thank you. I feel reassured that GP is being thorough but was just a little anxious.

[Jampad]

I had a blood test which showed my kidney function had gone down to 42%. I was really worried. The doctor organised another blood test and my kidney function was 65%. I wonder if it is the prednisolone causing the fluctuations

[Hidden in reply to Jampad]

Thank you for your reply, it may we’ll be. Having blood test again this week so will see the result soon.

[piglette in reply to Jampad]

My kidneys were fine before PMR but have deteriorated since starting pred. I now have chronic kidney disease stage 3, whatever that means. I have no treatment for it.

[Hidden in reply to piglette]

Hope all goes well for you

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Hi and welcome!

Advice? "15ms daily gradually decreasing over next few weeks" - I do hope it will be over months (at least) not weeks and that he is aware he isn't sending you in the direction of zero without a bit of care.

Unfortunately pred hasn't cured anything, it is relieving the inflammation that is the cause of the symptoms while the actual underlying disease process chugs along in the background until it decides to burn out and go into remission. And I'm afraid that isn't going to happen in weeks - probably not even months. PMR is a chronic illness and only 1 in 5 are able to get off pred in under a year and seem to be at a higher risk of relapse at some later point. In the meantime, pred allows a generally better quality of life - at least with reduced pain and increased mobility.

If you have questions come and ask any time - because whatever you experience, the chances are that someone else has already been there and can sympathise and probably help out.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you for your advice

[piglette]

I have been asked to get a chest xray done for PMR a couple of times. There was no particular reason but just a check to see things were OK. I assumed they were checking my heart.

[Hidden in reply to piglette]

Thank you for reassurance piglet