Do I need to get a diagnosis

[Booge_15]

I am still at home debating what to do! My husband is extremely vulnerable so we are in lockdown for at least 12 weeks. I have stayed in with him. I had PMR about 10yrs ago which lasted for approx 4/5 yrs .i only ever saw my GP if I made an appointment she never actually followed me up but as I was helping with the SW PMRGCA group I gleaned a great deal of information so managed! I have been fine since but it has definitely come back and is now quite annoying in so much that I do lie awake at night as it is painful and of course I am going over and over in my head as to whether I ought to try to get a blood test.The stiffness and soreness is mainly my hips and neck not as much in the arms as before and of course eases during the day. I manage with the occasional paracetamol. and I do tend to think I can cope with this.My question is am I damaging myself by not getting treatment. I am 75yrs

[Yellowbluebell]

Hi, you say you take paracetamol and manage with that which would suggest it is not pmr pain you are suffering from. Pmr and gca pain is not usually affected by pain meds. I think you should at least have a phone appt with your gp when possible. YBB

[Hidden]

Are you sure you aren't just stiffening up .....it's weeks (?) And my non PMR pains and stiffness are being naughty. Of course you know what your PMR felt like and it could be both. Yes it's not good to leave PMR untreated, GCA more likely and other vascular issues may occur. Some people say a bloods nurse has been to the garden/house, I have a city wide drive through blood centre but you need to be entered into the system. Tbh, if it is PMR then now is at least a time when you will properly pace and sometimes if you catch it I have read people take a lower dose that the first time. So yes. Ring Dr and ask for pred/test and if one start lower and see what the relief is like.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If you really ARE managing at present then there is probably no desperate rush to get bloods and see the GP. However, while PMR in and of itself doesn't cause damage at the time it can progress to GCA and that is more likely when it isn't managed with pred to reduce the level of inflammation. The low grade inflammation does in the long term increase the risk of other illnesses including vascular damage which may make it more likely you develop peripheral vascular disease, causing restricted blood flow to the limbs in particular. Longterm low grade inflammation is also linked to cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

So while there is no hurry - it does need to be checked out so a phone call to the doctor is probably a good idea. Since you have had it before the GP may well be happy to take your provisional diagnosis and try a moderate dose of pred to see if it works well - often taken as a criterion in the diagnosis.

[Paulamac77]

Checking with your GP is the best idea to ensure you don’t store up problems for the future and the sooner you reduce the inflammation the better.

May I also suggest you consider the mattress on your bed? I had an orthopaedic mattress on mine but as I began to develop stiffness in my hips and spine, I questioned whether it was too firm since now I’m older I move less during my sleep. Changing to a medium softness has made a world of difference.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Paulamac77]

Just a mention of another solution: get a softer mattress topper or even a high tog duvet, a single one is the right size to just fit a UK double bed, to put under the bottom sheet.