Any advice or help PLEASE

[Weebaxter]

48yr old male I had Glandular Fever 4yrs ago and had never been right since. Not worked for over one year and fatigue muscle pains unbearable feet pain. Rheumatologist says ME CFS I keep thinking maybe PMR but you start saying a diagnosis to the "specialist" and they think your telling them there job. I live in Australia previously from Scotland. I used to have a very active life now I struggle in pain every day. My wife reads your site and says very helpful and understanding. Thanks for any help any one offers and also test all negative only raised ESR at 18.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

"only raised ESR at 18" - do you know that is raised for you? It is within the normal range for most of the world albeit towards the top of the range! Where are you in Oz?

You would be very young for PMR - and being male also makes it less likely. That doesn't mean it isn't, it means something else is more likely. PMR isn't the disease, it is the name given to a set of symptoms which are being caused by an underlying disorder and there are quite a few really.

If this stems from a glandular fever episode then ME/CFS is more likely. I had it for a few years in my 20s and nearly 30 years later PMR appeared - but it is a fairly atypical version. I suppose what might be helpful would be if someone would be willing to try a short course of corticosteroids - 20mg pred for example for a week or two - and see what happens. PMR should respond to that - ME/CFS won't. Nor will fibromyalgia which could also be a possibility. Some other things might respond but would usually take longer than PMR is said to.

[alangg in reply to PMRpro]

I would echo PMR Pro's last statement. My GP (in UK) said try Prednisolone for a week; if it eases the symptoms then you probably have PMR, if it doesn't then you probably don't and you can stop taking it with no problems. I took it and the relief came within 5 hours; I could live my life again.

[Loopy65]

As someone who was diagnosed with CFS/ME in 1988 (at 23) and who has, since then, spent a lot of time hoping it was something more tangible and easier to fix, it sounds a bit more like ME/CFS than PMR.

I had the PMR diagnosis in December 2019 and the pain of that has been quite different.

Totally agree that, if you can get your GP to give Pred a go for a short term try, it could be really helpful.

Hoping you can get a firm diagnosis with whatever it is soon.

[Mollieharry]

I have rhuemotoid arthritis and when my symptoms changed eg terrible muscle pain in shoulders and hips,burning and tingling feet in legs and feet and many more,I like you thought that maybe there was something else maybe pmr (reason I came on this site)or thyroid,I just didn’t know.in the end I was found to have a vit b12 defiency too and I now get injections for this.im not saying this is what you’ve got,I’m inclined to think your rhuemo will be right me/cfs stemming from the glandular fever.but after reading b12 giving your life back (google this).its a very interesting and informative read.I realise that it plays a big part alongside many other conditions.me/cfs was mentioned.