PMR at 33?

[Kkeepsgoing2]

Hi all, I’m looking for some feedback. I’m 33 & I’ve been struggling with some bizarre symptoms for quite a while now. I was ruled out for having GCA although i fit a lot of the bill. Now lately I’ve had horrible muscle pain in my thighs, on both sides as well as painful hips. I’ve had the hip pain for quite some time & it’s worse when i lay down & try to get up but the thigh pain is new (like 2 weeks). Could this be PMR?

[SnazzyD]

It is possible but rare, though there are other types of vasculitis. What investigations have you had up to now and they offering any other diagnosis? Do you have any other medical problems?

[Kkeepsgoing2 in reply to SnazzyD]

I’ve never had any issues until the last 2 years. It started with temple headaches, some slight swelling of the artery off & on, eye pain. That comes & goes. They’ve done lab work which was always normal, a U/S of my temples. MRI of brain & orbits, X-ray of my neck. The only thing positive was mY ANA. The diagnosis was “depression & muscle spasms in c spine”

[SnazzyD in reply to Kkeepsgoing2]

Sorry, another bunch of questions - First, which country are you in?

I’m not saying that is what it is, but what makes you think it isn’t their diagnosis? You don’t have to say what here, but is there any basis for depression that they have seized upon? So, the spasm in c spine is supposedly affecting your legs or do they not know of this development? Is the muscle spasm just the last thing left in their barrel or have they found evidence of it? Has it been going on like this for 2 years coming and going?

[Kkeepsgoing2 in reply to SnazzyD]

I’m in the US. I don’t mind the questions. It’s come & gone. But this is now the longest it lasted. They’re saying my c spine is the cause of the head & eye pain. I also have ear pain, at the tips like someone is pinching them. Depression isn’t my baseline. That didn’t start until after an NP diagnosed me with GCA then said it wasn’t & went back & forth.

[SnazzyD in reply to Kkeepsgoing2]

Yes, hanging on for a diagnosis and all the long waits in between, struggling with getting with life, is enough to enough to get anyone down and if they then include one’s understandable lowering of mood in the diagnosis, that just takes the biscuit as we say in the UK.

Whether you have GCA or not, this is well worth knowing about. My diagnosis was GCA and this issue made me think I was having a relapse a few times, sternocleidomastoid tension

physio-pedia.com/Sternoclei...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

[Kkeepsgoing2 in reply to SnazzyD]

This definitely makes a lot of sense. Thank you!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

You will struggle to get anyone to agree to a diagnosis of PMR at your age - that doesn't mean it isn't, but there are a lot more likely things.

Are you sure it is muscle pain in your thighs and not bursitis? Trochanteric bursitis can make the outer aspects of the thighs were sore and the pain can spread into the groin.

How positive was your ANA? That is not a typical finding in PMR but is more likely in lupus or an inflammatory arthritis such as RA. OTOH - you can have a postive result and be perfectly healthy!

[Kkeepsgoing2 in reply to PMRpro]

The pain is at the front & insides of my thighs along with my knees. I can certainly look into those other things though!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Kkeepsgoing2]

Insides of thighs is less likely to be bursitis - typically adductor strain. Have you been doing exercises that would affect the quads and adductor muscles? Once you have sore muscles it will get worse if you don't rest for them to heal.

[Kkeepsgoing2 in reply to PMRpro]

I haven’t worked out in weeks

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Kkeepsgoing2]

But all that you describe - you really would be surprised how much referred pain can be due to back muscle problems and possibly stemming from the c-spine problem.

[Kkeepsgoing2 in reply to PMRpro]

Trust me, I’d much prefer it be that than autoimmune. The ANA was only speckled by the way.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Kkeepsgoing2]

"Only" speckled? Think you may have misunderstood what it means.

labtestsonline.org/tests/an...

[Kkeepsgoing2 in reply to PMRpro]

The rheum made it sound like speckled was not a big deal or very indicative of anything. Maybe i need a new one.

[ROB5]

Yes that’s what I started off with I still Take the tablets I’m down to 7 a half milligrams now because I’m 83

[Kkeepsgoing2]

I was under the impression that GCA is a connective tissue disease

[1951grumpa]

I have a son around your same age who had what some would say we’re PMR symptoms. I told him he’s too young and that he should see the rheumatologist that I go to. He did. She did blood work and put him on prednisone telling him that he would feel better. He returned in a couple weeks and the blood work had confirmed a virus. And his symptoms would go away. He stayed on the prednisone for a few months. He’s better now.

[Kkeepsgoing2 in reply to 1951grumpa]

Do you know what kind of virus it was?

[1951grumpa in reply to Kkeepsgoing2]

Human parvovirus, common in children called " fifths disease" and causes slap cheek syndrome and rash, but in some adults it mimics rheumatoid arthritis and can be debilitating

I’m new at this copy/paste stuff

[1951grumpa]

I will see if he remembers and get back to you

[1951grumpa in reply to 1951grumpa]

Human parvovirus, common in children called " fifths disease" and causes slap cheek syndrome and rash, but in some adults it mimics rheumatoid arthritis and can be debilitating