border collie

[reading_novels]

I was diagnosed with polymyalgia six weeks ago even though the pain is much better I am suffering with muscle pain at the back of my thighs when sitting and sleeping will this get better?

[SnazzyD]

It will get better in its own time but think long term because your body’s immune system has gone awry and is attacking the blood vessels to the muscles which is what causes the pain. It will burn itself out and the best you can do is look after yourself with care and patience. Normally, quality of life is much improved with steroids that reduce the inflammation so the blood can get to the muscles so the pain reduces, hopefully to nothing. The idea is to reduce the steroids to a level that controls the inflammation for the current level of your autoimmune activity. They normally start with a decent dose of 15-25mg to deal with the inflammation build up and then reduce slowly. It is important that you are started on high enough a dose in the first place and that the dose is reduced only when the patient is comfortable. Although quoted durations of this can be 5 years, you are not like this all the time and hopefully for most of it you are on a low dose. It would help people giving advice if you say what dose you’re on and what the schedule is.

[Hidden]

I have had this since it all started 6 years ago, mine is like a stinging pain and not like toothache pain, quite a distinctive different. Doctors don't know what it is. I am on 3mg pred, and probably will try to reduce again in the spring. 3mg has stopped all other PMR pains.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

A bit more info about your starting dose and how long you have been on it would help us comment more sensibly. And have you moderated things like walking/stairs and so on?

[reading_novels in reply to PMRpro]

I started six weeks ago on 15mg fourth week took 15mg and 10mg on alternate days for a week when symptoms started so went back to 15mg spoke to g.p. back to alternate days she suggested taking zinc and magnesium not received any yet symptoms only with me sitting and in bed can't sleep

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to reading_novels]

Most of us would say that is too fast - often you need at least a month up to 6 weeks at the starting dose before starting to taper. And I say taper as opposed to reducing - you are looking for the lowest dose that gives the same level of relief as the starting dose did. In the early days that is much higher than it will be later. Dropping to 10mg from 15 may work in short term use of pred for chest infections and so on - it almost never does for PMR as it is rarely enough at this early stage and later the drop is too big. Experts say the step down should never be more than 10% of the current dose - not 33%! 1mg at time makes far more sense and even that is too much for many. Then a slowed taper approach like this may help:

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

Other versions are available.

[reading_novels in reply to PMRpro]

I mentioned this to the g.p. as I was told this before but she said that by doing it on alternate days for three weeks it evens out at 121/2 mg I am finding the whole thing quite overwhelming

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to reading_novels]

It does even out - but the effect on the body does sometimes seem to be quite confusing for it. But it is still very fast - 3 weeks at a given dose isn't long.

I would ask her if SHE personally has taken pred for PMR. And how many patients she has told to reduce like that - and how many struggled. Our ideas are based on the personal experiences of thousands of patients over the years - and they work.