Alternative meds for PMR

[Bonesnjoints]

I have osteoporosis 10years plus....my last meds being a Prolia jab, which I suspect kicked off my now pmr . Not keen on taking steroids as they are bad for bones. I will be going back to the doctor on Tuesday so would love some suggestions on an alternative to steroids?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi, And welcome,

To be honest, there is no like-for-like substitute for steroids in relation to PMR.

What other medications, if any, have you been prescribed alongside steroids for your illness? Or haven’t you been prescribed anything as yet?

Although steroids may not be good for bones, many have found they don't automatically make osteoporosis any worse.

Others with osteoporosis and PMR will be along in due course to give their experiences.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

There aren't any alternatives that work as effectively as pred to manage the inflammation. Tocilizuman/Actemra is used for GCA and LVV but no clinical trials have been done in PMR so it is not approved by healthcare systems in Europe and the US although there are rheumatologists using it for PMR in the US.

Some DMARDs (methotrexate, leflunomide in particular and azathioprine) are sometimes used as "steroid sparers" but they do not always work and come with their own adverse effects which for some people are too much to accept.

The idea of the Prolia/denosumab is to protect your bones from further deterioration of the osteoporosis.