Rheumatologist

[Uglow]

I had a good appointment with my rheumatologist yesterday. He says I seem to be on track with pred. I am Cutting down 1 mg a month hopefully to help with side effects. Foggy lethargic. He said when I come down if I have any pains wait few days to see if it settles if it doesn’t get bloods before action. He agreed that it’s lowest you can manage on eventually aim is not to get off pred. My dexa remains same as 2015 so I said I wouldn’t take AA he’s fine with that but said keep taking vit D. I told him about group which he said they seem supportive and people that are suffering can guide you as they have Hands on experience. He also said that in his experience most people had had some kind of trauma or virus before getting PMR going back to a year or so. I shall see him again in January but my Gp will continue to liaise with me and help me. 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[herdysheep]

Doesn't it make a difference when you are treated as a person AND sensibly/sensitively treated?

[Uglow in reply to herdysheep]

Yes it really does. When there is empathy because it must be hard coz they don’t feelOur pain but they trust you and you can feel they are doing there best.

[cycli]

glad that seems sorted Uglow. happy for you

[Nextoneplease]

Excellent news Uglow 😊

Medicine isn’t all about pills and meds - clinical skills such as you describe are so important x

[AyJayBass]

Interesting comment he made "in his experience most people had had some kind of trauma or virus before getting PMR going back to a year or so." In my case it was the first Covid vax in Jan-21 that tipped my immune system over the edge and triggered PMR. However, my wife died with Alzheimer's the previous May (during the first UK lockdown) after many years in slow decline so maybe the stress etc related to that made some contribution. Who knows?!

[Uglow in reply to AyJayBass]

I 💯think stress is the trigger for nearly all disease certainly seems to have been in my life. Not always stress you see hidden in our body. But unfortunately life can be stressful and I think it’s how you process. My husband is a stress free man and I so envy him. There is help to deal with it but most of us think we know it all and do what we think is ok 😂😂😂