Advice please

[Nanny71]

PMR 20 months since diagnosis. No flares and now down to 4 mg. Tested positive for Covid 11 days ago. Todays test still positive . Have intense pain at the base of skull and neck muscles on right hand side. Painkillers no help . PMR or Covid ?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

To be honest, not sure…have you done anything that could have affected right hand side -if it where PMR would have expected it to be bilateral. Maybe try a topical gel on affected area and see if that helps.

Although headache is a symptom of covid -would have expected painkillers to help. ..do you have any of the other top Omicron symptoms -

runny nose, fatigue (although that could be PMR) ,sneezing or sore throat?

[Nanny71 in reply to DorsetLady]

Yes tested positive for Covid 11 days ago. Trying gel now . Hopefully will ease pain . Thanks for reply

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Nanny71]

Hope you soon feel better

[Hidden]

Hello Nanny71. I'm new to this group and haven't posted here before but I would go to see your GP or your rheumatologist. Don't want to be doom and gloom on my first post but when I had these very same symptoms last April I tried everything (heat/exercise/pain killers) for 4 days to no avail. My GP put me on 40mg Prednisolone and started me on the GCA pathway. One year on I have been discharged by my shoulder consultant as he says I now have PMR affecting my neck/shoulder/left arm down to elbow. Good luck

[Nanny71 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. I will have a word with the Doctor tomorrow .

[Sharitone]

Hi Nanny, as the pain is intense and doesn't respond to painkillers, I think you should get it checked out, just in case, particularly if it spreads to the left hand side. Hope it has improved today.

[Nanny71 in reply to Sharitone]

Thanks for your reply. Pain still there. Will contact Doctor tomorrow.

[SheffieldJane]

The occipital area at the back of the skull is an area that can give pain in GCA, like the others I would urge you to have this investigated.

[Nanny71 in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thanks will do