High fever & PMR

[Lowercwmtwrch]

Hi, I was diagnosed in August 2020 after a bad bout of covid. Dr diagnosed me through bloods & put me on 15 mg for first 6 months then started tapering, was off steroids all together by Christmas 2021 roughly a year & half all together. I was so happy I'd beaten it, & thought I had my life back again, 'no more moon face.' But two weeks ago I took on a little job cleaning, only two mornings, then bang! My back & shoulders started playing up, I was back in bed, no energy, dry sore mouth & lounge & the fever was unbearable with freezing hands & feet, I put myself back on my original first dose of steroids as I was unable to get a Dr's Appointments, lines were always busy! Finally I got through yesterday, spoke to a Doctor & went in for a check up & bloods. To tell you the truth I feel so sorry for the Doctor, as my fever was tagging & I was hi as a kite on steroids, poor thing I think she had by whole life story in 10 mint but that was the first time I'd seen a Doctor since I was diagnosed over the phone in 2020. Just wondering why my fever is so high?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Christmas to now is a really common duration for very low level activity of the a/i disorder underlying PMR symptoms to build up far enough to make itself known. With a bit of luck you will be able to get it under control with a few days of 10mg and then be able to drop to 5mg or even a lot less quite easily. Prof Dasgupta told us he keeps people on 2-3mg for extended periods to reduce a risk of relapses like this,

However - you shouldn't really have a high fever with PMR, it is more likely with GCA, but even then it is rarely very high. Are you sure it wasn't Covid?

[Lowercwmtwrch in reply to PMRpro]

Aw no, I was doing a test every day, it was always negative! But I did have covid from the omicrome virus in January this year, a month after my booster injection!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Lowercwmtwrch]

Bit bad timing! If the high temp continues it would be worth discussing it with the GP. It is unusual in PMR - does happen though.

[Lowercwmtwrch in reply to PMRpro]

Aw yes, I managed to get through to a GP yesterday, did a check up & did bloods just waiting now, still not feeling very well & my back is in bits, taking took 15 mg last week, taking 10mg this week hopefully 9 mg next week!🙄