neck stiffness

[Predniso141]

I have been dealing with a flare since August ,2022. My CRP was 38 and my internist started me on 20 Mg Prednisone 2x a day for a week, have tapered every two weeks and am at 5 mg every other day. Doing well but do have residual neck stiffness on right side and weird slight pain in upper right arm. Not shoulder but lower. Stretching and yoga slow movements certainly help all this. CRP is down to 5 now and hope it stays there. Do you think CRP numbers are more of an indicator of PMR rather than Sed Rate? Just curious. Great info on this site.

Thanks to all!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Everyone is different! When it became fashionable for people to look down their noses at ESR and prefer CRP and PV (plasma viscosity) for monitoring inflammatory markers it was said by someone in the field that often ESR is a preferable monitoring tool for PMR even if it isn't for anything else! Some people never have raised levels of either, my ESR remains steadfastly within normal range but they are raised for me since my personal normal is low single figures. My CRP was only raised once - in a day when I had a short period of a severe cardiac arrhythmia, the following week it was fine again.

I think they are things that need to be checked regularly over a period of time to see what they show for you.

The bicep pain could be in the attachment of the bicep to the tendon - something that bothers me occasionally - PMR tends to affect these attachments

my.clevelandclinic.org/heal...

[Predniso141 in reply to PMRpro]

many thanks for that. I thought the pain in my bicept was all imagined.

[LucilleG in reply to Predniso141]

Before I was diagnosed with PMR (5 months after pain started), I had pains in my neck, shoulders, hips and groin. However, the worst pain was in both biceps. If I reached up over my head, took off my bra, or tried to scratch my back, the pain was excruciating. It almost felt electrical. Once I started taking prednisone, all of the pain was gone within hours except for my upper arms - that took a few days to go away.

[Keemo in reply to LucilleG]

Hi I had the same pains as you experienced started two weeks after my first covid jab took over six months before docs sent me to a rhumy then I was put on 15 prednisolone first two weeks then down to ten next two weeks told me to taper off 1 mg a month said I would be off them by end of June /July that's over a year ago not heard from him since ,I kept taking 1 mg a day after till September then I was having a lot of pain taking painkillers decided to ring doc put me back on 5mg last three weeks but having a lot of stress with my hubby being seriously ill I put myself up to 7 yesterday don't really want to go to high it's getting down again ,a week ago doc put me on antidepressants carnt cope with side affects feeling sick headache dizziness so yesterday started to lower dose I just carnt afford to be ill when having to make sure hubby has his meals .

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Keemo]

You need enough pred - in the same position as you (except he didn't have to be fed because he didn't eat) my pred dose was up in the teens, otherwise I simply couldn't function.

[Keemo in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you yes I think I do need to higher dose seeing doctor so ask him if I can higher dose for a while x

[LucilleG in reply to Keemo]

As PMRpro has stated, you need enough prednisone to deal with the inflammation from PMR, as well as enough to ensure your body can cope with the stress you have with caring for your husband. If you are lowering the dose of prednisone while going through a stressful time, it could make you feel ill. Sending good thoughts to both you and your hubby.

[Keemo in reply to LucilleG]

Thank you for your reply I'm seeing doctor this week so will ask him for more preds xx

[Missus835 in reply to LucilleG]

Very similar. 5 months of pain before diagnosis. Same pain in neck, shoulders, hips and groin (even now with the groin so unsure if it's PMR related. I could not reach back and down to get clothes on, wipe myself. Anything which involves reaching back. Over my head was OK. Prednisone reduced it with in hours. Interested to know where you're at with tapering or if you are. I started Pred in Jan. 2022 and had been in pain since May of 2021 and then it ramped up in August 2021. Such pain I have not know, even with herniated disc before operation years ago. Take good care.

[LucilleG in reply to Missus835]

I started on 40 mg of Prednisone at the end of May 2021 and am currently tapering from 7 to 6.5 mg. (Check out my bio for more details). Yeah, in terms of the pain in my upper arms, it was definitely worse when it involved reaching back. You take care as well!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Predniso141]

Oh no - my rheumy identified it immediately, and as usual poked the spot first time!

[Karendeena in reply to PMRpro]

PMRpro, I get this pain in that area of my upper right arm, often it twinges and troubles me in the night. I have a tendency to sleep on it which doesn't help but as I have afib too I am told not to sleep on the left! Help, I can't sleep on my back

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Karendeena]

No-one has ever told me not to sleep on my left side ...

I'm not sure offhand what they suggest to treat bicep tendonitis - google might help?

Here you are

my.clevelandclinic.org/heal...

[Karendeena in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro

[Suffererc]

I have had a stiff neck on BBC and off but a painful left upper arm. Put it down to the Moderna jab which was extremely painful.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Suffererc]

Think the operator has to be blamed there - their technique obviously needs attention!

[Suffererc in reply to PMRpro]

I thought that with the 5th jab. Thought he had been a bit rough but the 6th was so painful when the needle went in and when the serum was injected the pain was unbelievable. When I think back , I had a flare a week after the 5th and 6th jabs. My top of arm aches still which is a bit strange

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Suffererc]

How strange - none of my jabs have hurt,, 2x Moderna and 2x Pfizer so far. Had a bit of a flare after the second Moderna but there was so much going on besides that could have played a part and it was mostly fatigue.

[Suffererc in reply to PMRpro]

3x phfizer 3 x Moderna. First 4 no problems at all

[Gossiplady in reply to Suffererc]

Suffererc! When I had my second jab (Phitzer) , the fellow literally jabbed me. I felt I could have done better myself with a pitchfork. I wasn’t watching, so I am not sure whether he lost his balance. Came home, already had taken 2 paracetamols, but the pain was simply horrendous. Spread quickly. No bruise. Within days I was in agony and of course this was the start of PMR. Although predisolone was soon in full control, my arm was always upsetting me and nothing helped. I had the full pains for twelve months in my arm, then it was suggested I tried infra red on it. Two sessions of 10 minutes, arm fine , Pain gone never to return.

[Suffererc in reply to Gossiplady]

Thankyou for your reply. The Nurse/Dr wasn’t rough I just thought he was. The pain was worse when he injected the serum. Same on the 6th jab when the Nurse was very gentle. Same thing happened. But pain in upper arm is still there. Had flares and arm left feeling like pain of frozen shoulder but not the shoulder

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Suffererc]

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Suffererc in reply to PMRpro]

thank you. That hit the nail on the head. I thought the first painful injection was high and by all accounts it was. The second was high again but not as and the most pain occurred when the serum was let loose . Thank you 😊