Could a previous diagnosis of brachial neuritis be a warning sign of PMR?

[Dochaz]

Before was finally diagnosed with GCA/LVV + PMR in March this year, I had been to my GP a few years ago with extreme pain going from my neck to my arm (one side only, severe, and enough to reduce me to tears because there seemed to be no way, no position, no medication that alleviated the torture). Dx at the time was brachial neuritis. It eventually calmed down and now I'm wondering if this could have been the beginnings of PMR which evolved into GCA /LVV. Has anyone else had previous episodes of one-sided pain from neck to arm before dx?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

An autoimmune form of brachial neuritis has been described but not much known about it. However, once you have one autoimmune problem, it isn't uncommon for people to collect more. It is more usually due to injury to the nerve though.

[Dochaz in reply to PMRpro]

Just predisposed, then, most likely. Thanks for the feedback!

[EPguy in reply to Dochaz]

I hang out mostly in the MPN Voice group. That is a blood cancer. But with a new Dx of brachial neuritis (BN) added to that I looked up your post. I got BN from an adverse reaction to the flu vaccine last Fall. That is in the auto immune category. But it's more often from a physical injury.

It can come out of nowhere to anybody my neurologist says. But if you had a flu or other illness, or a vaccine for that a couple days or weeks before you got BN, that could be a reason.

My neurologist says my MPN condition and its treatment have no connection, it's just bad luck.

It usually gets better in a couple months or years, if you didn't have bad loss of strength that is a positive for prognosis he says. Mine is slowly improving but my 20 year exercise routine is shot for now.