Is it pmr?

[pastamaid]

Hi. Another quest for your opinions please. Have had stiffness and aches for 2 months worst was two weeks ago, but now stiffness and aches are improving. I only take paracetamol at night. Got appt with doc next week. Was referred to rheum specialist but they knocked it back and I never saw them and told gp it's pmr and issue steroids. My point is. If my CRP and ear are coming down and pain and stiffness getting better, is this common for pmr?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Not in that sort of timescale no, And I would say it would be a brave (or stupid) rheumy who would be so confident it was PMR without more investigation if it does disappear over time.

Does paracetamol help? Had you been doing anything particular in the couple of months before the pain started? Had you been ill in that period? Had you have a vaccination in that time?

[pastamaid in reply to PMRpro]

I had been on holiday, had flu jab and COVID jab but that's about it. I also have had a lot of stress as my son has been diagnosed with cancer. Doctor has given me sertraline which I have been taking for 2 weeks as well. It's just I don't want to not take pred if that's what I need but I don't want to take if it's not necessary

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to pastamaid]

A PMR-type response to the Covid jab seems quite common and it also typically seems to resolve relatively quickly - in that it may be a few months and up to a year which is very unusual for what you might call "standard" PMR.

Have you actually started taking pred?

[pastamaid in reply to PMRpro]

No got appt next week, but letter from specialist to doctor suggests it, even though he hasnt seen me

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to pastamaid]

If it is improving, I'd want to hang on a bit, especially since it started shortly after Covid vaccine and that is a known trigger of a shorter myalgia.

[pastamaid in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you, i spoke to the doctor today and told him stiffness big improvement, can now do backstroke again while swimming, hips and knees improving, can now almost get back into yoga position and easy to get out of bed, with just a little muscle ache. He said Rheumatology specialist (who has never seen me) has diagnosed PMR and Pred should be started. I said i had been on here and its very unusual for PMR to get better on its own with no treatment, he said he has to go with the specialist. I asked for another set of bloods to see if the inflammation is still coming down, but he said thats unnecessary. I have asked for a different GP to assess me. Am i making too much of this? I just dont really know how i am supposed to feel 8 weeks since the symptoms started.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to pastamaid]

"he said he has to go with the specialist"

He doesn't. Especially when the specialist is going by his report and not a personal consultation and examination. And to refuse a patient's request of a blood test to go with the improving symptoms is just plain laziness and b£""^y mindedness. If you don't NEED pred it is ridiculous to start it. Most of us have the other problem - can't move and they won't prescribe pred!

Good luck with a different GP - just hope they don't want to not disagree with a colleague.

[pastamaid in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you. I will persist with asking for the blood test. I agree, its silly if i havent got the symptoms, because i think thats what they go on most of the time. Thank you for your reassurance. Its hard to know what i'm supposed to be feeling and what to do

[Merryfield in reply to pastamaid]

Sitting here wishing your son and your family strength and love through this process and a recovery and return to health for him.

[pastamaid in reply to Merryfield]

Thank you so much xxx