berenice1943

[Polymiagle1943]

Hi. I havent posted now for 7 years. I had polymiagle when i was 73 it lasted 3 years before i finally tapered my press. with one flare up which was in my hands and wrist. which I hadnt had before. My GP said unusual , but just used preds a bit after a few weeks no sign so off preds forever so i thought. preds left me with a temporary diabetes, told that they knock the pancreas. any waynow not diabetic, though have to watch it doesnt go that way. Preds also gave me osteoporosis which i didnt know about and broke my hip. I then got a dexa scan. I have it in my spine and other places. suffer from back pain and cramps when working at work surfaces etc. cooking baking is my hobby. Physio cant help as i would like manipulation, they say thy cant touch me in case i break something.

In the meantime i have had pacemaker fitted for sick sinus atrial fibrillation. My heart cant drop below 50 bpm. now but i still get A fib. mainly at night every couple of weeks.

Now after 7 years. To my surprise i have Polymiagle again. I didnt know it could recur, i was started on 30mg of pred. about 2 months or so ago. now down to 8mg a day.

what i would like to know has anyone experienced this long gap and could it be a flare up rather than another long time on prednisalone with all the side effects, the preds. were amazing symptoms went very quickly. the sciatic i had for months disappeared, still not back even with lower dose. i was fit energetic kept going at a fast pace all day, Sadly the lower dose is also slowing me down stairs are getting harder, hip muscle not good for stairs. if only side effects could be controlled completely Prednisolone would be a miracle drug. sorrythis is long winded, but it would be interesting to know if anyone out therewith answers. as i get more A,F. since ive been on them.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It IS a flare up in that the prediliction to develop PMR never really goes away - it can happen any time. If it is a flare as we mean it you usually find it happening within a few months of stopping pred. I know quite a few people whose PMR returned after some years, anything from 2 oe 3 to 10 years. What all of them say is that the two episodes were totally different - even with different symptoms, how they felt on pred and how long they lasted.

I also have a/f due to sick sinus node - but more pred actually helps mine, it has been very closely related to my inflammation.

Be careful that that very speedy reduction in dose has not taken you to too low a dose - I think it sounds as if that is the case if you were better at slightly more. There is no virtue in trying to manage on less pred than you really need - quality of life is all important, especially as you get older.