Update and Happy New Year

[Mewy]

Dear PMR Friends, I have been off PRED since June. Since then I have reduced my weight by 20lbs and my AIC is at 5.9 from 6. That is the good news!! Happy New Year. Now in to the present situation . I have had a very stressful year due to family issues that are out of my control during the whole time I was being treated for PMR AND beyond. I started to have a lot of itchiness on my back and thighs. I started to realize that I have never dealt with stress effectively-While I used creams to deal with the itching it wasn't until the family situation started to resolve itself that I gradually stopped itching. Why am I sharing this? Because I have read that PMR can be related to stress and wonder if anyone else have identified a PMR stress connection.

Mewy

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

I have read that PMR can be related to stress and wonder if anyone else have identified a PMR stress connection.

I think most people would say stress is most definitely associated with PMR - and GCA. In fact listed as major contributor, whether physical or mental-

very small study -

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/121...

[piglette]

Stress it seems is at the bottom of a lot people’s illnesses. I blame the NHS Pension system in my case.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Most people accept that any autoimmune disorder is made worse by stress, PMR is triggered by a lifetime's stress effects on the immune system - and those stresses may be due to a wide range of things such as illness, infections, chemical or environmental factors, emotional and mental stresses. All interfere with the immune system and can trigger it to malfunction - going haywire, unable to recognise body as self and attacking the tissues, causing inflammation and damage.

[Mewy]

Thank you. I can relate to this. I have a lot of stress in my life as many people do but I have traded off my own health to support others and ignored my own needs. Poor sleep added to the problem. Mewy

[KASHMIRI1]

I am convinced my GCA was caused by stress particularly in the run up to it being diagnosed, with markers well over a 100. Family in my experience caused the most stress and have done so for years. My mother has been in a nursing home for about 6 years and I havent visited her since March 2020 which has made a huge difference apart from two of my sisters giving me hassle over not visiting. They really dont get the stress illness link. One of these sisters has after 50 years of stress and grief to the family become the family saviour. As many times as I try to explain to them about the stress link they continue giving me hassle. As the eldest of 4 I have had all the family rubbish for the most time. Possibly resulting in the 4 immune illnesses that I have. I know it very tough especially if you have children and grandchildren but in my experience I would say watch how they treat you and be strong with them about any blackmail over grandchildren etc.

[Mewy in reply to KASHMIRI1]

Yes I am the eldest in a family of six so here I am dealing with many of the concerns you have expressed. Thank you

[Karenjaninaz in reply to KASHMIRI1]

It helps to realize everybody has their own agenda and they can’t foist it on you . However talking stuff out, kindly and politely, usually helps.

[KASHMIRI1 in reply to Karenjaninaz]

Hi! Thank you for your kind reply. Unfortunately my sisters dont do talking things through kindly and politely. If I have tried to particularly in the last few years since my GCA diagnoses and since I dont have the resilience to cope with them. They just give me the cold shoulder and wont reply to text, emails or calls. Which is a mega wind up for me. Happy 2024

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to KASHMIRI1]

That’s very sad to hear - and as we know from comment on here many families just don’t ‘get it’ when PMR/GCA calls. I do hope you can reconnect with your sisters in time.

[KASHMIRI1 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you DL and for all your input into making us on this site helped and reassured on the rocky road of PMR and GCA. Happy 2024

[Karenjaninaz in reply to KASHMIRI1]

Then that’s really hard. We cannot force people to understand us if they are not willing; I guess it’s like going to an empty well.

In the past, we had other issues with our extended family about other things, before I got ill. I learned I could just not convince other people of my truth. Some people just have to learn by their own consequences. I needed to carry on in a different way.

[KASHMIRI1 in reply to Karenjaninaz]

Happy 2024 and thank you for your thoughts. I may have to go down a different path this year. Having aspergers doesnt help.

[Yellow-dog]

firstly, your being off pred since June and losing weight gives me hope! Secondly, yes to stress being a big part of pmr. Mine started during the first lock down and the death of my much loved dog.

[Mewy in reply to Yellow-dog]

I am using Weight Watchers app. I am not the go to meeting type. I also have a friend who joined at the same time as me. We keep each other on track.

[Hidden]

Well for me there was the pandemic, the lockdowns, the jabs, etc. Mine started in September of 2020. Hmmm. Wonder if anyone’s looked at that relationship.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Hidden]

All of those instances could… and any vaccine can be enough to set immune system into meltdown - not just the covid ones…..

[Mewy]

Our lives have been stressful during COVID. I have wondered too.

[SheffieldJane]

Just about all of us have experienced a period of physical and or emotional stress in the run up to a PMR diagnosis. So you are quite right to assume that this is the case with you too.

[iblue]

It’s true stress can be toxic to our body! I believe we have to find a way to release, rather than hold on to it. This “storage” is what builds up and triggers diseases like PMR. Exercise is not exactly the greatest for releasing stress as sometimes it adds to it! Hormonal changes seem to be instrumental. How to get your stress release valves working is quite a mystery. Tears, laughter, joy etc. are some of the bodies naturally inclined ways of letting stress go. Others?