Doctor,do they care

[Harrywogan]

My sister now been told she has PMR, that was her Rheumatologist she has been seeing for her arthritis. Gave her steroids, one week 20mg week 2, 15mg week 3, 10 mg until they were finished, then all her pain came back and GP was loathed to give her any more, thy know at health centre she has it, but waiting to hear from Rheumy ,she just told she was prescribed more, but to take 15 for a week, then come down to 7 1/2 for a week until there finished, it's as if there treating inflation quick and just leaving her, and when it rises again she'll have to do it again, couldn't get out of bed, sorry just a concerned moan on Sunday x HW

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I honestly don't know why they do it - the rheumy did something similar to me and then wouldn't listen to my report of the speed of relief and then the return of symptoms when I missed the pred. It is a brick in the wall of evidence but I am totally convinced the being allowed to flare made getting things under control again harder.

A few seem to think that some patients will be "cured" by this short sharp shock approach judging by some posts recently, I asked my rheumy here - his immediate response was "it wasn't PMR in the first place then". And he is one of the top PMR experts in the world.

[Harrywogan in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks Ambassador, Thy thought pain was her Rheumatoid arthritis that was flaring, but she said was a different pain, so she has both now, doctors.

[piglette]

I feel so sorry for your sister. Perhaps her GP should do a little reading on PMR and they may realise that it is a chronic illness not just a quick fix. I do despair that someone who is supposedly a professional in medicine has so little knowledge.

[Harrywogan in reply to piglette]

Thanks Piglette, IAM with on that one, x

[piglette in reply to Harrywogan]

😟😟😟

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Never apologise for having a moan - and totally justified in this scenario. GP sounds out of their depth… or anyone who frightened of Pred.

Hopefully Rheumy will advise GP way forward asap…

[Harrywogan in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks DL, thy are definitely not treating her as if she has PMR and when she told me her Pred drop I didn't like it, but Rheumy said definitely PMR but not on reduction plan,x

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Harrywogan]

Is it possible for her to see another GP in practice who might be more knowledgeable about PMR.

[HeronNS]

Yikes. I'm with DorsetLady on this - can she see someone else who knows something about PMR? I might have had to wait too long to see a doctor who recognised what was wrong but at least once I did I got proper treatment, and that has made all the difference.

[Harrywogan in reply to HeronNS]

Heron NS ,I don't understand there thinking .

[PMRCanada]

How awful! If it was them who were suffering with the return of symptoms, their treatment plan/taper would be different. It is very frustrating to read about needless suffering….which is nothing compared to living with it! Do they want to watch their patient in pain and observe their dose yo-yo?!?

Although she likely feels terrible physically, she (or other support people), must advocate for her health, and at the very least a tapering plan and monthly refillable pred prescription that is more reasonable and effective. A 1mg drop monthly when down to 10mg pred seems more realistic.

[Harrywogan in reply to PMRCanada]

Hi Canada, as I said to Dorsetlady I can't fathom out what there doing, she's doing what Rheumy told her to do until he has can see her again,and GP doesn't want to give her any more pred without Rheumy say so. It's like one doesn't know what the other wants, sorry to say it's all crap x

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Harrywogan]

A decent GP should KNOW what to do with a PMR diagnosis - which he has.

[Harrywogan in reply to PMRpro]

Well,I just don't know what to think,GP seems to be waiting for Rheumy, to give the information,but he already told her it was PMR, x

[Croft9232]

Can you show your sister the NICE guidelines for PMR? To show her GP? It might help!

It’s despairing isn’t it.

[Harrywogan in reply to Croft9232]

Sure is Croft xx