How to care for polymyalgia rheumatica at home?

5 Answers

These messages are for mutual support and information sharing only. Always consult your doctor before trying anything you read here.
What is the best medication for PMR ?
Hello, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as indomethacin and diclofenac, can be tried in the initial or mild cases. About 10%-20% of patients with rheumatic polymyalgia can control their symptoms with NSAIDs alone. But it is difficult to prevent complications. Glucocorticoid: Prednisone 10-15 mg/d is preferred for general cases. If the diagnosis is correct, the symptoms should be improved significantly within 1 week and ESR began to decrease. Prednisone 15-30 mg/d may be given to patients with severe illness, fever, myalgia and obvious limitation of activity. The ESR was close to normal, then decreased gradually. The maintenance dose was 5-10 mg/d, and the maintenance time should not be less than 6-12 months. Too early, too fast or too early withdrawal of drugs can lead to relapse or relapse of the disease. Most patients can stop using hormones within 2 years. A small number of patients need to be maintained for many years. It must be pointed out that the long-term use of candy husks for the elderly.Special attention should be paid to the adverse reactions and complications (such as hypertension, diabetes, etc.). From cataract, osteoporosis, timely treatment is very important. Immunosuppression Preparations: If the use of glucocorticoids is contraindicated, or the effect is not good, the reduction is difficult, and the adverse reactions are serious, the immunosuppressant methotrexate can be used in combination with other immunosuppressants such as azathioprine and cyclophosphamide 7.5-15 mg/week.
Don't take anything it will kill you
No you should take oral corticosteroids such as prednisone
Yeah I did that for four days and ended up in the emergency room with bleeding and abdominal pain so I have sores all in my whole stomach from prednisone no thank you
I'm doing fine with prednisone.
How long have you been on prednisone and what dose she!
Hey there. I've noticed your conversations and want to share my own experience. I was on 40mg for 10 days in July and it made me hurt and my knees have been numb for months. I had a nerve study and EMG for both legs and back and the doctor told me that there was nothing wrong with my body.

So I got put back on prednisone two weeks ago. 20mg for six days because my doctor keeps telling me to take it. Later, I started twitching all over. The twitch moves from one arm to the other, one leg and then goes to my back. But I only notice it when I am sitting still, driving or lying down. The reason I was taking Prednisone was because I had superficial blood clots in both arms. And the doctors thought the dye caused the irritation in my veins and most likely resulted in my leg pain.
Has this disease process ever been connected to a virus, eg Epstein Barr, or Candida? How about possibility of food allergies? What is considered to be the “root cause”?
The exact cause to PR is unknown, genetics and environmental exposure are involved. Virus might play a role, but it's unknown which virus it is.
How does this diagnosis, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, compare to fibromyalgia? They sound an awful a lot alike. Are there any labs to follow through with for diagnosis of either?
Hello Barb, blood test are involved in the diagnosis of PR, including ESR(erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and C-reactive protein, both are indicators of inflammation. Sometimes imaging tests are used, including ultrasound and MRI.
Currently I’ve been diagnosed as having Fibro and Polymyalgia Rheumatica. My sed rate is running at 79 and my C-Reactive Protein is at 54. I’ve been seeing an RA doctor for over 3 years and all I’ve been told is the only drug that can help my PMR is steroids. I’ve had diabetes for 18 yrs. As you know, the steroids cause major issues with several conditions I have. I’ve tried every drug for my Fibro but have reactions to all but Cymbalta. I live in pain daily. Can you suggest any new meds that might help relieve the pain? Thanks
I have PMR that leads to Temporal Ariritis. So with your labs that high you need to have the Dr. check for this because it can be serious. Prednisone is the only thing that works for this.
I have also been diagnosed with PMR.  My GP started me on 20 mg. of Prednisone and am now down to 10 and hopefully by 4/1/19, I will be down to 7.5.  He says in 18 months I will be off Prednisone. He sent me immediately to Pool Therapy. A Therapist works all your muscles to strengthen them in water - and provides you with exercises at home so that there isn't major damage while healing.  I was diagnoised in mid-February and am back on my bike by 3-23-19.  I feel strong and am going to continue the shoulder exercises and all that I have learned at the pool. I will continue at the pool at least one day a week and the rest of the time exercise upper body at home and continue biking.  You need to see an eye Doctor to get a baseline because Giant Cell Arteritis is a side affect of this disease (can cause blindness).  A good book to help you is 'Polymyalagia Rheumaticia and Giant Cell Arteritis a Survival Guide' by Kate Gilbert PhD.  She has survived and is PMR free.  I am 82 years old and plan to live a active healthy life and kick this nasty disease.
I have had this disease for 10 years and the last few months it has gotten much worse.  While I have been taking a small dosage of prednisone (5 mg), that dosage is not working for me at this point.  I am seeing a new rheumatologist who believes there is a different medication which will help and I am seeing her in about a week to discuss.  I do exercise regularly (at 79 years of age) and that certainly is very helpful.  If no no other medication helps, I will have to increase the predisone dosage, which will increase the side effects, such as osteoporosis.
Hello, i was diagnosed 8 years ago.. i was so bad in the beginning i could barely walk,holding a cup in both hands to drink something,trying to drive was pretty bad.. opening a door,i was in tears from the pain.. some seriously high does of prednisone, did wonders.  I give myself an injection of methotrexate once a week, take plaquenil ,and folic acid to help the stomach upset you can get from the methotrexate .. and i have pain always. Sometimes worse than other.. but i was weaned of the prednisolone completely and that was hard cause i kept having relapses,  but got there eventually.. i use Aleave for taking some of the edge off. You will never be pain free, but your tolerance becomes so much better..I can't get anything else because of all the junkies running around now makes it impossible practically to get anything when you get to that point sometimes that you wish you had something stronger. But when you get sick, the flu your going to have issues.. i have to go back on prednisone after being sick and go to PT to unlock everything.. i do believe this disease is a virus.. i have a cousin with the same thing. He had it first, and my immune system was all messed up from multiple surgeries on an ankle over 3 years of infections including ostiomyolitus.. and i believe i caught it from him. Can't even wack him for this cause it'll hurt both of us so much we just may get in a laughing fit cause it is so ridiculous that we function the way we do with this disease.. don't let it get the better of you.  Do whatever you can to move what ever you can.  It's very hard sometimes, but if you don't wallow in self pity you can still lead a decent life despite the situation. Just keep pushing through.. oh, and the insomnia is brutal at times.. do a chore and then your so pooped, you'll pass out.. i hope my experience with this helps in some way.. people that don't understand this disease have NO idea of how acute the pain can be..
I sure can.  I am very miserable.  Steroids worked at first then did nothing.  I have trouble with bleeding when I take anti iflamatories.  I had gone to a specialist but he walked out of the room while I was still talking. He wouldn't listen to me. He was absolutely no help.  I really need to do something.
Recently some studies suggest that tocilizumab is a novel treatment. You can discuss this with your doctor.
What kind of environmental factors have been found to bring on Polymyalgia rheumatica? Mine came on rather suddenly in December. I’m a rather active person and I eat a decent diet, however, I over indulge in sugar.
It's said to be virus, but no one knows which virus it is. What people do know is that polymyalgia rheumatica tend to cycling seasonally.
how many of you used styrofoam cups to drink coffee most of the time   could be chemicals leaching from cups
I once put some hot coffee in styrofoam cup and took it to the office. Just want to keep it warm for a longer time you know. But in the afternoon when I want to drink, it taste weird... also it looks like some of the coffee bled through the styrofoam cause there's little dew drops of coffee on the outside on the cups. I suggest you don’t drink coffee with it.

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