Newbie here .... HELLO | Arthritis Information

I woke up after about 4 days of the flu and could not walk....thighs, hips and pelvic area in so much pain and sooooooooo stiff it scared me. I have run low grade fever, lost my appetite (which is huge for me) and am very fatigued.

I also have Lupus, Fibro and a host of other maladies.....great fun.

HOWEVER, I had never felt anything like this. It was as though my muscles had turned to stone.....the lower thigh muscles (right above the knee to the right) were reallllllll bad. Potting was hard for bending is very painful. I'm some better now......but mornings are soooooooooo slow and nights are painful again.

This morning, I woke up with upper shoulder pain, neck pain and very, very weak arms.

Does this stuff hit both upper and lower body or can it be just upper or lower ?

Going to DOC on Friday for test.

Does this sound familiar to you all ? I'm very shut in and debilitated with it right now. Can't hold out long at all to do ANYTHING.

I NEEDED SOMETHING ELSE............

THANKS FOR ALL INPUT, NAN59

Hi Nan, Sorry you washed up here, but welcome anyhow (if you know what I mean!). It's the best place if you have polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). Nan, sorry to say so, but it does sound like PMR on onset and symptoms. I also had the low grade fever, loss of appetite and the terrible fatigue. My pain/stiffness onset was not sudden, it took some time to creep up, but PMR can come on either way. The literature mostly talks about pain and stiffness in the "shoulder and pelvic girdle", but I get pain in the thighs (esp the front) and others here do too. Weak arms and upper arm pain is common, I paricularly get upper arm pain.
There is no "test" for PMR, it is a "clinical" diagnosis based on symptoms and history. There are two particular blood tests that indicate the inflammatory process of PMR, they are the standard ESR (sed rate) and CRP (C Reative Protein). They are usually elevated in PMR, esp in sudden-onset PMR like yours. BUT up to 20% of patients may have normal ESR, so bear that in mind. The other thing your doctor will (should) do is test you for all the things on the "differential diagnosis" list (the things that it could be, if not PMR). Then once those have been eliminated, and they have your blood tests results, they will likely start you on a moderate to low dose of prednisone (10 to 20mg usually). This is a diagnositic exercise, as a rapid response to pred is typical of PMR. Do you already see a rheumatologist for your lupus? Let us kow how you get on. Hopefully it's just a little virus and will go away soon! Welcome, Nan!

I've had PMR for 15 months and was on Prednisone for awhile, but I can't take it because it raises the pressure on my eyes.

With PMR, nights and mornings are the worst. I am sitting here now dreading going to bed. It is still hard to turn over and I use my arms and then they hurt.

Evidently my symptoms were coming on for some time, because the tops of my legs and lower back hurt for a long time. Then my knees started and hurt so I couldn't bend them or get up out of bed or off of a chair. Thank goodness Prednisone helped that while I was taking it.

Both sides of your body does hurt with PMR. I hope you find some sort of relief. The good thing to remember is that Prednisone works almost instantly. But then you have to get off of it because the side effects are not good at all. I am beginning to find that a lot of my pain comes from the food I eat. Sugar and carbs are not good.

I am sooooooooooooo bad this morning, I want to shoot myself. AND I have to have surgery...........am I having FUN or what.

They have found a MASS in my abodomen and thought it was a hernia, but now second opinion says he does not think so........so have to do surgery to explore after first of year.

I don't know how I can take more pain than this...........I didnt' think pain could get worse than fibro.........not true........this stuff is brutal.

WOW.........it's a lot.

Thanks for all your input and blessings to all. I'll be reading to get more info.

Nan, Sounds like you're not having a lot of fun. I hope your surgery results in a positive finding.

If you're seeing your doctor tomorrow (Friday) beg, borrow, or steal a prescription for some prednisone, even just a few day's worth. If you have PMR, you should get relief very quickly, sometimes in hours, sometimes in a day or two. In fact, that is often the way PMR is diagnosed.

One thing you'll learn from this group of wonderful ladies (us men are pretty quiet most of the time) is that you have to take an active part in the diagnosis and treatment of your illness. You can bet that if your doctor could actually experience the way you feel, he or she would be all over the problem. Unfortunately, I think that doctors get jaded and are too quick to dismiss their patient's suffering and too reluctant to attack your problems aggressively. Not all, by any means, but enough of them.

In short, tell your doc in vivid detail how you are feeling and demand some action to relieve you of your pain. For PMR, prednisone is the usual answer, and you can get blood drawn for ESR and CRP tomorrow and be on prednisone immediately while waiting for the test results.

Go get 'em, Nan!!!!

Hi Nan,

So sorry that you are in such misery and have the concern of the surgery
on top of that. We here are sending you love and support. You have
already had the strength to survive so much, you can keep on.
Bob gives you very good advice. Let the dr. know you are informed and in
charge. If the prednisone doesn't help significantly in a few days you
probably will have to keep looking for a diagnosis. But your symptoms
surely seem to fit.
If your dr. is something other than a rheumatologist, please be aware that
not all medical practioners are well informed on PMR, so don't let your
concerns be dismissed.
All the best for a good outcome.

GeralynAnd a big hug from all of us here

Well, as luck would have it, I had a bottle of predisone under my bed from a few years ago (yes, I know....could be toxic and kill me) but it didn't. I took one and in about 2 hours was feeling like the STUFF ...PR was all but gone.

SOOOOOOOO, if that's diagnostic.........I've definitely got it.

My Doc is always willing to listen to me. Know's I'm a very informed paitent who has been through much and had to be my own DOC in most cases, so she does value my input and research, so prayerfully, she will on this too.

I will PUSH for the blood work........and have my notes and questions ready.

I usually tell her my symptoms........let her give me her input.....out of RESPECT that she is the DOC and then add my input. It's a good working relationship so far.

The RHEUMIE I had for years....decades was no longer doing anything for me........he just put EVERYTHING OFF on FIBRO/LUPUS....I had to leave him, but am up for a new RHEUMIE if DOC thinks I should have one for this.

I really appreciate all of you guys........so much and this board for being here.

I cannot tell you how much I would have suffered in my life if it were not for the NET and EXPERIENCED folks/patients around the world.

It really is a blessing and so are you.........THANKS

Will report back this afternoon after appointment.Nan,
I know how it is to want relief as fast as possible, BUT to start pred
without a
dr's okay---dangerous. How much did you take? To stop pred on your
own, also dangerous. You need the proper taper for the amount you take
and the length of time you've been on it. With your surgery pending be
sure
your dr and surgeon know you,ve
taken it as it is thinning to the blood and
can linger in your system.
I'm glad you have a dr who works with you. I'm pulling for you and hope
to
read soon how you are now after seeing her on fri.

Geralyn

geralyn39417.6490740741

Yeah I know all about PRED.........taking it a million times before........hate it don't you.....but it will help what ails you for sure.

Had blood work done Friday.........get results back today or tomorrow.

Here's praying..........I do seem to be some better.......arms, shoulders, neck still realllllllllllllllll weak and I'm in so much pain anyway, it's hard to discern sometimes what's what. She thought I might have actually gone into a bout of MONO and all the flu illness etc. settled in my muscles, being so weak anyway.

She did the ANA and the Ugh ugh.......Sed rate.....:) :) :)

Thanks for all your input and concern..........you guys have been most helpful.