Pains elsewhere?? | Arthritis Information

Thanks everyone for contributing to this forum! Prior to finding this, I knew no one who had PMR (or even knew what it was)--I am so happy I came upon this. I realize that I have started believing that the aches in my arms, shoulders, legs, etc. are simply the way I am supposed to feel. I do not want to raise my does of Pred, even if this would eliminate these pains. I am making this choice knowing I can always take more Pred. I still manage to take a long walk everyday, so I am happy I can still do that.

I have been experiencing moderate headaches toward the lower back of my head--one lasted several days and I became concerned. (My Dr. told me if I get GCA (kind of a PMR in the head) that I would know it because it is so severe.) So I am thinking that these headaches are coming from nerves in my painful neck- has anyone had this experience? Also, most articles I have read say that PMR attacks the shoulder girdle and hip girdle, but I have pains in my calves, hands, etc., and it sounds as if many of you have pains elsewhere as well.

Blessings,

Wildflower

Wildflower, I have had pain in my thighs and hamstrings, and chest. Some on the forum have said they have pain in calves and hands, but my rheumy uses that as one guide to look for RA. I don;t know, I think this condition is really individualized!pgr555,

Yeah, I think you're right-I just read some older posts and found that PMR does attack everyone differently. I am getting so much good information on this forum. After having PMR for 4 years and feeling so isolated, this is just wonderful for me.

wildflower

Symptoms do vary from person to person. Severity, also. My doctor has called this a dangerous disease because of all the internal issues that can be going on with our aorta's

pulmonary vessels, etc. He send his patients for Chest X Rays, abdominal cat scans, and regular age appropriate tests like echo cardiograms and stress tests. He uses these as a baseline. Then, the lecture about the headache's start.

The obvious pain and swellings we can see and feel.

Hi Wildflower

My hands were bad when I started, (along with shoulders, knees, hips, upper arms). My hands were hot, swollen and painful and it made me think that I had RA as my father had had it. However, my Dr said PMR very quickly, and the tests eliminated RA. Certainly, 18 months on there is no other sign of RA.

Some of the web-sites do mention that hands may be involved in some people.

MargaretI have pains that vary from very mild to nasty, from a fleeting few moments, to several days in duration. They come and go and move around. The only ones that are persistently in the same place are the upper arm/neck/shoulder/hip pains, and even they vary in intensity and sometimes vanish for a few days, then come back. Stiffness is a constant. I have very localised neuralgic type pains in my head/scalp that really hurt and if they last more than a few minutes are quite sickening. But they do always disappear completely. I think they are connected to stiff neck/shoulders. If I got a really severe or persistent headache I would be off to the ER, but it's not like that. I have pain in finger and those lower thumb joints, that can be quite bad, but comes and goes. I have lower leg pain that I assume comes from my lower back. So yes, pain all over!! Fortunately, it is not all over all the time.

Donna, it is interesting what your doctor says. Apart from a general warning about looking out for GCA, I have not really seen any warnings about serious complications. Vasculitis leading to aneurysm of the aorta and some other arteries is listed as a very rare complication of GCA, not of PMR. But then there is the question of when and how do the two conditions meet/cross over. Neither of the rheumatologists I saw even mentioned this and my own doctor just says to look out for severe headache or jaw pain.

I agree that a base-line x-ray etc is a good idea, but then again, unless one has some sort of signs of GCA, what is the point because you could have a normal cat scan or ultrasound one day and develop GCA say two weeks later. So how many of these do we have to have over the course of our PMR, which may or may not develop into GCA?

I had a routine abdominal ultrasound to check my gallbladder in January which reported my aorta to be normal, which I confess was good to hear! But now six months later, maybe my aorta is not normal anymore!!! Groan.
I was reading your post and your symptoms sound so familiar, the arms,shoulders, and hips are pretty much a constant. I too have the finger and lower thumb joint pain (growing quite a node on one finger joint) and fleeting headaches. My doctor only advised me to be aware of intense headache near the temple and jaw pain. I am in the process of tapering from 4mg to 3.5 and going really slowly as I feel a bit on the edge. Since I started this taper I have been having a severe burning sensation in my lower leg and ankle....does it sound familiar to anyone. I was wondering if it could be vericose veins which I seem to have developed and the pred had been working it's magic on that until now, or if it's pmr related. I find it's very easy to blame everything on the PMR. Thanks for any info ! GailI suffer from migraines since my accident at work in 97. I have a great neurologist who has ordered two different times a MRI of my brain and neck because of the headaches. Thankgoodness nothing is there ...Ha Ha.... I she is the one who thought I had PMR and sent me to a Rhumy Dr. I see her twice a year and she is always concerned about my headaches. Last time she asked me about my vision. Then I realized she is watching me for GCA. I would have the headaches checked out since they have lasted so long. I take Imitrex and it is very helpful. Geri
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