How many feel they got PMR after the flu shot?
I want to inform my Doctor.
I just had one not to long before this happened but then.....so did my 84 year old mom and my husband and they don't have PMR.
So makes you wonder, is it just a coincidence? I mean, at a certain time of year is when everybody get's their shots right?
But then I see those who say after their flu shot and they are holding it responsible.
So where does the truth be?
~Kewanee
Hi
Mine started in November, the day after a flu shot. Looking back I think I may have had some slight stiffness before (eg if I got up to go to the bathroom in the night), but the day it started it was much more intense - I couldn't face walking upstairs carrying my lap top case - then the pain started as well.
It could be a coincidence, but I have read a number of posts from people who tie the 2 things together.
best wishes
Margaret
Hi - I'm so glad to read your post. My first post was to say that the a.m. following a flu shot I awoke with stiff,very painful hands. This was followed by painful shoulders, arms and wrists. I started taking prednisone immediately so that when the dr. saw me, 3 weeks later, my sed rate was 15 - he said it had to be fibro. Now, almost 3 mo. later, nothing has improved. I'm tapering down on the prednisone and waiting for a rheum. appt. Mar. 5. I have an acquaintance in Daytona who had lyme disease about 10 years ago which went into remission. Right after a flu shot, guess what - the lyme disease returned. I reported this to my Dr. and he said "that's a well known fact about lyme disease".
I have a lot of pain and am taking Aleve and percocet when I cant' stand it. I awake during the nite w/knife like pain stabbing in maybe my wrist, knee, arm, shoulder. Don't know what the future holds. My pcp is no help whatsoever.
Flo
Hi .. I never had a flu shot until after I had been diagnosed with PMR and had no side effects from the shot. I did have a viral flu that was really bad and I believe that it was a virus that gave me PMR. Whatever it is I do hope it goes away for us all ,real soon.Aha, maybe a retrovirus....or the flu itself. hmmmm.
I've never had a flu shot, in fact haven't even had the flu in 20+ years. It amazes me because I think my immune system should be all out of whack since I have both fibromyalgia (diagnosed 6 years ago by the same rheumatologist who now treats my PMR) and PMR. I am of Scandinavian descent and have also undergone some stressful events in my life over the last few years......I've always looked as those two factors as the probable cause.
I'm wondering if there are certain conditions which trigger PMR......not the same ones for everybody, but because we're susceptible, PMR is the result?
I wish more research was being done, so an alternative to prednisone could be found.....I'm tired of aging ungracefully!
Louann Dear Georgiana, My dear, my dear...how tragic to lose your husband in that way. I can''t begin to imagine the toll that stress must have put upon you. My heart goes out to you. My husband died suddenly also. I was at work and received a call from the police to say it appeared he had had a heart attack after returning home from jogging in the morning...the neighbors saw the screen door ajar and discovered him there. That was over twenty years ago...he was only 55. And now we face another pain...a very physical pain...but I keep telling myself "what is, is and I can handle it." Onward. Love and hugs your way... I've had my pmr for over 2 years now and I am told by the dr that it will go away.... for sure... I can hardly wait for that day to come. I got my pmr after 3 years at a very stressful job - just woke up one morning feeling stiff and by the end of that week I was considerably worse. Another few months and I could hardly walk or pick up a cup of coffee. I am only 53 years old and I have put on 60 lbs since I went on this medication.. but at least I can move about. This is so nice to finally hear from people who deal with the same thing I do every day - I just live now to get off the pred and I keep trying but it has been a real rollercoaster ride.. I also take methotrexate (weekly) and I find it has no side effects and the doc says that it does not do as much damage internally as pred... I find once the metho gets into your system - you can get away with less pred. Thanks all for your input Good Morning everyone, I have not ever had a flu shot but was under a serious amount of emotional stress and worry when I first became symptomatic. I have told the rheumatologist this, but he just sort of grunts and has yet to respond intelligently. I have always believed that I aquired this disease because of life stress factors. I have always been a psycho-somatic disease person and had very serious ulcerative colitis as a teenager that was without a doubt brought on by stress. Even now, I will get an acute attack of colitis if under stress. Last week would be a prime example of a stress response for me. I had a scare with an emotionally charged issue in my life, and the following day,(which is always how it happens with me) had colitis and a flare up of my PMR, that was significant. I reallly believe that if I could simply find a way to de-stress and keep myself away from my own worrying, that I would be cured. God bless all of you. Susan M. Hi everyone - Four years ago, one week after a repeat HepB Vaccination (the first one hadn't taken) I awoke with a stiff neck, very sore arms, and within 2 days couldn't lift my shoulders. My GP suspected PMR and referred me to Rheumatologist. Things progressed and was diagnosed by Rh. as Seronegative Arthritis (RA without the RA Factor) with polymyalgic features. So - the treatment seems be about the same anyway. I have read that there has been a lot of research obout Hep B and RA - but nothing conclusive proven. My thinking is that any vaccination will interfere with the immune system - and it's probably just the luck of the draw that some of us get the short straw. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT against vaccinations in general. I haven't actually ever had a flu injection, but every winter when it comes around I just bury my head in the sand. I just know that my Doc is going to catch up with me eventually though, and I guess I will then have to give it some more serious thought. Especially since in the last three months, I have had a fungal infection, a tooth abcess on a Root canal, and a persistent cold, all of which were most unusual for me. I hope you all have a pain free week Hi Gmama, My original sed rate was about 40, and is now back around 20 most of the time, except for now & again. Originally began on 30mg daily of Prednisone, 15 Mg Methotrxate weekly, & 5mg Folic Acid. Noticed huge improvement almost immediately from the Pred. (next day) but once the Methotrexate kicked in, was able to reduce the Pred. down to now 8mg. I've had to bounce that back up a couple of times, I was down to 5mg, but wow - much as I hated it, had to go back up. Once you start getting down in the lower range with Pred. it can become like withdrawal stuff, and cause a relapse. Have to do it verrrry slowly. Because I am now getting joint damage from the Sero Neg. RA, Methotrexate is up to 17.5, I am also on Placquenil, Brufen, & long term Pred. use has meant Osteoporosis, so now Fosamax as well. It's all a bit mixed up really, half the time I don't know which is the PMR or which is the RA, - it was 3 -1/2 yrs since my PMR diagnosis, and I hadn't had any probs. So until July of last year I was pretty good really. Then whammo - I had just started a new job too - but after three months had to give that away. That's when I got put on Placquenil & Brufen & Fosamax. Funny thing - at that time, when I was having sooo much pain, my sed rate was within the normal limits. With RA, if it is sero negative - blood work does not usually show up any inflammation or indicate a pain level. Anyway, once I got this latest flare sorted, it hasn't been too bad. Except for the last two days, when our weather turned from mid-summer to mid-winter between lunch time and dinner time. Wow - I felt like I had been run over by a truck. Not pain, but real deep aches - way down in my bones!! But this morning, the sun is shining again, and it's warming back up again. All is good. It's a love hate relationship with the medications, damned if ya do and damned if ya don't!! Have a comfortable day Hi Reni..Aha, now we know how old you are
Speaking from the point of view of being married to someone who had ulcerative colitis and now other things and I myself have my share of problems, I think you may be right.
Find that something or someone to help.
~Kewanee
You've got me questioning my sed rate, after saying how low yours were. I've read, and my rheumy has told me, that some people just generally have a higher sed rate, and nothing is wrong. I'm sure my PMR is gone. At my original diagnosis, it was 40, but after the prednisone, and while still taking plaquenil it was 42. The last I had it tested a little over a month ago was 45, and I haven't been on any meds for almost a year. I am 57. I still wonder if it is too high, or this is just normal for me. Something else to "worry" or think about.
Reni
Hi Reni...hmmmm...that sed rate does sound a bit high. Do you know what the norm is for the lab you use? For my lab, it is 30 and under. Maybe your lab values are different? At any rate, it is good the PMR symptoms are gone...hooray! Aloha...GmamaGmama,
My rheumy figures for those over 50, add 10 to the age and divide by 2 which should give the "normal" sed rate, which would still put mine at about 34. He doesn't seem to be too concerned about numbers under 60. Since I don't really seem to have any PMR symptoms any more, guess I shouldn't worry? It's just a bit confusing to me. I certainly don't want to go on prednisone again just to get the sed rate down.
Reni
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