visit to the er | Arthritis Information

last night my boss maked me go to the er because of my headaches in the dr wanted me to go too so i went what fun that was first i had to wait for 4 hours first they did get me pain meds with helped alot but not for long then they did a ct and that was neg ? blood work was crazy but they did not run my sed rate then they did a spinal tab went was not fun at all but came back ok still have the headaches and told they three tiime about the pmr which the er dr looked like i didn't know what i was talking about the left side of my face looks swellen and he told i had a bad tooth fun thing is ai wear a plate no upper teeth and very few on the bottom nothing on the bottom left so he said i had sinusitis and that what causing my headaches so i was in the er for 16 hours to be told that they never called my gp to tell him what was going on so a had a antibiotic for my headaches ok my question is as anyone gone to the er and got help with this and does other doctor know anything about pmr on is it something olny a few know a but it

thanks for all the help and support you guys give

vicki

Vicki,

Er is the worst-I try to avoid that like the plague. I have compiled a folder-two in fact- one I keep in my car-with all the the reports, lab test and anything else I can get the medical world to give up-. I try to keep these up to date-just in case I run across that Dr had does not seem to have a clue. They seemed to more impressed with notes from their world. We really have to insist on lab test (sed rate) etc-that we know are critical to our condition. It is hard to stand up and demand, when you are in pain. Always helps to have a friend to go with you and do your fighting for you.

What is your sed rate and your predisone dosage and your rate of decrease???

Lonna

not such what the sed rate last test but i'm on 40 mg of predisone last sed rate was 40?

Vicki,

Do you take the predisone 20mg in the a.m. and 20 in the pm? Are you scheduled to decrease? When and at what rate?

Lonna

40 mg in the am is what the dr told me to do i'm on this for another month at less the dr out of his office today so i'll be talking to him on wed. about work and maybe he can give me something for my headaches my med doctor but me on fiormal w/ cod it help but not for long

I am so sorry, you are really in painful mess. One would think that the combination of predisone and cod-would do it. I am wondering if breaking up the predisone am and pm would help at all. Try to get a much rest as possible-easier said than done. You are not alone-we have all been there =at one level or another.Praying for some answers for you

Lonna

That was so abusive! He didn't know what to say and was he playing a guessing game?

You need to call your Doctor and tell him what happened.

Your PCP or Rheumy should be able to do better.

I'm sorry you were subjected to this. Happens all to often but.....this Doctor should be doing hospital maintenance as he just isn't qualified. Grrrrr.

~KewaneeIt's surprising how many Dr's and other medical people don't know about PMR. I was working as a Recreation Therapist in 2 different Rest Homes, there was one woman in each one with PMR, and the nursing staff (even the Nurse Managers) & caregivers didn't have a clue about why the women were in pain!

They were though, interested to know that I had it, and asked lots of questions, which was good. I said I thought it would be a good idea to get a Rheumatologist in for some staff Professional Development about how this illness (and other related inflammatory illnesses) can affect people. Meds etc too, and their effect. After all, it's not just the usual aches and pains of aging. They did actually get a Rheumy in too, in both cases - I had left by then, but a staff member from each place told me later it was good, and gave them a better understanding and not blaming every little thing on a UTI!!

I myself had never heard of it until I got it, and those two women are still the only two I know personally who have it.

Wouldn't you think though, that they would include ESR in blood tests for unknown pain?

Good idea of Lonna's to keep notes' names & phone numbers, of Dr. Rheumy, meds, and latest blood test results maybe in your handbag. Or a medic Alert bracelet or necklet??

I have sero-negative RA as well, and am nervous about being admitted to hospital in an emergency and unable to tell them about my conditions or medications.

I keep mine updated, in my handbag, and my son also carries a copy in his wallet.

I sure hope that you get some relief from your headaches soon.

I have found that most medical professionals just look at me blankly for a very long time when I tell them I have PMR. Nurses even ask me how to spell it. Xray techs look perplexed when they snatch me up from their tables by the arm, allthewhile I am screaming, "No. my shoulder, my shouder!" Only people that know someone else with PMR relate to us.

Everytime I say, "PMR", people associate it with fibromyalgia, because they have heard of that before. They tell me about someone they know that was miraculously cured with flax oil from the refrigerated section of the supplement store. Or one person recently gave me a page long list of supplements that would totally cure me, even though it clearly stated it's for fibro. Then she just stood there blinking sweetly. This is what happened next My nostrils flare and become clearly visible to me. Veins pop out at my temples, My ears lay back very close to my head, and my feet begin to involuntarily paw the ground. I become afraid that I will choke this well meaning person and go to prison for the rest of my life without benefit of parole.

Nothing works but prednisone, people! Leave us alone!!!!!

Sorry, I'm going into my manic state.

"I have PMR" "What?" "PMS" ?? "NO, Polymayalgia rheumatica" !"Aaaaaahhhhh you mean Fibromyalgia"!

Especially because on the outside we look ok people just do not understand what we talk about when we describe our symptoms. Even my own mother infered that it might be in my head!!

NOBODY has ever heard of this desease and I would imagine no ER doc either. When you go to the ER you have to insist for them to call your reumatologist or ANY reumatologist especially if your head is involved.Don;t be intimidated by the docs!!

went to my reumatologist day and now he said the pain did not go away with the predisone and my sed rate is down to 19 and i have 14 points of pain that associate it with fibromyalgia and both desease are very close in symptoms so he going to start taking me down on the predisone 5mg every three days and blood work every two weeks and to top it off my bp is running high so he needs to get it down he's giving me meds for the pain and hopes the headaches goes away the predisone i don't know anything about fibromyalgia but there not much to help with it he but me out of work for the next six months has anyone had this happen to them please let me know

thanks

vicki

If your pain does not go away with pred it is not PMR. so you might well have Fibromyalgia and the headaches may come from taking the pred so getting off it may get rid of your headaches. (it did mine! The pred gave me terrible pressure in my head and behind my eyes.e

there are many fibromyalgia forums here is one:

http://www.fibromyalgia.md/