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Polymyalgia rheumatica


WendyG

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Hi

Have just been diagnosed with PMR and put on steroids.    Have had problems for 18 months but was categorically told not PMR over a year ago.

Not liking thought of steroids but at least can now get up the stairs and out of chairs etc.

Any advice, comments etc would be most welcome.

WendyG

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I was on systemic prednisolone for some while when I was still living in the UK. (Not for PMR)

There are a number of things to be careful of such as putting on weight, watching your blood pressure (so be careful with salt) and other well-known physical  side effects which you can read about here:

https://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Corticosteroid-%28drugs%29/Pages/Sideeffects.aspx

You should have a steroid card to carry and inform medical personnel that you take them.

I felt wonderful and they cured the disease, but in retrospect I think I made a number of bad decisions as I felt so euphoric and lacked judgement. (Feeling manic in the link above)

That is one thing that I wasn't warned about.

I hope that you will soon be feeling much better and perhaps able to drop the dose or even get off the steroids

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Went back to doctor yesterday and now have to take an anti osteoporosis pill once a week as steroids leech out the calcium.  Next visit will get another pill to counter that and so on and so on.  Going from someone who hardly ever took even a paracetamol to a pill junkie!

WendyG

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WendyG, you have my sympathy and I just want to say I hope you continue to feel better and that the pills (whatever combinations) will do their work!

Some years back now, I was diagnosed with asthma which infuriated me and I resisted the diagnosis for months.  Then, a lovely GP came to town and she explained that the steroids in the inhalers were only minimal quantities and I needen't have the diagnosis if I didn't want it but just to take the treatment!

I had osteopenia, the stage before osteoporosis (bone scan) and was prescribed calcium and Vit D tablets.  But, after I read about the side effects of those tablets, I decided to do without.  Well now, I don't know whether I still have the osteoporosis.  I decided it was simpler just to go for a lot of impact exercises and make sure to have some calcium rich foods everyday.

It may be that, if your condition improves, they will advise you to cut down on the steroids.  Whenever I have had to take steroids, they make me all wound up, full of energy, quarrel with OH and prevent me sleeping at night [:(]

I guess that as long as the pills are working, you'll have to resign yourself to taking them......

 

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