Question 1

what exactly is polymyalgia rheumatica? cause?   am taking predisone 5mg 1x daily. any other recommendations? anything shouldn't/should do?

Accepted Answer

See details: Too many questions to answer in the space allotted. PMR is probably an autoimmune disease characterized by proximal muscle pain and stiffness. About 10% of cases are also associated with a condition known as giant cell arteritis. Prednisone is the treatment of choice. If you want to discuss in more detail, please request a private conversation.

Question 2

what are polymyalgia rheumatica?

Accepted Answer

See below : Pmr is a disorder characterized by muscle pain, often around the shoulders & hips. Often seen in late middle aged or elderly individuals. It can be associated with temporal arteritis that has the symptoms of headaches, jaw fatigue and vision problems. Early recognition is important. There is no confirmatory test; however an elevated sed rate or CRP can aid in diagnosis. Steroids  are the treatment.

Question 3

what is polymyalgia rheumatica like?

Accepted Answer

See below: Polymyalgia rheumatica usually is a condition in people greater then 50. It causes stiffness and pain in muscles and joints including the shoulders, upper arms, hips, and upper legs. It can be associated with fevers and rarely weight loss. It is associated with an elevated  sedimentation rate and c reactive protein which are both measures of inflammation. Treatment is steroids.

Question 4

polymyalgia rheumatica --what is pmr?

Accepted Answer

Autoimmune: Polymyalgia rheumatica (pmr) is an autoimmune disease that occurs in people 50 years of age and older. It is associated with severe pain and stiffness in the shoulders and hips. Pmr can also lead to blindness due to inflammation in blood vessels of the eye. Pmr is treated with steroids and Aspirin to prevent blindness. Other medicines (antibiotics) are sometimes used to prevent steroid effects.

Question 5

how is polymyalgia rheumatica treated?

Accepted Answer

Low Dose Steroids: Although there is no cure for polymyalgia rheumatica, treatment can help prevent patients from becoming disabled.

Low doses of corticosteroids (such as prednisone) can relieve polymyalgia rheumatica within a day or two. The dose can then be slowly reduced to a very low level, but the treatment will need to continue for a long time -- around 2 - 6 years.

Question 6

how can i treat polymyalgia rheumatica?

Accepted Answer

Low dose steroids: If the diagnosis is accurate, low dose steroids should control it, of course with efforts to reduce loss of bone integrity.

Question 7

can you die from polymyalgia rheumatica?

Accepted Answer

Unlikely: Unlikely, but vision loss is the main concern.

Question 8

what does having polymyalgia rheumatica mean?

Accepted Answer

Feeling weak, but no: It is a condition in which the person is fatigued, may have fever, feels weak and has an elevated sedimentation rate.

Question 9

what are the tests for polymyalgia rheumatica?

Accepted Answer

Blood tests: 1)sed rate, or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (esr)
2)c-reactive protein test 
3)ultrasound imaging, which uses sound waves to produce images of soft tissues, may reveal inflammation of tissues within the shoulder and hip joints that can support a diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica.

Question 10

do a lot of people get polymyalgia rheumatica?

Accepted Answer

Not a "lot": But it is not rare either. Pmr is a disease of older adults (>50 years) and is found in about 7 per 1000 people. It is more common in the scandinavian countries and people whose origins are from there.

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A member asked:

What exactly is polymyalgia rheumatica? cause? am taking predisone 5mg 1x daily. any other recommendations? anything shouldn't/should do?

A member asked:

What are polymyalgia rheumatica?

A member asked:

What is polymyalgia rheumatica like?

A member asked:

Polymyalgia rheumatica --what is pmr?

A member asked:

How is polymyalgia rheumatica treated?

A member asked:

How can i treat polymyalgia rheumatica?

A member asked:

Can you die from polymyalgia rheumatica?

A member asked:

What does having polymyalgia rheumatica mean?

A member asked:

What are the tests for polymyalgia rheumatica?

A member asked:

Do a lot of people get polymyalgia rheumatica?

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