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Arthritis Is Progressing Fast And Have Pain. Want To Know The Symptoms Of Polymyalgia Rheumatica?
Posted on
Tue, 16 Jul 2013
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Tue, 16 Jul 2013
Answered on
Tue, 20 Aug 2013
Last reviewed on
Question : I want to know the symtoms of PMR. my arthritis is progressing very fast and I have pain most of the time.
Hi !
Thank you for your query.
Dear Madam,
Well looking into your history I am worried about the weakness that you are developing weakness of shoulders that could be proximal myopathy that you are developing due to steroid use . I advise you to see a rheumatologist to get yourself evaluated for this by doing CPK levels and physical examination .
Regarding PMR , it is Polymyalgia rheumatica generally occuring in patients with age > 60 years which has got varied presentations like Pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders, and hips , fatigue , myalgias , lack of appetite , Low-grade fever etc. There is no specific test to diagnose polymyalgia rheumatica and it is a diagnosis of exclusion . It is generally characterised by raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) .Polymyalgia rheumatica is associated with temporal arteritis which can lead to blindness .Patient experiences dramatic improvement after oral prednisone therapy in this disease .
Since you are already on steroids and not having any improvement it is less likely a possibility that you will be having PMR .
Consult an experienced rheumatologist and get a detailed check up .
Hope you are satisfied with the answer.
Wish you good health.
Take care.
Dr. Shruti
Thank you for your query.
Dear Madam,
Well looking into your history I am worried about the weakness that you are developing weakness of shoulders that could be proximal myopathy that you are developing due to steroid use . I advise you to see a rheumatologist to get yourself evaluated for this by doing CPK levels and physical examination .
Regarding PMR , it is Polymyalgia rheumatica generally occuring in patients with age > 60 years which has got varied presentations like Pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders, and hips , fatigue , myalgias , lack of appetite , Low-grade fever etc. There is no specific test to diagnose polymyalgia rheumatica and it is a diagnosis of exclusion . It is generally characterised by raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) .Polymyalgia rheumatica is associated with temporal arteritis which can lead to blindness .Patient experiences dramatic improvement after oral prednisone therapy in this disease .
Since you are already on steroids and not having any improvement it is less likely a possibility that you will be having PMR .
Consult an experienced rheumatologist and get a detailed check up .
Hope you are satisfied with the answer.
Wish you good health.
Take care.
Dr. Shruti
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
thank you so much for your answer I'm in the process of getting an apt for rheumatologist but it sometimes is a long wait. I have had to start Neurontin again as I can't tolerate the pain only taking 1200 mg. instead of 2400 it does help. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions.
Dear Madam ,
It is immense pleasure to hear that I was of some help to you .
Take care.
Dr. Shruti
It is immense pleasure to hear that I was of some help to you .
Take care.
Dr. Shruti
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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