Polymyalgia Rheumatica
What is polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR)?
What causes PMR?
Doctors don't know what causes PMR. People have inflammation in their joints and the tissues around the joints, such as the tendons (tendinitis), and bursa (bursitis).
What are the symptoms of PMR?
Symptoms can happen suddenly or develop slowly. They usually include:
The pain and stiffness may keep you from doing your normal daily activities.
You may feel sick all over, lose your appetite, and be tired and depressed.
What are the complications of PMR?
A lot of people who have a blood vessel disease called giant cell arteritis also have PMR. And some people with PMR develop giant cell arteritis. In giant cell arteritis, your immune system attacks the lining of your blood vessels. It can affect the blood vessels in your eye and cause blindness if not treated.
Tell your doctor if you have symptoms of giant cell arteritis, including:
How can doctors tell if I have PMR?
How do doctors treat PMR?
Doctors treat PMR with:
Most people with PMR feel much better very quickly when treated with corticosteroids. If you get better quickly, doctors are quite sure that you have PMR.
You usually need to take medicine for at least a year. Then the dose can be slowly lowered. PMR can come back again.
People who take corticosteroids for a long time can develop:
