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Polymyalgia


old'un
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Pigeon shooting over winter rape this last couple of years things seem to have transpired against me, lost most of the rape fields to flea beetle, now this year there is more rape gone in but at the beginning of October I come down with something called Polymyalgia (apparently common in people over 70) which causes a high inflammatory count in your blood which causes your immune system to go onto overdrive which then effects your muscles and joints, movement as been very painful and shooting out of the question, then I get a call from one of my farmers telling me there some big numbers hitting his rape and where was I, I explained my problem and he was very understanding, I said I will see if I can get someone down there to sort the pigeons out, lucky there's a young chap from PW that I have taken out before so I offered him the chance to cover the rape fields for me, which he is doing so thank you Marcus, with a bit of luck I should be back on my feet within the next week or two as the doctor as put me on steroid tablets which seem to-be doing the trick in suppressing my immune system, only problem with that I am now more susceptible to bugs such as colds and flu, getting old is not nice.

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14 minutes ago, JDog said:

Good luck.

Gentlemen of our age seem to cop quite a few illnesses. My attitude is 'get out whilst you can'.

Agreed, I have even thought of getting a van and a quad bike to get me to my desired spot on the field but its painful lifting my arms so that ain’t going help, reading about Polymyalgia it seems a course of steroid tablets bring fairly quick results, been taking them about a week now and I can now walk and lift my arms above my head without any pain, so with a bit of luck I should be back on the fields in a week or so.:)

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14 minutes ago, Scully said:

All the best. OH’s mother has it and says it isn’t pleasant. 

Thanks Scully

Best is up till the beginning of October I was as fit as a fiddle, albeit an old one, I can count on one hand the number of times I have been to the doctors in my 70 years then bang virtually overnight this hit me me, as been said get out and enjoy yourself while you can as you never know what around the corner.

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21 minutes ago, old'un said:

Agreed, I have even thought of getting a van and a quad bike to get me to my desired spot on the field but its painful lifting my arms so that ain’t going help, reading about Polymyalgia it seems a course of steroid tablets bring fairly quick results, been taking them about a week now and I can now walk and lift my arms above my head without any pain, so with a bit of luck I should be back on the fields in a week or so.

When the arthritis hit I was put on steroids while I waited for the hospital appointment. The first treatment then turned me into a mobile belisha beacon so back on steroids while they had a rethink. Then the second treatment tried to stop me breathing so more steroids until they gave me my current lot which seems OK. !2&1/2 to 15 stone in 3 easy moves.

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11 minutes ago, wymberley said:

When the arthritis hit I was put on steroids while I waited for the hospital appointment. The first treatment then turned me into a mobile belisha beacon so back on steroids while they had a rethink. Then the second treatment tried to stop me breathing so more steroids until they gave me my current lot which seems OK. !2&1/2 to 15 stone in 3 easy moves.

Yes I was told the steroids may possibly cause weight gain but I am six feet tall, fit and did weigh 14,1/2 stone but his last two months I have lost nearly 2 stone so a little weight gain is not a problem.

 

10 minutes ago, mel b3 said:

I don't know anything about polymyalgia dave , but I hope you're back to full strength soon mate .

You don't look anywhere near your age dave.

I had never heard of it till I got it, apparently its common in people over 70 even if they don't look their age. :)

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55 minutes ago, Scully said:

As far as I’m aware the steroids are just an interim treatment until they get you sorted. Hope you get sorted soon. 
 

apparently steroids only treat the symptoms, they do not cure Polymyalgia which according to my doctor there is no known cure for, so its possible I may have to take the steroids long term, but I must admit that since I started taking them the pain as virtually gone.

 

 

14 minutes ago, pigeon controller said:

I hope you get out soon as there seems to be a good number of birds around with plenty of rape also.

it must be frustrating being OK up to the autumn, did they tell what brings it on?

All the very best for the future and with some luck Marcus will carry your gear !!

Thanks for the kind words.

Apparently they know very little of what brings it on but I have read a few papers on the illness and a number of studies have shown that a bug or virus is the most likely trigger for putting your immune system onto overdrive which in turn causes a high inflammatory count in your blood.

Best is I cannot recall feeling ill before the onset, I did ask my doctor if there was possibility that the covid jabs could have kicked it of, he said very unlikely but did not dismiss its possibility.

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Not sure if it's any comfort but I'm immuno suppressed and on Steroids but no more likely then most people around me to catch bugs etc, in fact I have never had a typical cold in my life, eat healthy and (this is going to sound stupid but I cannot think of any other reason why I have survived longer than 95% of transplant patients) I swear that a positive mental attitude goes a long way to a healthy life.

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My father had Polymyalgia (full name Ploymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)).  He managed to keep it under control wigth a very low dose of steroids (Prednisone).  What I learned (from my retired doctor friend who also has had it) is that;

  1. It is hereditary and run in families, or at least tends to be so.  My father had it, as did his sister.  It is likely his fathjer did as well, though it wasn't recognised then apparently.  I rather expect I will in time (I'm currently 64)
  2. Many people get over it in time - but it takes a long time.  You start on a high dose of steroids and this is gradually reduced whilst having regular blood tests to monitor the levels if something in the blood (can't remember what).  When you get to a very low dose, they remove it altogether - and many people are OK, but some it comes back and you have to start again.  My father ended up on steroids (at a very low dose) for the rest of his life, but with very minimal side effects and managed an active and  respectable old age.
  3. You will need to work with the doctors as it is one of these things that needs a "test and act and test again" regime to keep on the right track which is a bit of a nuisance.
  4. You may need to have your bone density checked if they keep you on steroids for a long time and possibly take extra calcium.
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41 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

My father had Polymyalgia (full name Ploymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)).  He managed to keep it under control wigth a very low dose of steroids (Prednisone).  What I learned (from my retired doctor friend who also has had it) is that;

  1. It is hereditary and run in families, or at least tends to be so.  My father had it, as did his sister.  It is likely his fathjer did as well, though it wasn't recognised then apparently.  I rather expect I will in time (I'm currently 64)
  2. Many people get over it in time - but it takes a long time.  You start on a high dose of steroids and this is gradually reduced whilst having regular blood tests to monitor the levels if something in the blood (can't remember what).  When you get to a very low dose, they remove it altogether - and many people are OK, but some it comes back and you have to start again.  My father ended up on steroids (at a very low dose) for the rest of his life, but with very minimal side effects and managed an active and  respectable old age.
  3. You will need to work with the doctors as it is one of these things that needs a "test and act and test again" regime to keep on the right track which is a bit of a nuisance.
  4. You may need to have your bone density checked if they keep you on steroids for a long time and possibly take extra calcium.

Never been a known case in my family, my dad was fit and healthy and never suffered with anything like this, also my grandad was fit and healthy till he died with pneumonia at the age of 78.

like I have said, the papers I have read on the subject point to the possible onset in people who do not have a hereditary cases of the illness are possibly down to a bug or virus kicking the immune system into overdrive which causes a high inflammatory count in your blood cells, this is how I was diagnosed with the illness after some blood tests.

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I got diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica in August, I'm in my 50's, but I started getting the symptoms in February. Initially I was denied a Doctors appointment, eventually got to see a paramedic (the receptionist explained they were just as qualified as a doctor), who told me I was just getting old and stiff. But the symptoms got increaslingly bad and I ended up in A&E, who then made sure my local Doctor saw me. Although it was a locum, none of the regular practice doctors will see me as I have SGC, as the original practice owner/doctor didn't agree with anyone owning guns.

It has affected my work, I can't really do any work at height as I am much weaker and the ladders are too heavy, so losing £££'s which is rubbish. Anyway, I have been told I will be on Prednisone for 2 years or so, I have put on nearly a stone since taking the tablets! 

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