idetown
I was diagnosed in yr.2000 with polymyalgia after total of 6 wks, in hospitals. My experience that year was;(1)2 wks in late Feb., in hospital in FL after a night of trying to sleep sitting in a chair and leaning forward on the back of another chair in order to breeathe comfortably. When it seemed I could no ;onger urinate I went to the hospital. Their diagnosis was congestive heart failure. I had a severe, 2-day attack of vomiting while there. Drs. attributed it to my lengthy use of ibuprofin to control gout. I left the hospital in a wheelchair,too weak to walk. A regular chiropractor got me walking again and I slowly regained strength enough, by the end of June, to make the trip to our summer home in TN by car and taking 3 days. (2) 2 wks. later I experienced an attack of terrible pain,like gout, from head to toe.In the hospital 3 wks, this time. Every test and kind of Dr.you could think of - 2MRI's, CAT scan,Bone marrow, etc,etc.Finally,had a shot of steroid in each hip (90% of pain gone) and therapy for a wk. to learn to walk again. Home in a wheelchair, I could barely walk to the bathroom. P.T. came 2x wk. (3)2 wks later,pain started returning, back in hospital on weekend new set of substitute Drs. Sub for primary Dr said might be polymyalgia = could test by quick response to low dose of prednisone. Rx-5mg-all pain disappeared overnight! Still no pain, but I remain weak and lethargic. During all of this , my husband (moderate Alzheimers) was with me day and night. I would like to correspond with anyone with similar experiences.