How Quickly Does Polymyalgia Rheumatica Treatment Work, and Why the Taper Takes Longer

Margaret, a retired schoolteacher in her early seventies, had spent three weeks needing both hands on the bathroom sink to lower herself onto the edge of the tub. Getting a sweater over her head felt like a negotiation. Then, two mornings after starting the medicine her rheumatologist prescribed, she sat up in bed, swung her legs to the floor, and stood. Just stood. She telephoned her daughter before breakfast.

That story, or a close cousin of it, is one of the most repeated in rheumatology clinics. It is also the reason the question of how fast does polymyalgia rheumatica treatment work has a surprisingly clear first answer and a much more complicated second one.

Because after the dramatic early relief comes a long, patient, sometimes frustrating stretch of gradually stepping the medicine down. Understanding why the first part is quick and the second part is slow is the key to living well with this condition.

How fast does polymyalgia rheumatica treatment work in the first days?

Polymyalgia rheumatica, usually shortened to PMR, is an inflammatory condition that causes aching and stiffness in the shoulders, neck and hips, most often in people over 50. The standard treatment is a glucocorticoid, a synthetic version of the body’s own anti-inflammatory hormone cortisol, taken as a daily tablet; prednisolone and prednisone are the generic names most often used.

The response is fast by the standards of almost any chronic illness. Mayo Clinic notes that people commonly begin to feel relief from pain and stiffness within the first two or three days of treatment, and the NHS describes symptoms usually improving within a few days. Rheumatologists actually lean on that speed: a brisk, near-complete response to a modest glucocorticoid dose is one of the features that helps confirm the diagnosis, since many conditions that mimic PMR do not behave this way.

Two caveats matter. First, “fast” means days, not hours. Someone who feels no different after one morning tablet has not failed treatment. Second, the early improvement is symptom relief, not a sign that the underlying inflammatory process has switched off. The blood markers doctors track, C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), both general measures of inflammation in the body, typically settle over the following weeks rather than days.

If pain and stiffness do not clearly improve within about two weeks, most clinicians will pause and reconsider the diagnosis rather than simply pressing on. That is not a setback so much as the system working as designed. The decision on what happens next, including any change to the medicine, always sits with the prescribing team.

What actually happens: how glucocorticoids calm PMR

Nobody knows exactly what triggers PMR. Cleveland Clinic and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) both describe a likely mix of genetic susceptibility and an environmental trigger, possibly an infection, that sets off inflammation in the lining of joints and in the bursae, the small fluid-filled cushions around the shoulders and hips. The muscles themselves are not damaged, which is why the condition’s name, literally “many muscle pains,” is slightly misleading.

Glucocorticoids work by stepping into a hormonal system the body already uses to dampen inflammation. Once absorbed, the medicine binds to receptors inside immune cells and switches off the production of a range of inflammatory messengers, including interleukin-6, a signaling protein that appears to be central in PMR. Blood vessels become less leaky, fewer immune cells migrate into inflamed tissue, and the swollen bursae begin to settle.

This mechanism explains both the speed and the fragility of the response. The medicine does not repair anything; it suppresses. Each day’s tablet holds the inflammation down for that day. Take it away too soon, or drop it too far, and the underlying process is still there, ready to resurface.

It also explains the side-effect profile. The same receptors that quiet inflammation also affect bone turnover, glucose handling, blood pressure, mood, sleep and the skin. That is why, as Mayo Clinic and the NHS both stress, the goal from the first appointment is to use the lowest dose that controls symptoms for the shortest time that keeps the disease quiet. Those two aims pull in opposite directions, and the taper is where they are balanced.

Who PMR treatment is usually for, and who is asked to wait

PMR almost never occurs before age 50. Mayo Clinic puts the average age at diagnosis at around 70, and Cleveland Clinic notes that women are affected roughly twice as often as men. People of Northern European ancestry appear to be diagnosed more frequently, though the condition occurs in every population.

Treatment is typically started once a clinician is reasonably confident of the diagnosis. There is no single confirmatory test. Doctors combine the pattern of symptoms, a physical examination, raised CRP or ESR, and sometimes ultrasound of the shoulders and hips, while ruling out look-alikes such as rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, infection or certain cancers. MedlinePlus lists the blood tests commonly used, including a check of muscle enzymes to exclude true muscle disease.

Who is asked to wait, or to take a different path? Several groups, and for good reasons:

• People whose blood markers are normal, or whose symptoms are atypical, may be observed or investigated further before glucocorticoids are started, because the medicine can mask other diagnoses.
• Anyone with symptoms that suggest giant cell arteritis, a related inflammation of the arteries of the head, is treated urgently and differently, not asked to wait.
• People with poorly controlled diabetes, severe osteoporosis, active infection or certain psychiatric conditions are not excluded from treatment, but their teams often plan closer monitoring or add protective measures before or alongside the first prescription.

None of this is a checklist for deciding at home whether you have PMR. Aching shoulders in a person over 50 have many causes. The value of the specialist assessment is precisely in separating PMR from the conditions that merely resemble it.

What the first days and weeks of PMR treatment usually look like

The typical early course, drawn from NHS and Mayo Clinic patient guidance, runs something like this.

Days one to three. The medicine is usually taken once in the morning, roughly when the body’s own cortisol peaks. Many people notice they can turn over in bed more easily by the second or third morning. Stiffness that lasted an hour or more on waking begins to shorten.

The first week. Most people describe a striking change: reaching overhead, rising from a chair, pulling on socks. Sleep often improves simply because the night-time ache eases, though some notice the opposite, a wired, restless feeling that is a recognized early glucocorticoid effect. Appetite may climb. Mood can feel brighter than usual, or unexpectedly flat.

Weeks two to four. A follow-up appointment or blood test is common at this stage. Clinicians look for two things: that symptoms have substantially settled, and that CRP and ESR are trending down. If both are true, the diagnosis is considered supported and the first small reduction is often planned. If symptoms have barely moved, the team revisits the diagnosis.

By roughly six to eight weeks. The stepped reduction, which the next section explains, is usually under way. This is also the window when longer-term protective measures, such as a bone density scan or a review of blood pressure and blood sugar, tend to be organized.

One practical note the NHS repeats: the medicine should never be stopped suddenly. After a few weeks of daily glucocorticoid, the adrenal glands reduce their own cortisol output. Abrupt withdrawal can leave the body short of a hormone it needs to cope with everyday stress, and that is a medical emergency, not a bad day.

Why the polymyalgia rheumatica steroid taper takes so much longer

A taper is a planned, gradual reduction in the dose of a medicine over weeks or months. In PMR it is the heart of the whole treatment, and it is slow for three independent reasons.

The first is the disease itself. Glucocorticoids suppress PMR; they do not switch it off. The condition tends to burn out on its own over a period the NHS and Mayo Clinic describe as typically one to two years, sometimes longer. The taper is essentially a way of tracking that natural decline, lowering the medicine just enough to stay ahead of the inflammation without letting it back through the door. Go faster than the disease is fading, and it flares.

The second reason is the adrenal glands. Two small glands above the kidneys normally make cortisol in response to signals from the brain, a loop called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Daily glucocorticoid tablets quiet that loop. The glands shrink a little and become sluggish. When the dose falls toward the level the body would produce on its own, the axis has to wake up, and it does so slowly, over weeks to months. Dropping too quickly at this stage risks adrenal insufficiency, a shortage of cortisol that causes profound fatigue, nausea, dizziness and low blood pressure.

The third reason is simple arithmetic of risk. Every extra month on glucocorticoids adds to the cumulative exposure that drives bone thinning, cataracts, raised blood sugar and skin changes. Every rushed reduction risks a flare that often means going back up, which lengthens the total course. Clinicians are threading a needle: slow enough to avoid flares and protect the adrenals, fast enough to limit side effects. That is why the schedule is individualized and why it is not something to adjust at home.

How long does PMR treatment last from start to finish?

The honest answer is that it varies more than most people expect, and more than the early relief suggests.

The NHS states that most people need glucocorticoid treatment for at least one to two years. Mayo Clinic gives a similar range and adds that some people need treatment for longer, occasionally several years. Cleveland Clinic frames PMR as a condition that usually resolves eventually but can take a year or more of treatment to get there. No major source describes a course shorter than several months as typical.

Several factors are associated with a longer course in the observational evidence summarized by these organizations, though none is a guarantee:

• A flare during the first taper, which often means stepping back up before trying again.
• Very high inflammatory markers at diagnosis.
• Coexisting giant cell arteritis, which requires its own, more intensive treatment plan.
• Difficulty tolerating the reduction at lower doses because of adrenal recovery.

What “finished” looks like also deserves definition. Treatment ends when the medicine has been reduced to nothing and symptoms and blood markers stay quiet without it. Some people reach that point smoothly; others hover at a low dose for months while the adrenal axis recovers. A minority experience a return of symptoms months or even years after stopping, which Mayo Clinic notes is not unusual and does not mean the original treatment failed.

The practical upshot: plan for a long relationship with your care team rather than a short intervention. Regular blood tests, bone health checks and blood pressure monitoring are part of the treatment, not extras. Anyone quoting a precise end date at the first appointment is offering hope rather than evidence.

PMR treatment timeline at a glance

The table below summarizes typical ranges reported by the NHS, Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. Every row is a range seen in populations, not a schedule for any individual; the treating clinician sets the pace.

Stage	Typical timing	What usually happens	What is being watched
First response	Within a few days (commonly 2–3)	Pain and morning stiffness ease noticeably	Symptom change; response supports the diagnosis
Early review	About 2–4 weeks	Symptoms largely settled; markers falling	CRP and ESR; blood pressure; blood sugar
First reduction	Often within the first 1–2 months	Small step down if quiet	Return of symptoms; marker rise
Main taper	Many months	Gradual stepped reductions	Flares; bone health; eyes; mood; skin
Low-dose phase	Often the slowest part	Smaller, slower steps as adrenal axis recovers	Fatigue, nausea, dizziness suggesting cortisol shortage
Off treatment	Typically 1–2 years from start, sometimes longer	Medicine stopped; monitoring continues	Late recurrence; bone density

Two features of this table are worth noticing. The gap between the first and last rows is enormous: days at the top, years at the bottom. And the “what is being watched” column shifts from disease control to medicine safety as time passes. In the first month the team is mostly asking whether the treatment is working. By the second year the question has usually become whether the treatment is still needed, and what it is costing the bones, eyes and metabolism in the meantime.

People who understand this shift tend to find the long middle stretch less bewildering. The appointments that feel uneventful, where nothing changes except a blood test, are doing real work.

What a PMR flare during taper looks like, and what your team may do

A flare is a return of PMR symptoms, usually after a dose reduction. Mayo Clinic describes relapses as common, and most rheumatologists tell patients to expect at least one. Knowing what a flare is, and what it is not, saves a great deal of anxiety.

A true PMR flare typically brings back the original pattern: aching and stiffness across both shoulders or both hips, worst in the morning, often with a rise in CRP or ESR on the blood test. It tends to appear within days to a few weeks of a step down.

Several things can masquerade as a flare:

• Steroid withdrawal aches. Generalized muscle soreness, fatigue and low mood in the week after a reduction, without a rise in inflammatory markers, often reflect the body adjusting rather than the disease returning.
• Ordinary musculoskeletal pain. Osteoarthritis of the shoulder or a rotator cuff problem does not go away because PMR is treated.
• Adrenal insufficiency. At lower doses, fatigue, nausea, lightheadedness and weight loss point to cortisol shortage, which needs a different response from a flare.

What the team may do depends on which of these it is. For a confirmed flare, the usual approach described by the NHS and Mayo Clinic is to return to the last dose that controlled symptoms, hold there for a period, and then resume the taper more gradually. For withdrawal symptoms, the answer is often patience and a slower pace. For suspected adrenal insufficiency, the team may check cortisol levels and adjust the plan.

What patients should not do is self-adjust. Doubling a dose “just in case” or skipping a reduction without telling anyone muddies the picture and can prolong the whole course. A quick phone call to the clinic is almost always the better move.

Steroid-sparing drugs for PMR: when they come into the picture

A steroid-sparing drug is a medicine added to allow a lower glucocorticoid dose, or a faster taper, than would otherwise be possible. For most people with PMR, glucocorticoids alone are sufficient and nothing else is needed. Mayo Clinic and the NHS both describe additional medicines as an option for a specific minority.

The situations in which a rheumatologist may consider one include repeated flares each time the dose is reduced, an inability to get below a certain level without symptoms returning, or a high risk of glucocorticoid harm, for instance in someone with severe osteoporosis, brittle diabetes or a previous fracture.

Methotrexate, an immune-modulating medicine long used in rheumatoid arthritis, is the agent most often mentioned in guidance from Mayo Clinic and the NHS. It works by dampening the proliferation and activity of immune cells through a different pathway from glucocorticoids. It is taken weekly rather than daily and requires regular blood monitoring of the liver and blood counts. The evidence for its benefit in PMR is modest and mixed; some trials show a reduction in cumulative glucocorticoid exposure and flare frequency, others show little difference, so clinicians weigh it case by case rather than routinely.

Biologic medicines that block interleukin-6, the inflammatory messenger mentioned earlier, have been studied in PMR, and tocilizumab is the generic most discussed. Early trial evidence suggests it can reduce glucocorticoid requirements in people with relapsing disease, but the data are still emerging and use is generally limited to specialist settings and specific circumstances.

The important framing: none of these agents makes PMR treatment faster in the sense of the first few days. They are tools for the long taper, aimed at reducing the total burden of glucocorticoid exposure. Whether any of them is appropriate is a decision for the treating rheumatologist, based on the individual’s flare history and risk profile.

Protecting bones, blood sugar and eyes during long-term steroid treatment

Because the taper takes so long, side-effect prevention is not an afterthought. It is a parallel treatment running the entire length of the course. The NHS, Mayo Clinic and NIAMS all list the same core concerns.

Bone. Glucocorticoids accelerate bone loss, and the risk of fracture rises early, within the first months. Most guidance recommends a bone density (DXA) scan near the start and adequate calcium and vitamin D, from diet or supplements as advised by the team. Many people over a certain age, or with other risk factors, are also offered a bisphosphonate, a class of medicine that slows bone breakdown. Weight-bearing exercise, even a daily walk, contributes measurably.

Blood sugar and blood pressure. Glucocorticoids push glucose up, sometimes unmasking diabetes, and can raise blood pressure and cause fluid retention. Periodic checks are standard. People who already have diabetes often need their monitoring intensified during treatment; any change to diabetes medicines is a matter for their own prescriber.

Eyes. Long-term use raises the risk of cataracts and, less commonly, raised pressure inside the eye. Reporting new blurring or haloes promptly matters.

Infection. The immune dampening that quiets PMR also lowers defenses. Staying current with recommended vaccinations, with guidance on any live vaccines from the care team, and taking fevers seriously are sensible habits.

Skin, sleep and mood. Thinner skin, easy bruising, disrupted sleep and mood changes are common and often improve as the dose falls. Telling the team about them is not complaining; it can influence how the taper is paced.

The through-line is that a slower taper is safer for the disease but harder on the body, so the protective measures are what make the slow approach acceptable.

Treatment, therapy, and being "in treatment": what the words mean for PMR

People searching about PMR often stumble over vocabulary, and the confusion is reasonable because medicine uses these words loosely.

Treatment is the umbrella term for anything done to manage a condition: medicines, procedures, monitoring, lifestyle measures. In PMR, treatment includes the glucocorticoid itself, the taper plan, the blood tests, the bone protection and the follow-up appointments. All of it, together.

Therapy is often used interchangeably, but in everyday speech it tends to mean a specific modality. “Steroid therapy” means the glucocorticoid component. “Physical therapy” means exercise-based rehabilitation, which in PMR can help maintain shoulder and hip range of motion and rebuild strength lost during the weeks of stiffness, though it does not treat the underlying inflammation. The distinction matters when reading appointment letters: being referred for “therapy” usually means one piece, not a change to the whole plan.

“In treatment” simply means the active phase of care is ongoing. For PMR, that phase is long. Someone who feels entirely well on a low dose is still in treatment. So is someone off the medicine but still having blood tests every few months to watch for recurrence. The phrase describes the relationship with the care team, not how the person feels.

Remission is a word clinicians use with care in PMR. It generally means no symptoms and normal inflammatory markers, either on treatment (“remission on therapy”) or after stopping. Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic describe PMR as a condition that commonly resolves over time, but neither uses language implying the disease is permanently eliminated, and it is wise to follow that caution. A quiet condition is a good outcome; it is also one that is monitored.

Knowing these terms helps people ask sharper questions and interpret their own records with less alarm.

What people often get wrong about how fast polymyalgia rheumatica treatment works

Several misunderstandings come up repeatedly, and each one can lengthen or complicate the course.

“I felt better in three days, so I must be nearly done.” The early response is symptom suppression, not resolution. The NHS and Mayo Clinic are consistent that treatment typically continues for one to two years. Feeling well quickly is expected and welcome; it is not the finish line.

“The treatment is a 95 percent success.” No major guideline or systematic review supports a specific success percentage for PMR treatment, and this article deliberately does not offer one. What the evidence shows is that a large majority of people respond promptly to glucocorticoids, that relapses during taper are common, and that most people eventually come off the medicine. Those are three separate facts, and compressing them into one tidy number misleads.

“If I stop the tablets, I’ll find out whether I still need them.” Stopping abruptly risks adrenal insufficiency and a rebound flare. Neither tells you anything useful about the disease, and both can be dangerous. The controlled taper exists precisely to answer that question safely.

“It’s just muscle stiffness; exercise will fix it.” Movement genuinely helps maintain function and bone health, but PMR is an inflammatory condition, not a fitness problem. Exercise alone does not reduce the inflammation that glucocorticoids target.

“A flare means the treatment failed.” A flare means the taper outpaced the disease at that moment. The usual response, per Mayo Clinic, is to step back and go more slowly, not to abandon the approach.

“Natural anti-inflammatories can replace the medicine.” There is no reliable evidence that any supplement or diet controls PMR inflammation. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements notes that supplements can also interact with prescribed medicines, so anything taken alongside treatment should be discussed with the team.

Questions to ask your care team about PMR treatment

Appointments during a long taper can feel routine, which is exactly when good questions fall through the cracks. The following are worth writing down before a visit.

• About speed of response: How soon should I expect to notice improvement, and at what point would you want to hear from me if I have not?
• About the diagnosis: Which other conditions have been ruled out, and what would make you reconsider the diagnosis later?
• About the taper: What is the general shape of the plan you have in mind, how often will it be reviewed, and what signs would make you slow it down?
• About flares: How do I tell a flare from ordinary aches or from withdrawal symptoms, and who do I contact if I think one is happening?
• About adrenal recovery: When the dose gets low, what symptoms would suggest my body is short of cortisol, and do I need a plan for illness or surgery while on treatment?
• About protection: Have I had a bone density scan, do I need bone-protecting medicine, and how often will my blood pressure, blood sugar and eyes be checked?
• About giant cell arteritis: What symptoms should send me to urgent care rather than waiting for an appointment?
• About other medicines and supplements: Is there anything I already take that interacts with this treatment?
• About steroid-sparing options: Under what circumstances would you consider adding another medicine, and what would that involve?
• About life after treatment: Once I am off the medicine, how long will you keep monitoring me, and what would prompt a recheck?

None of these questions second-guesses the clinician. They give the team a clearer picture of what matters to you and often surface issues, such as a forgotten supplement or an unmentioned bout of dizziness, that change the plan for the better. Bringing a written list, or a family member, is a habit many long-term patients swear by.

When to call your doctor during PMR treatment

Most of the PMR journey is unhurried. A few situations are not, and knowing them in advance is part of safe treatment.

Seek urgent care the same day for any of the following, which can signal giant cell arteritis, a related inflammation of the arteries supplying the head and eyes that Mayo Clinic reports develops in a minority of people with PMR, cited as roughly 10 to 20 percent. Untreated, it can cause permanent vision loss.

• A new, persistent headache, often over the temple, or tenderness of the scalp
• Pain in the jaw when chewing
• Any sudden change in vision: blurring, double vision, a shadow or curtain, or loss of sight in one eye, even if brief

Seek urgent care if, especially at lower doses or after a reduction, you develop severe fatigue, vomiting, dizziness on standing, confusion or fainting. These can indicate adrenal insufficiency, a shortage of cortisol that needs prompt assessment. The same applies if you have been vomiting and unable to keep the medicine down, or if you have a high fever while on treatment, since infection risk is raised.

Call the clinic within a day or two for:

• Return of the original shoulder and hip stiffness after a dose reduction
• New or worsening thirst, frequent urination or unexplained weight change, which may reflect raised blood sugar
• Marked mood changes, persistent insomnia or new anxiety
• New eye symptoms that are not sudden, such as gradual blurring or haloes around lights
• A fall or any suspected fracture

Never stop the medicine on your own to “see what happens,” and never restart a higher dose without speaking to the team. The NHS advises carrying a steroid treatment card or similar record so that any clinician treating you in an emergency knows you are on long-term glucocorticoids. Every one of these decisions, from pausing the taper to changing the plan entirely, belongs with the people who know your history.

Frequently asked questions

How is polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) treated?

PMR is treated primarily with a daily glucocorticoid, a synthetic anti-inflammatory hormone, which is then gradually reduced over many months. Treatment also includes regular blood tests to track inflammation, monitoring of blood pressure, blood sugar and eyes, and bone protection such as calcium, vitamin D and often a bisphosphonate. A minority of people with repeated flares may be offered a steroid-sparing medicine. The plan is individualized by the treating rheumatologist.

How effective is PMR treatment?

Glucocorticoids produce a prompt and often dramatic improvement in most people, typically within days, according to the NHS and Mayo Clinic. No major guideline gives a single success percentage, and this article does not invent one. The realistic picture is fast symptom control, a common pattern of flares during taper, and eventual discontinuation for most people after one to two years, with a minority needing longer.

How long does PMR treatment last in total?

Most people need glucocorticoid treatment for at least one to two years, according to the NHS, and Mayo Clinic notes that some people need it for longer. The duration depends on how quickly the disease settles, whether flares occur during the taper, and how readily the adrenal glands recover at lower doses. Monitoring usually continues for a period after the medicine stops.

What is a polymyalgia rheumatica steroid taper, and why is it so gradual?

A taper is a planned, stepwise reduction of the glucocorticoid dose over months. It is gradual for three reasons: PMR inflammation fades slowly and returns if the dose drops ahead of it; the adrenal glands need time to resume their own cortisol production; and rushed reductions cause flares that often prolong the total course. The pace is set and adjusted by the prescribing clinician.

What does a PMR flare during taper feel like?

A flare usually brings back the original pattern: aching and stiffness in both shoulders or both hips, worst in the morning, often with a rise in inflammatory markers on blood testing. It tends to appear within days to weeks of a dose reduction. Generalized soreness and fatigue without a marker rise more often reflect the body adjusting to the lower dose. Either way, the care team should be told.

What are steroid-sparing drugs for PMR?

Steroid-sparing drugs are medicines added to allow a lower glucocorticoid dose or a smoother taper. Methotrexate, an immune-modulating medicine, is the one most often described in guidance; biologic medicines that block interleukin-6 have also been studied. They are considered for people with repeated flares or high risk of glucocorticoid harm, not routinely. The evidence is modest and the decision rests with the rheumatologist.

What is the difference between treatment and therapy in PMR?

Treatment is the umbrella term covering everything done to manage PMR: the medicine, the taper plan, monitoring and bone protection. Therapy usually refers to one specific component, such as steroid therapy or physical therapy. Physical therapy can help restore shoulder and hip movement and strength but does not treat the underlying inflammation. The words overlap in practice, so asking what a referral covers is sensible.

What does being "in treatment" for PMR mean?

Being in treatment means the active phase of care is ongoing, regardless of how you feel. Someone who is symptom-free on a low dose is still in treatment, and so is someone recently off the medicine who is still having periodic blood tests to watch for recurrence. For PMR that phase commonly lasts one to two years or more, so the phrase describes the relationship with the care team rather than illness severity.

Can I stop PMR medicine once I feel better?

No. Feeling well within days is expected, but it reflects suppression of inflammation, not resolution. Stopping suddenly risks a rebound flare and, after weeks of use, adrenal insufficiency, a dangerous shortage of the body’s own cortisol. The NHS specifically advises against abrupt withdrawal. Any change to the dose, up or down, should come from the prescribing clinician as part of the planned taper.

What symptoms during PMR treatment need urgent attention?

New persistent headache, scalp tenderness, jaw pain when chewing, or any sudden vision change need same-day care because they can signal giant cell arteritis, which Mayo Clinic reports affects roughly 10 to 20 percent of people with PMR. Severe fatigue, vomiting, dizziness or fainting, particularly at low doses, may indicate adrenal insufficiency. High fever while on treatment also warrants prompt assessment.

References

• Polymyalgia rheumatica – NHS
• Polymyalgia rheumatica – MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.