Re: Prednisone and Minocycline for Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)

[Guest guest]

Bev,

If you really have polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), an initial dosage of

20 mg of Prednisone should suffice to stop all joint and muscle pain.

That dosage can then be reduced over the course of 1 to 2 years, at

which point the pain and Prednisone should both be ended.

I started on 10 mg of Prednisone for PMR in December 2005. Just this

past week I ended all Prednisone without recurrence of pain. I am

still taking half of an Aleve (110 mg of Naproxen) each morning and

evening. I will cut that down to one half on February 15 and to no

half on March 15.

I researched Google on the applicability of the antibiotic protocol

(AP) with Minocin to PMR, and found no links. In the belief that I

had RA, I took Minocin from June 2000 through June 2005, starting on

100 mg per day and ending on 100 mg every other day. I thought that I

was doing great on that that treatment, but in June 2004 I totally

fell out of remission. In December 2005, I was finally diagnosed

correctly as having PMR.

To the best of my knowledge, Prednisone is the only proven treatment

for PMR. If anyone has better information, by all means let me know.

Sincerely, Harald

At 08:13 AM 1/16/2007, you wrote:

>I have Polymyalagia Rheumatica, diagnosed early last year. After a bad

>experience with 80 mg. of Prednisone a day for months, I went to Dr.

> Sinnott in Ida Grove, Iowa, for AP. He gave me 5 days of IV

>Cyclosporine, 900 mg. ea, then 100 mg. Minocycline 2 x day LONG TERM.

>My nephew with RA had great success with this treatment under Dr.

>Sinnott's care.

>

>Up until two weeks ago, I no longer had any pain around the joints which

>was great, but was still fatigued and often " woozy " which wasn't so

>great. I don't know if that was from Poly-Rheu or Minocycline.

>However, 2 weeks ago my right shoulder, shoulder blade and neck started

>aching constantly, kept me awake nights. I may have pulled something

>while lifting weights, or it might be the Poly-Rheu. My chiropractor

>daughter gave me one treatment so far, I've had 2 massages with a 3rd

>coming today. I've tried hot baths, hot and cold packs, linament, but

>the shoulder thing won't go away.

>

>I am to call Dr. Sinnott the end of this month to report how I am and to

>see if I can begin to slowly reduce the 10 mg. of Prednisone I'm still

>on from my family Dr.. I really want to as I'm worried about my

>bones. But I'm afraid if I tell him about the shoulder, he'll say

>better wait a couple more months to reduce Prednisone.

>

>I don't know who makes the kind of generic Minocycline I'm taking. I

>will ask the pharmacist the next time I'm there.

>

>Don't know that this helps answer questions posted about Minocycline or

>Minocin, but it's my experience with Minocycline.

>

>Bev in Iowa

>