I am baffled. Have been having pain in my buttocks and back of thighs on both sides and thought it was from statins which I was taking for high cholesterol. Stopped the statins and the pains continue. In the morning I can hardly get out of bed and after I stretch and bend a while the pain gets better. Thought it was even tight hamstrings. Been looking these pains up on the internet and found that these can be attributed to the above disease. They say it affects women around 70 years old. Well, I am 71 and this started last year. I have an appointment with a vascular surgeon on Monday (thinking it could be poor circulation) and another appointment with a new primary doctor on the 30th. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Janice

I am baffled. Have been having pain in my buttocks and back of thighs on both sides and thought it was from statins which I was taking for high cholesterol. Stopped the statins and the pains continue. In the morning I can hardly get out of bed and after I stretch and bend a while the pain gets better. Thought it was even tight hamstrings. Been looking these pains up on the internet and found that these can be attributed to the above disease. They say it affects women around 70 years old. Well, I am 71 and this started last year. I have an appointment with a vascular surgeon on Monday (thinking it could be poor circulation) and another appointment with a new primary doctor on the 30th. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Janice

Jan I was looking on how to spell rheumatologist and saw your post. My mother has this. And she has taken prednesone for it to control the symptoms. This is a lifelong disease as you're probably finding out on the web, but it does have remissions I beleive. I think she's not had to take Pred. longterm now, but essentially for flareups. She has had this for perhaps 10 years and she is now 72. I would suggest a rheumatologist to help you with it. How was it diagnosed BTW? What sort of doctor?

Terra thanks for your reply. Actually I have not been diagnosed with this disease yet. I just checked out my symptons on the net and came up with all this related stuff. Today I went to a vascular surgeon thinking it has to do with circulation in my legs. She said my circulation is good and from what I described she thinks I have arthritis in the lower spine since the pain gets better as I move around in the morning. I am seeing a new primary doctor on the 30th and will ask him if I should see a rheumatologist (sp).
Janice

Well I think it's a good thing that no one has dx'd you with this really. Because my Mother says it's very painful. And for her at least, the pain really didn't abate until she was on pred.

It sounds as though you are a fairly active person at 71, which is a good thing. And by the sounds of it, you haven't had any prior lower lumbar problems, spine-wise I mean. So yeah, you could have some arthritis problems in that area. Good luck with the new doctor.

Terra thanks for the good wishes. Yes, both my husband and I go to the gym 3 x a week. We attend Silver Sneakers classes for seniors. We do weights and aerobics, some seated in a chair and others standing. We feel so much better. I will keep you posted when I see my new doctor on the
30th.
Janice

Terra thanks for the good wishes. Yes, both my husband and I go to the gym 3 x a week. We attend Silver Sneakers classes for seniors. We do weights and aerobics, some seated in a chair and others standing. We feel so much better. I will keep you posted when I see my new doctor on the
30th.
Janice

Jan, I figure you've been doing the gym thing longer than a year, right, but is it possible that you have overdone something a year ago? Because overdoing it had hurt a internet friend who had sacroiliac joint problems. She started having pain in other areas unrelated to her SI's. And she was doing a 3x a week program. Have you kicked back for a week or 10 days to see if the painful mornings go away? Might be something to do before the appt. Just a test you know.

Terra I have taken breaks from the exercise, as you suggested, in fact, I thought I had pulled a hamstring, but it does not seem that way. I still think the pain is related to the statins I took for high cholesterol.
Janice

Jan O have just been diagnosed with polymyalgia and I am only 46. My doctor said it is rare for someone my age to have it but it explains my high sed rate and reactive c protein is high and the ra factor is negative. I go to a RA doctor and he is the one who diagnosed the problem. I would have your doctor run a sed rate, reactive c protein and a RA factor to check for sure.