which is a muscle inflammation that follows viral infections like flu or bronchitis, and is believed caused by a virus. It occurs only in people 60 and over, most often in women. It is painful and debilitating, but treatable with prednisone. I developed it after getting viral bronchitis 4 times in one winter. Prednisone treatment usually lasts 9 months to a year, gradually reducing the dosage, but it took 2 years for me because it was so long before it was correctly diagnosed. Without treatment, it gets progressively worse. It doesn't go away completely, but goes into remission. My PA had misdiagnosed it as arthritis for a long time. After remission, excessive muscle use can trigger soreness (different from ordinary muscle strain) for a day or more, and relapses can occur, although, thankfully, that has not happened with me.
A friend of mine has fibromyalgia and also gets relief from Prednisone, but her doctor will not give her a prescription for it for more than a week or two, to avoid dependence on it he told her. She told me that he believes that it is psychosomatic.
Both of us have multiple allergies, which is common in people who have autoimmune disorders. If it is proven to be an autoimmune disorder, maybe a protocol for Prednisone or another med might be developed.
I have suspected that long covid is related, with its chronic pain following viral infection. I wonder if there is a correlation between long covid and people with allergies.
Viruses can be such nasty things, worse than "just" the flu.
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