Polymyositis is what?

Just so we are clear - I have a Neuromuscular Disorder. It is an Acquired Inflammatory Myopathy, as is Dermatomyositis (DM) and Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM). It is called Polymyositis. These diseases are also called idiopathic inflammatory myopathies and are grouped together due to muscle inflammation. Polymyositis,  Dermatomyositis and Inclusion Body Myositis result in muscle degeneration and muscle weakness and are therefore also called muscle disorders.

In polymyositis the inflammatory cells of the immune system directly attack muscle fiber s.

RESOURCES: Institute for Neurological Discoveries: Neuromuscular and Movement Disorders Division: KU Medical Center: University of Kansas.

You may also be intereted in:

• Occurrence of polymyositis
• Why Myositis is hard to diagnose

Ocular myositis

Lately I have had a lot of pain in one eye and sensitivity to light. This has led me to discover Ocular Myositis which describes a rare inflammatory disorder of eye muscles. I thought I would include it here due to it containing the word 'Myositis' even though it is not associated with other forms of Myositis.

The main symptoms of Ocular Myositis are severe orbital pain and diplopia (double vision) caused by eye movement.  It can affect 1 or more of the eye muscles.  In most people there may be orbital discomfort but no additional signs of the condition.

All symptoms of ocular myositis include severe pain in the eye, difficulty moving the eye, a swollen eyelid and sensitivity to light and diplopia.

Ocular myositis may occur with other conditions such as sinusitis, cellulitis,  lymphomas and immune disorders, including "sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn′s disease, giant cell arteriitis, and linear scleroderma." (Lacey et al 1999; Harris 2006).

Could Imuran cause Angioedema?

Imuran, or azathioprine, is what I  am taking to help with the pain of myositis. It is used to suppress the immune system. I have some new symptoms which include painful swelling of tongue, hands and feet and a rapid weight gain. I rang my specialist who said it was an unusual side affect of immunosuppressants but he thought it sounded like angioedema. I had never heard of this.

When I later explored the net this is what I found:
Could Imuran cause Angioedema? on eHealthMe which is a site that checks side effects, drug interactions, efficacies, reported by 5 million people since 1977.

On Oct, 5, 2012: 8,507 people reported to have side effects when taking Imuran. Among them, 4 people (0.05%) have Angioedema.

So this means, while quite a small percentage, some people, like me, do get angioedema when taking Imuran. I have been taking this drug for nearly a year so it is not an immediate reaction. At first I had nausea but after about 3 weeks and changing when I took the drug to the night, that went away.

Read more of my story with Imuran.