treatment for giant cell arteritis

The treatment for GCA is corticisteroids and anyone telling you they can give you an alternative should be avoided in my opinion. GCA can cause blindness and pred can stop that. 

When I had a very nasty headache scare, I discussed GCA , in the event I had it, with 2 ophthalmologists; one, a regular eye specialist and the other a neuro-ophthalmologist and neither suggested a different treatment for GCA, other than Prednisone. Both have treated GCA. The treatment advocated is 60 to 80 mg of Prednisone (corticosteroid).

 

As far as I know the Rehmatologist is the correct doctor to see about GCA.  If you have it please see someone quckly.  Look up the Mayo Clinic web site it is very helpful.  

There is currently no alternative to prednisolone for GCA. 

Prednisolone stands between you losing your sight, either total or partial and once that has gone, it is gone.

Whereabouts are you looking to se a specialist in the UK.   Every major hospital has Consultant Rheumatologists and Vasculitis Consultants. Both deal with GCA.  But Rheumatoligists are the Consultants whom you will be referred to.

Anyone with suspected GCA is immediately referred to a Consultant for urgnet treatment because of the danger of sight loss. 

Thank you everyone. It was really a hopeful stab by me in case I had missed some major development!

I went blind in one eye some fifteen years ago, and was referred to Moorfield Hospital who said they could do nothing for me. GCA was not mentioned. Then about 3 years ago I developed PMR and with it GCA. The sight in my remaining eye deteriorated, I went hard of hearing, and it was affecting my heart. I was referred to a rheumotologist and an opthalmologist, and put on a mega steroid programme (60 mg). Over the years I have reduced to 5 mg. PMR seems to be under control, but what worries me is that the little sight I have in my one eye is diminishing. Also my heart is badly affected. I see a rhemotologist every six months, and I am awaiting an appointment at a heart clinic.

I really just wanted to hear if anyone had any experience of anything other than steroids. I thought I remembered reading somewhere about a specialist clinic in Bristol dealing exclusively with GCA - obviously just in my dreams! 

I've had GCA for about 20 months, and before that, PMR for 4 years. Steroids seem to be the only available option unfortunately. I've just come off Methotrexate, which is a steroid sparing drug, and if and when it works, it will allow you to reduce the prednisolone quicker. It didn't work for me, as the side effects were far too awful.

I see a rheumatologist for the GCA, as I did with PMR. Unfortunately, even rheumatologists don't all come across patients with GCA all that often, so they are not necessarily up to speed with new developments and what actually works. I read up a lot on the subject so that I can talk "intelligently" to my rheumy about my treatment.

I do hope your sight can be saved.

I believe there is a department dedicated to GCA and PMR at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, if that is of help.