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Buzzing heads and sickly feeling

Posted , 10 users are following.

karen28161
karen28161

I have had PMR for two and a half years going from 20 mg too 4 mg PRED ,55 year old female and all of a sudden I have headaches or minor migraines were I feel nauseous ,nearly every day and sort of a very sharp quick pain in my head ..........any one else experience this please or what do you think ..many thanks Karen x

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • judy93591
    judy93591 karen28161

    Posted

    Karen, I have dealt with this since May, 2016. Went from 20 reduced, down once to rapid, had flare, back to 20, now slow reduced to 11. I have been experiencing headaches on right side, with sharp pain also. Now I have developed blurry vision. My primary DR says can't get GCA when on prednisone. This makes me SO afraid!
    • macas02
      macas02 judy93591

      Posted

      Judy if I were you I would go above your Doctor and get to Hospital.

      Blury vision and headaches and had pains sound serious, please get it checked NOW!

    • Elijo
      Elijo judy93591

      Posted

      I discussed GCA with my doctor and he said not to worry since I was taking 40 mg. pred. now reduced to 30 for 3 months.  It sounds possibly that Karen could have GCA but needs to get an immediate medical evaluation.
    • EileenH
      EileenH judy93591

      Posted

      I have no idea where they get the idea you can't develop GCA when on pred - it depends on the dose! If you are on the normal sort of PMR dose of 15mg and below it is perfectly possible for GCA to develop, it needs a much higher dose, probably well above 20mg.

      If you are really worried about visual symptoms - the ER is the place to be at the weekend or at night.

  • reggie92967
    reggie92967 karen28161

    Posted

    I was dx'd last July, but if were having severe headaches, vison problems, jaw pain, I would, as I did, for sure see a nuero-opthomologist for a GCA test. My eye specialist watches me close & if sees anything refers me to their nuero specialist. All the medical info. research shows a strong relationship of PMR & GCA.
    • EileenH
      EileenH reggie92967

      Posted

      "for a GCA test"

      Sorry - there is no such thing. 80% of patients have a raised ESR (sed rate) and CRP, 20% don't and anyway they will be elevated due to many things. GCA is a clinical diagnosis, i.e. based on the symptoms. If you are very lucky them may find a positive temporal artery biopsy - but less than half of patients with probably GCA have such a result and once you are taking even 15-20mg pred pred the chances of that fall each week. 

  • Anhaga
    Anhaga karen28161

    Posted

    I've heard over and over again on these forums about people who were treated for PMR, no evidence of GCA, but later after they thought they were well on the road to recovery the disease flared up again and this time GCA was diagnosed.  I'd insist on being seen.  Do you have an eye doctor?  I wanted to make sure my headaches were nothing to do with GCA so I recently saw my regular eye doctor who did a very thorogh examination, told me the only findings were pressure elevated enough to warrant a return checkup in four months, but no signs of GCA.  This doctor also told me, without my asking any questions, everything I would need to know about prednisone, GCA and tapering if I didn't already, including emphasizing that GCA is a medical emergency.
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