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  3. Polymyalgia Rheumatica and GCA

Flare-up!

Posted , 8 users are following.

Shastajak
Shastajak

I'm just experiencing my first major flare-up after dropping from 7mg to 6mg Prednisolone. It's more-or-less a year since I was diagnosed and until now I've been very fortunate that once on Pred I've felt \"normal\" and have been able to get on with my life. I increased my dose to 10 and then 12mg, but am getting no relief. I saw my gp yesterday and he sent me for a blood test today and I will see him again on Friday. He says I will probably have to go back up to 20mg for a while.

This is so frustrating and depressing - I feel that in a year I have made no progress. :cry:

3 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

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  • Lee-Colorado
    Lee-Colorado

    Posted

    I was extremely pleased to find this site. I was started on 60mg pred. because of GCA vision loss. I am now down to 25mg and tapering 5mg every three weeks. The only time I have had a PMR flare-up is after a birthday and late last year after a Christmas sweet eating bing. I mentioned this to my rheumatologist an he stated that sweets could adversely affect my potassium level. After reading about blood sugar, weight gain and diabetic issues on this site, it would seem that staying away from carbs would be a good thing. For a medical description, in laymen's terms, about the problems caused by low fat, high carb diets I recommend "Why We Get Fat : and what to do about it" by Gary Taubes. As for me, I would rather NOT eat sugars/carbs than struggle to get out of bed because PMR symptoms.
  • john1717
    john1717 Shastajak

    Posted

    Hi folks. I'm new to this forum. A 71-year old male Californian. I have had PMR for the last 15 months and have tapered from 20mg/day of prednisone down to 2 mg/day. This is my 10th day on 2 mg and have started having dizzy spells, some apetite loss, and a slight increase in joint pain. Did any of your fare ups begin with dizziness? I feel for each and every one of you having to experience this nasty disorder. 
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