MrsK and GCA abd Pred Reduction

Hello again Beev

Oh dear, how very frustrating to still have that chest/mucus problem and it sounds as if an X-ray is well overdue! I just wonder whether the omeprazole is actually aggravating the problem!

I'm glad it isn't all bad news and that you are at least managing to have some days at zero steroids - wow! Does that mean the diet is going well and the weight is coming off more easily on the lower dose?

Do come back and let us know how the X-ray goes. Meanwhile, you're probably looking forward to the long break from work soon. :wink:

MrsO

beev - sorry to hear of the problems.

I have 2 questions:

1. Is it proven rotator cuff injury as it is very similar in presentation to the shoulder bursitis of PMR.

2. Has large vessel giant cell arteritis been considered, especially since you have had PMR which is a risk factor?

The \"chest\" symptoms are similar to those found when the chest arteries (pulmonary) are involved in GCA and this can happen without any temporal arteritis symptoms being found if the GCA hasn't got into the head region. It can happen with no raised ESR or CRP. An ordinary x-ray won't show much in that respect - needs types of MRI or CT imaging. I've been reading on this in the last week as I'm seeing a rheumy here because of similar problems (plus now a few others) that have returned with lower pred dose - and he is considering that. I had had them originally before dx but they were ignored by the rheumy I saw then - but he didn't want to make a PMR dx even with the response to pred being within 24 hours :roll: Everyone else has been happy enough with that criterium!

The lady doctor in your practice is also not fully up to date with best practice by the sound of things - unless she has done a sputum culture she should not be dishing out antibiotics for your mucus and chest problem. It used to be thought that a presence of phlegm suggested a bacterial infection and this is now felt not to be the case. If 3 different antibiotics haven't improved it it is much less likely it is a bacterial infection and antibiotics only kill bacteria - nothing else. And can lead to problems later if you DO get a good going infection that needs antibiotics.

do let us know how you get on,

Eileen

Eileen

I'm so sorry to read that you are having increasing problems and do hope that you have some good medics there to deal with them and resolve them. Hope to hear better news from you soon - meanwhile :hug:

Mrs O and Eileen

I dont seem to be having time to go on here recently!

I'm sorry you have been having problems, Eileen. I hope you are managing to get them sorted - we really don't need more health issues on top of PMR do we?

Re my lovely mucus problem, my lady doc listened to my chest and said she could hear an infection low down at the back on the right. I have just finished a 2nd week of those antibiotics as, after a week, she said it was considerably better but she could still hear something. She said it was probably deep-seated (presume she means its been there for a long time).

I had some mucus problems before the PMR, when I started with the acid reflux 2 years ago. The omeprazole stopped it as well as the reflux at that point - I seem to get more mucus after eating - and ive read that reflux can cause post-nasal drip.

Getting chest xray results tomorrow but having to see original doc as lady one on hols.

Am going to see my private physio on Friday as my rotator cuff injury isn't responding to the exercises. She has always been very good in the past.

Why do you think the Omeprazole could make the mucus worse, Mrs O?

Beev

Hello Beev

I'm sorry to hear you're still suffering from the mucous problem but it does sound promising if the Dr said she could hear something on your chest and is therefore treating it accordingly. I had wondered whether Omeaprazole might be the culprit but if the extra antibiotics shift the infection then perhaps the mucous will clear. I became a little bit suspicious of Omeprazole following my brief experience with it - it was given to me to line my stomach from the steroids whereas it, in fact, upset my bowel and caused diarrhea!

Good luck with the X-ray results - do let us know.

Hello Mrs O and Eileen

My chest xray came back ok. I had to go to see orig doc and he suggested I increase the dose of Omep as he thinks it is acid reflux coming up to throat etc that is causing the problem. He has also referred me to ENT specialist but we are off to France in a couple of weeks so I expect the app will be after that.

He also had the cheek to say that he didnt always understand what I wanted!!! (probably thinks I talk too much) - That he felt I was coming to him because I was having to clear my throat too much!!! And that in his experience most complaints go away on their own if you are patient - I think he thinks its in my mind. The implication was that I go to him unnecessarily. I told him that this problem had started in October and that I had told him about it several times!! How he thought it was just clearing the throat I really don't know.

My family say I should stop going to him - he was frankly rude and made me feel I was a nuisance. It's not as if I go to see him for pleasure. I feel very angry. Having researched it on the internet, I think it is quite possible that it is acid reflux as I occasionally also get an oesophageal spasm. I am feeling uncomfortable still with the chest/throat mucus and now it feels like post-nasal drip too so my face feels achey.

Sorry for the moan. :evil: :x

Beev - don't apologise for feeling that you are moaning. I think you're entitled to after that experience! As for saying he \"doesn't always understand what you want\", he is the Dr.....you would think he would make it his business to understand! :roll: I think a complaint about him wouldn't go amiss!

You must be really fed up with this, now longstanding, mucous problem and although it's good news that the X-ray came back negative, it still leaves you without an answer doesn't it. Let's hope that if the extra Omeprazole doesn't help then ENT will be able to solve the problem for you.

MrsO

Beeve

You wrote \"[color=indigo:a3d8dd6d25]I think it is quite possible that it is acid reflux as I occasionally also get an oesophageal spasm[/color:a3d8dd6d25]\"

MrsO told me yonks ago to squeeze a lemon, split the jiuce into three measures and take three times a day in water. I did and it worked.

I put my lemon in the microwave for 30secs, it doubles the juice.

The acid in the lemon turns to alkali and it helps.

Nothing lost by trying at, as it a natural.

Mrs O and Eileen

Thank-you for you help and sympathy. I had a dreadful night last night - couldnt breathe with the congestion. It was frightening. In the end I took some asthma inhaler I had from when I had asked if it might be asthma. Also inhaled steam. Then it got a bit better. Even now (sat morn) I am badly wheezy and dont know what to do! Eileen, what are the symptoms of the pulmonary arteritis???

Beev

beev

Do you have a NHS walk in centre you could go to or ring the NHS help line.

Our walk-in centre is very good.

Hi Mrs K

Thanks for your reply. I am waiting to see how it goes through the day and will ring NHS if its still bad this afternoon. We dont have a walk-in centre but there is an out of hours GP service I believe at the local hospital - you have to ring the number and get an appointment.

Beev

Beev

If you're wheezing that much after all the antibiotics you have had recently and the steam inhalation isn't helping then, like Mrs K suggests, I would take myself straight off to the hospital walk-in centre. I wonder if you could even be having an allergic reaction to the antibiotics?

MrsO

Beev, you come over on here as better than averagely articulate so if he doesn't undersatnd you that's his problem. Is he English? I don't care what colour, nationality, age or gender the people who treat me are but comprehesion is an essential

[quote:d25ed5441c][color=red:d25ed5441c]It's not as if I go to see him for pleasure[/quote:d25ed5441c][/color:d25ed5441c]

I'd be tempted to say just that! and I'm with your family; find someone else.

I hope you've taken yourself off to A+E. The breathing difficulty is so frightening. I've only had it once ( allergy to drugs ) ( legal ones! ) and my symptoms were treated very seriously and no-one made me feel a nuisance AND it was a Saturday.

Do hope you feel better very soon.

Hi Beev

Only just caught up on this today Hope you are feeling better now but if not I think you should go to A&E I cant imagine them ignoring someone who cant breathe !!

Best wishes

Mrs G

Hello all

As usual it's such a relief to get the support we always get on here. You are such a caring lot.

I rang NHS Direct about lunchtime - not much help to be honest but they did tell me of a walk-in centre in Yeovil (5 miles away) open from 8 to 8 - think it's the one in Boots. You can also ring GP surgery and then get the out of hours doc number and arrange an appointment 24hrs.

Anyway, I had been inhaling steam through the morning - then (sorry, a bit graphic now!) coughed and coughed violently over the washbasin and got a lot of thick green gunk up. Following that (sorry - hope you weren't having your tea) - my breathing has been easier. It was clearly bunged up with that stuff.

I am also aware of stuff behind my nose so think its probably post-nasal drip possibly from acid reflux. I went and bought a saline nasal spray and am using that aggressively to try to irrigate and wash out that area. Interestingly I spoke to a Chinese pharmacist in Boots where I bought the salins spray and she spoke very sensibly - suggested our bodies get reliant on the steroids and then dont cope so well without as we reduce the dosage and that could manifest itself in the respiratory area.

Well, thank-you all again. I know now I can go to the 24hr service or A&E in the night if it gets bad again.

I just hope I can get that ENT appointment before we go to France on 2nd August. We have visitors for the next 2 weeks too so I had better get well soon!!

Beev :wink: