PMR flare brings on GCA symptoms
Posted , 8 users are following.
3 weeks ago I went from 7.5 pred to 15 for an excruciating PMR flare (my first since dx 2.5 yrs ago). I'd been on 7.5 for at least 6 months. (Another story). Anyway, for the last three weeks I've also had a permanent bilateral temporal headache and mild jaw pain. Now at 12.5, but happen to have opthalmogy appt. today. Symptoms even milder today... Should I tell eye doc? Do higher pred doses decrease GCA headache? Thanks!
0 likes, 25 replies
BACHERP
Posted
Are lab results (crp and sed) generally higher with GCA v PMR? Or the other way around?
EileenH BACHERP
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artfingers BACHERP
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My understanding from what I have read is a starting dose of 60 mg of pred but read this article from this website:
https://patient.info/health/giant-cell-arteritis-leaflet
Personally, if you are in this kind of emergency situation, I would not want to mess around with loss of eye sight. But I am new to this so I am just going by what I have read on this website and related links found here under GCA here and read up on them? Hopefully, your rheum. will have answers for your today. Please keep us updated.
BACHERP
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think I've mentioned all my gca symptoms. Thank you so much again helpful people. This site has been a godsend!
BACHERP
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BACHERP
Posted
BACHERP
Posted
I was on 60 pred for 6 weeks, put on 8 lbs and gained chipmunk cheeks.
i was fortunate to get into an NIH vasculitis study, had millions of tests, including the temporal artery biopsy, which came out negative.
Have gotten back down to 10 pred, lost the cheeks and 8 lbs. Pain seems to be getting worse in shoulders, but nothing like the flare I had.
Rheumy has me on so many meds, does anyone think this is too much?
Prednisone, plaquenil, folic acid, methotrexate, fosamax.
Anhaga BACHERP
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EileenH BACHERP
Posted
Look for 2015 Recommendations... and look at Recommendation 7 in the following link:
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/pmr-gca-website-addresses-and-resources-35316
If you were not on MTX you wouldn't require the folic acid (it's only a supplement to combat MTX side effects).
As Anhaga says - is your bone density bad enough to suggest Fosamax is required? Mine has been fine and I only took 4 tablets before stopping it after discussion with my GP who agreed with my decision that it was of dubious provenance. Calcium and vit D have been adequate thus far.
If pain in the shoulders is returning it suggests that you aren't ready for 10mg just yet and to have got from 60mg to 10mg in 4 (?) months is very fast. Slow down - and be sure this isn't returning inflammation creeping up on you.
BACHERP EileenH
Posted
I'm glad I returned to this site.
I'm not exactly sure what Rheumy is up to with all of it, but she has made comments: yes, she does eventually want to get me totally off pred she has said, and replace it with MTX.
She has also said that "sometimes PMR morphs into RA."
So I she may suspect this? shoulder pain is chronic, but I often get wrist and hand pain, so it could be LORA (late onset RA - thank you Eileen), I'm 57 and this started 3 yrs. ago ...overnight I woke in agony and couldn't raise arms more than a few inches.
Also, "osteopenia" is a precursor to osteoporosis which I have, but which is also normal for my age. (I think an intern who was there mentioned this.
Anyway, bc fosamax came in a box - not bottle like the rest - I unintentionally forgot about it, and now I'm debating whether to take it at all. A friend's mother said, "Don't take that!" I presumed she had bad side effects with it but didn't follow up as it was just too much info to absorb at that moment.
Thank you both for your consideration and knowledge!
Pamela