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GCA (Giant Cell Arteritis) and PMR (polymyalgia rheumatica)
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Oct 25 10:20am | Replies (277)Comment receiving replies
I was first diagnosed with PMR in August, 2023, and I was also worried that I would have or get Giant Cell Arteritis. So I'm right there with you. I even had the biopsy for it due to have 6 out of the 8 of symptoms along with the PMR. My biopsy results showed I was "least likely to have it". After that I never worried again. FACT: Only 10% of people with PMR get Giant Cell Arteritis. Whereas, 50% of people with Giant Cell Arteritis get PMR. So your chances are a lot less than you probably thought. Here are the symptoms of Giant Cell Arteritis according to the Mayo Clinic Website:
Generally, signs and symptoms of giant cell arteritis include:
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Persistent, severe head pain, usually in your temple area - My temple pain was caused by grinding my teeth - TMJ.
Scalp tenderness - Alopecia - Anxiety
Jaw pain when you chew or open your mouth wide - Again grinding my teeth
Fever - PMR
Fatigue - PMR
Unintended weight loss - Did not have
Vision loss or double vision, particularly in people who also have jaw pain - Had double vision - not sleeping and very tired from PMR - was left undiagnosed for 3 1/2 years (my eye doctor did not find anything wrong upon examination)
Sudden, permanent loss of vision in one eye - did not have this symptom.
In a nutshell had 6 out of 8 symptoms and still did not have GCA. If you are still concerned, talk to your Rheumatologist and/or General Practitioner. Many things can cause ear aches from something as simple as needing to clean your ears to sinus infections to ear infections, etc. Good luck and hope you feel better soon. Don't worry, everyone's in the same boat here just trying to figure things out.
Replies to "I was first diagnosed with PMR in August, 2023, and I was also worried that I..."
I can't understand why I wasn't ever diagnosed with GCA. I had all the sign and symptoms of GCA during my 25 years of being treated with prednisone. Maybe all the prednisone prevented GCA but it didn't prevent PMR from being diagnosed.
I had facial pain and severe headaches which were caused by trigeminal neuralgia. My case of trigeminal neuralgia wasn't autoimmune related but it sure flared up when my inflammation levels were elevated.
After 25 years with trigeminal neuralgia, a surgery mercifully stopped my facial pain and headaches. Prior to the surgery, the neurosurgeon wondered what I used for pain. Normally the surgeon said he saw a list of pain medications "a mile long" for trigeminal neuralgia but he didn't see anything for pain on my medication list. I told the surgeon that I only used Prednisone but he looked skeptical when I told him.
My entire left side of my face and scalp is now numb and tingling. I don't feel anything on the left side of my face when it is touched. The left side of my face is merely uncomfortable instead of having excruciating pain.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/trigeminal-neuralgia/symptoms-causes/syc-20353344#:~:text=Trigeminal%20neuralgia%20(try%2DJEM%2D,as%20a%20chronic%20pain%20condition.
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I had visual disturbances galore which mostly occurred only in my left eye. I would also wake up in the morning with vision loss but my vision loss was never permanent.
My vision loss was caused by eye inflammation which was treated with 60-100 mg of prednisone. Emergency visits with my ophthalmologist were commonplace for me to treat an aggressive type of uveitis which was autoimmune related.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/uveitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20378734
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The nice thing about frequent urgent visits to my ophthalmologist was the reassurance that there wasn't any evidence of GCA.
It was ironic when I was approved to receive Actemra for PMR, the recommendation was to treat me "as if" I had GCA.
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Your post makes me feel so much better!!! I have tMJ so I figured jaw pain was that. Just the idea of losing my eyesight has me paranoid I guess. I am going to talk to rheumatologist about it this week. How does a biopsy show you are the “least likely” to get GCA? Thank you!!