First visit rheumatologist tomorrow-questions

Hi🤗
so glad you're in this group as everyone is very supportive.
side effects if prednisone (or any other meds), what to expect when tapering, "flares" while on meds, new quirky symptoms while on meds, is physical therapy helpful, diet, weight gain/loss, when to call the office, when to go to the ER, helpful tests:labs, imaging... I have a third follow up appointment soon, and I hope to get as much info as possible.
great question!! 😊

Thank you for your reply and for sharing your experiences. I have noted your advice and will try to address those issues tomorrow.

Thank you for taking the time to help.

I’m glad to see this too. My first visit coming up in a few weeks.

Since I’ve heard so many patients say they were told to watch and wait, I’m curious what that entails.

There is another similar discussion that you might want to scan through to see what others have shared.
-- First meeting with Rheumatologist for PMR, need suggestions: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/first-meeting-with-rheumatologist-need-suggestions/

Thank you, John!

What is my added risk of related problems such as
additional cardiovascular problems. Should I have a risk
assessment. Do you suggest a Dexascan at onset if it
looks like probable long term prednisone.
How much risk do you think for Giant cell arteritis.
Am I due for an eye exam?????

I would suggest you cover how the doc would prefer to interact in certain situations. Some of those are
* when to call if you suspect you have an infection (if you are on an immunosuppressant drug )
* guidelines for scheduling procedures that could introduce risk of spreading infection - such as pulling abscessed tooth
* how to react in a sudden increase in pain (a flare)
* medication side effects you should respond to or make your doc aware of.
* other clinical changes your doc would want to be aware of

Good luck!!

Thank you!

I'm probably not the right one to ask this question because I liked my rheumatologist but he moved to Florida in March and the clinic he referred his patients to can't see me until September. There's no others close to me that are in network for my insurance. Anyhow, after I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that I don't really need one. I was a nurse for 42 years and able to proactively manage most of my own health care. After months of pain and sickness and 3 different doctors, I finally diagnosed myself with PMR, which was borne out by inflammation markers and symptoms. My PCP and his nurse are wonderful about listening to me and acting on my input. So, I'm just going to stick with them for the time being. Good luck to you!