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Is swelling of lymph nodes and lower face part of PMR experience?
I've had PMR for 3 or 4 months. Shoulder and neck pain has improved but my head is the problem now, and I am wondering if this is part of the PMR experience or is something else going on.? Lymph nodes under the jaw are enlarged and lower face is swollen. I have pain in my jaw and ears, and some brain fog. Also, my vision is doing occasional abnormal things.
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Please call your ophthalmologist and tell them you have PMR and your vision is doing occasional abnormal things. You very possibly have Giant Cell Arteritis, an ophthalmologic emergency. Without immediate proper treatment you can lose your sight. My eye doctor gave me her personal cell phone number jic I ever started having symptoms. She said hospital ERs are not properly prepared to identify it. Do it as soon as they are open today. All other replies can wait until you have taken care of this.
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6 ReactionsPlease heed @jabrown0407's warning ASAP. Hopefully this is not GCA, but not worth taking any chances. I just had my Rheumatological follow up appointment a few days ago and one of the first questions she always asks is if I'm having any headache/vision issues. Luckily none so far.
Good Luck!
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2 ReactionsThank you both for your replies. I will get onto this with my eye doctor ASAP. I am suffering from almost constant headaches as well, which does not appear to be expected with PMR from the comments I am reading.
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1 Reaction@lally considering the five day delay in reading my reply you possibly need to go to the largest ER in your area and tell them you are concerned about Giant Cell. Please don't wait until your eye doctor opens up Monday morning. You only have one set of eyes and loss of vision is not worth waiting. The treatment is large dosage of Prednisone, so they could start you on treatment today and then you see your opthomalogist on Monday.
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1 ReactionThank you. That's exactly what I have done, and saw an ophthalmologist yesterday. He said eyes show no problems. He has contacted our emergency department to insist on the biopsy of the temporal artery. Thanks for your concern.
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4 Reactions@lally
Let us know what the diagnosis is.
I have been very concerned for myself about GCA and keep monitoring myself.
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1 Reaction@lally So glad you made it to your opthomalogist. It sounds like you are extremely lucky. Giant Cell is the only PMR related emergency I know about. The very though of possibly losing any portion of your vision because of PMR is horrid to me. PMR is naughty enough without that threat.
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1 ReactionMy rheumatologist told me the Prednisone side effects I might see at 15mg/day are: swelling of the face, acne, and water retention-related weight gain.
So far I have not seen any of these, but I have only been taking the Pred for two weeks.
@caroljeand So far no diagnosis, although I am scheduled for the biopsy of temporal artery on Tuesday. It is odd, because the nurse practitioner put me on 50 mg of prednisone for a week, but did not make a diagnosis? Seems she may have decided it is GCA. I don't know.
@superfly999 The facial swelling occurred while I was only using naproxen, no prednisone. I'm glad you have avoided the side effects so far.