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Think I have Giant Cell Arteritis (or GCA)

Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Jan 30 8:20pm | Replies (70)
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@SusanEllen66

Thanks but so far I still haven’t felt much better. I know something is wrong but whatever it is can’t be found…
The prednisone is not helping so I’m tapering myself slowly. I can’t stay on a high dose for a long time. My mental health is not doing well on this stuff…
I’m praying for an answer to this mystery.

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Replies to "Thanks but so far I still haven’t felt much better. I know something is wrong but..."
Teri | @tsc | Aug 19, 2022

Hi @SusanEllen66, if prednisone isn't working, the dosage may be too low for GCA. If you are on a high dosage and it still isn't working, odds are you have something else. When the condition doesn't respond to prdnisone, the diagnostic algoritm in Cecil and Goldman's Textbook of Medicine says to consider Malignancy, Infection, Connective tissue disorder, Hypothyroidism. I guess if PMR and GCA atre ruled out, you have to relentlessly ask your doctors what else could it be?

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