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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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@tsc

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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Replies to "Hi @SusanEllen66, if prednisone isn't working, the dosage may be too low for GCA. If you..."
SusanEllen66 | @SusanEllen66 | Aug 19, 2022

I’ve been taking 60mg of prednisone.
My Rheumatologist and I are going back to square one.
I was diagnosed in 2015 with Polyarthritis Nodosa PAN, a rare Vasculitis. That damaged my nerves so I have peripheral neuropathy.
She believes that the PAN has now possibly damaged my cranial nerves.
So, I don’t have GCA. It’s probably “just” the lethal PAN causing the trouble.
Unfortunately, the best treatment for my PAN is Rituxan, and that affects my lungs…
Thanks for your thoughts.

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