PMR and vision

As some one who has other immune disorders, I would say that autoimmune is something this fussy body does. I also have glaucoma and pred is bad for that. By all means have your pressure checked. And I have just have my second cancer discovery after a routine test. The first was after a year and half of pred for my first PMR 25 yrs ago. Once again a screening test. No cancer in my family so I say prednisone allowed my body to ignore the bad cells. No medical person I've talked to seems to think this is a crazy idea so I share it with the group. Get your screenings done and don't skip, regardless of age. Catch it early, it is treatable then.

Just curious. Is it possible to have GCA without the headaches? I recently had my eyes tested (2 months ago) and got new glasses. I've had PMR for 3 years and am on 3 mgs. Prednisone. My vision in the past few weeks has become blurred when reading and my head always itches. No dry skin and I wash my short hair every other day. I have trouble balancing, especially when I stand and close my eyes. I guess I should ask my rheumatologist, but don't have an appointment for another few months, Just curious if anyone else has the head itch and dry itchy eyes.

You need to see your Ophthalmalogist. As for your dry skin, see your dermatologist. My GP and Rheumatologist are usually not helpful with things like that. Please do not wait a couple of months for appointments. Be pro active. Good luck.

Excellent advice!

A couple of things come to mind. Are your eyes very dry? If so, you will have blurry vision. You can use eye drops without preservatives.

GCA caused my to have intermittent total vision loss about 6 weeks ago.

My scalp itches for weeks at a time and then suddenly stops. My hairdresser told me to switch up on my shampoo and conditioner every once in a while. I don’t think that really helps though. However, it’s not a bad thing to try.

I have GCA and I can tell you there is a big difference between pain and itch of the scalp. Right now, if I dare lightly touch the hair on the top of my head it hurts my head.
GCA is new to me but I also have another form of Vasculitis which is rare, Polyarteritis Nodosa.
Autoimmune diseases are such buggers…

Hopefully you can feel better soon! 🌻

Good advice. Thanks.

Itchy scalp, blurred vision and balance issues, all have been in my history, currently the balance has improved and once I stopped prednisone the blurred vision improved. As of August 15th this year I have been off prednisone for one year. Wishing you the best of luck.

Hi @ncgal, I had PMR, not diagnosed, for a number of months, then a very stiff neck, scalp tenderness, a few episodes of loss of vision in my right eye, little stabbing headpains that were not constant and short in duration, and a very itchy torso. There was no rash. I saw on the tv show "Mystery Diagnosis" that itching can be a symptom of inflammation. I also had a dry cough in the evenings, extreme fatigue, and loss of appetite. Long story short, I had Giant Cell Arteritis. It might be wise to let your rheumatologist know of your symptoms now and get some blood work to see if your inflammation markers are up. A doctor friend told me if I ever lost vision in my eye again to go to the emergency room immediately. I wish you the best.