Hi @virginiaj, you mentioned going ahead with the biopsy. Did you get the results yet? When GCA is suspected, a high dosage of prednisone is prescribed, prior to biopsy, because untreated, GCA can result in blindness or stroke. I had a number of odd symptoms that came and went every few weeks a few months before being diagnosed with GCA, including a mild case of shingles, despite having the Shingrex vaccine a year prior. I also had short stabbing pains in the right side of my head and face, very stiff neck, tender scalp, itchy torso, extreme fatigue (anemia) and dry cough. I had PMR previously, undiagnosed, which started about nine months prior to GCA symptoms. My rheumatologist started me on 40 mg Prednisone and my biopsy was positive. I was on prednisone a year for a year and a half, with a slow and consistent taper. I'm off it now. I wish you the best.

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