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@joan7

I just received a call today from my doctor regarding my bilateral temporal arteritis biopsy results. "Least Likely" that I have Giant Cell Arteritis. Strange wording for my results, but I'll take it.

I have a question for anyone out there that has either a history of GERD or started having reflux issues because of their PMR. I was diagnosed with GERD/Reflux 25 years ago. I would have flare-ups, I'd see my GI doctor, went for Upper GI, I was treated, and it resolved. However, I went to my GI doctor 3 months ago when my symptoms flared up, and she scheduled me for an upper GI in October, OMG! I'm on Omeprazole, however, it is not stopping my symptoms like it use to.
MY QUESTION IS: Can PMR cause GI flare-ups of GERD? My symptoms seem more intense since my PMR symptoms started.

HERE ARE MY CURRENT SYMPTOMS - NO QUESTION THAT I HAVE GERD:
Acid Reflux/backwash 3+ days a week
Burning in throat, esophagus, and stomach
Throat swollen
Laryngitis/change in voice often
Skin peeling in mouth; lips and mouth burning
Difficulty Swallowing (also during recent PET Scan throat felt like it closed 3 times)
Substantial increase in swallowing
Burping at times
Chronic cough with bouts lasting for hour - has been going on for years since I started with having symptoms of PMR
2 Granulomas in left lung - benign
Nausea
Anxiety/grinding teeth from continuous burning and coughing

Please let me know if there is any correlation between PMR & GERD. Any feedback or info would be soooo helpful!

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Replies to "I just received a call today from my doctor regarding my bilateral temporal arteritis biopsy results...."

Joan, I had the same awful reflux for about six months last year, before PMR and prednisolone. Almost every night I woke with terrible burning acid reflux and had to go back to half-sleep propped up with three pillows. I thought it would never go away.

The thing that resolved the reflux for me was going onto a strict low carbohydrate diet with no eating or snacking after 7pm. It really was an instant resolution of the GERD for me, and a huge relief to have it go away so immediately. Just mentioning it to you in case a dietary change may work for you too, instead of relying on more drugs which can cause other problems.

My GERD resolved about a week after I started making and drinking kefir. No problems since then. Kefir is full of probiotic bacteria and yeasts that have kept my gut in shape for years.

Hi Joan7, sorry to hear that you are having issues with GERD. I have that issue too. My rheumatologist informed me that prednisone actually causes GERD so it may not be the PMR but the treatment. I liked the kefir recommendation and I am going to give that a try, hope it works for both of us! ❤️