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How often does PMR progress to GCA?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Mar 29 2:47pm | Replies (115)Comment receiving replies
I had the same fear and canceled a trip out of the country because of fear of getting GCA and being far from a hospital. When I last met with my Rheumatologist he told me that no one who is on prednisone for their PMR gets GCA. It only happens to undiagnosed PMR people. What a relief that was! He also said the reason to get to a hospital if you get the signs of GCA is to be able to see an opthamologist the same day. If you can see one on your own without going to the hospital that is what to do, that and take 40 mg of prednisone until you can see an opthamologist.
Replies to "I had the same fear and canceled a trip out of the country because of fear..."
I was diagnosed with PMR and perhaps your Dr is correct about being on prednisone. I was taking the dreaded prednisone from Dec 2015 for about 2 years. Then I was declared ok due to blood tests being in normal range. BUT, August 2022 I developed LGA [GCA] . Perhaps my Dr should have ordered regular blood tests during that period between PMR and LGA .
So am sorry to cast doubt about for you with my experiences. Now I am still on prednisone[6mg] and have to live with possibility of reoccurrence of symptoms and even blindness. I should add that during this time of LGA I have had no symptoms of PMR but maybe the prednisone dose is hiding it.
That was not our experience. My husband developed PMR in May 2023 and was put on prednisone. While still on prednisone, a lowered dose (12.5 mg from 30 mg when first diagnosed) he developed jaw pain, headaches and neck pain, scalp tenderness, face swelling etc. In Feb 2023. His rheumatologist didn’t believe he had GCA. I had to push the issue to get a temporal artery biopsy which turned out to be positive. He has the worse case his doc has seen and is now on 80 mg prednisone per day and Actemra. He also landed in the ER where he got 3 IV infusions of very high doses of steroids.
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Thanks for your comments! My understanding was that the relatively low doses of prednisone we take for PMR wouldn't prevent GCA from developing, so it's reassuring that your rheumatologist says otherwise! Also good info about heading to see an opthamologist if GCA-related vision problems occur. I would have a much better chance of getting in to see my eye doctor promptly than getting to see anyone at the hospital, where I'd probably have to sit waiting for hours on end and then end up being misdiagnosed, which is what happened when I first went to ER for my PMR pain.