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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
After the GCA diagnosis I started another prednisone taper and also started infusions of Actemra. I had monthly infusions for 2 years and for the past 6 months have been receiving them every other month. I have not had any GCA symptoms since starting the treatment. In another 6 months my rheumatologist will re-access my need for the infusions.
Replies to "After the GCA diagnosis I started another prednisone taper and also started infusions of Actemra. I..."
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I started with Actemra injections every 2 weeks ... that was 4 years ago. I got off prednisone for a while but I flared and needed 60 mg of prednisone again.
Actemra made it possible to taper off prednisone the first time so I requested to be on Actemra again. My rheumatologist agreed but said I should do weekly injections instead of every 2 weeks.
Weekly injections worked well and I got off prednisone a second time. Eventually I "progressed" to monthly infusions. I have been doing monthly infusions for about a year and I think the infusions work extremely well.
After 4 years of either Actemra injections or infusions ... my rheumatologist thought it was time to stretch the interval between infusions to every 5 weeks instead of every 4 weeks.
Infusions every 5 weeks have been good. I don't know what the next step will be. I'm willing to go 2 months between infusions.
I believe that I will never know unless I try it and see.