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Can you split Prednisone dose for GCA?

Posted by isabelle7 @isabelle7, Feb 26, 2024

My husband has giant cell arteritis and PMR. Is Dr. insists he cannot split his 80 mg dose for GCA and must take it all at once. His experience with PMR was dosing in the morning and in the evening, which worked. Dosing only one time a day did not work for him, he was getting repeated headaches at night, and ended up in the ER. They gave him three days of 1200 mg steroid IV infusions and right now his pain is gone. And he is able to sleep. However, tomorrow he begins one time a day dosing again at 80 mg and we are hoping the headaches do not return. Has anyone split a dose for GCA and had positive results? And was the doctor OK with it?

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jeff97 | @jeff97 | 5 days ago
In reply to @brightwood "Thank you so much for your insights. I also had jaw/ throat issues, pulses of ear..." + (show)
@brightwood

Thank you so much for your insights. I also had jaw/ throat issues, pulses of ear pain at night, a two-degree elevation of temp and drippy nose. This group is just what I need right now. The three weeks of pain across my brow and temples and waking several times each night with pain was grinding me down. The ultrasound this morning is inconclusive, I think, but that first 20mg last night found me waking with almost all symptoms 90% subdued, and I was so grateful. I want to quit taking the Tylenol, which scares me a little and only seems to work at close to the max doses. Can’t take ibuprofen any more because I’m on Eliquis. Sigh. Also recently diagnosed as diabetic, very beginning, no symptoms, and now I learn the prednisone is definitely going to work against me on that score. I already take famotidine twice daily for Silent Reflux— life sure gets complicated with conflicting tx for co- morbidities.

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It's good to hear that the 20 mg dose of prednisone made you feel better. Hopefully taking the full 60 mg dose will take care of all of your problems. I can honestly say that since I started treatment for PMR and GCA I haven't had any symptoms or pain from either disease.

I'm like you in that I took Tylenol for several months to treat my problems, and it helped some, but it seemed to wear off fairly quickly and didn't relieve all my pain. The prednisone and Actemra are much more effective.

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