crhp194 (@crhp194)

I have PMR and and on 5mg prednisone. I asked my rheumatologist at Mayo if I could take the Shingles vaccine. He approved it. I took both shots and except for a mild reaction of fatigue, I was fine. Every case is different but wanted to give you an example. Good luck to you.

At my last appointment at Mayo in Rochester, I asked my rheumatologist doctor if I could have the shingles vaccine. I have both GCA and PMR. He urged me to have the shot. I also take methotrexate and prednisone. Had both shots and other than a slight headache I got along fine. FWIW. Just to help others to make a decision.

I wish I knew what dissected means but I do not. Mine was not dissected. Try the Mayo site itself to see if you can find the answer. Still, if you need open heart surgery, try not to worry. While unpleasant,
The surgery is not as bad as you might think. I recovered rather quickly after the 8 night hospital stay and qyuicly I was able to resume a normal life. We are lucky to have the surgery option that was not available many years ago. Best to you and a fast recovery!

Please make an appointment now but not to worry. Your aneurysm is likely not large enough for surgery. Mayo will follow you and make recommendations for your situation. Your aneurysm may never get larger but it needs to be watched and there is no better place than Mayo to do that watching. Best of luck to you now and in the future. Mayo is a kind, caring medical clinic.

I too was just diagnosed with PMR. I have been treated for giant cell aortic arteritis. Just got off prednisone in July. By September I started having shoulder, leg, and arm pain. Had trouble combing my hair and sleeping on my side in addition to legs that ached. Apparently the former prednisone masked the PMR. Now back on 20 mg of prednisone and in four days, pain is gone. Plan now is to reduce the prednisone to 10 mg in two weeks. For anyone who has this, dont give up hope. There will be some solution to it even if the dosages of prednisone are different from mine.

I also have had no problems with metoprolol. I have taken it since 2016-25mg twice a day. After open heart surgery, it was given to me right away. I don’t notice any problems with my quality of life. The dosage has stayed the same and heart seems to work well with no blips or anything unusual. Good luck to you! Carol

Usually, the surgery won’t be scheduled until aneurysm is 5. This is because of the surgical risks and I think Medicare and other insurance companies won’t pay until then. In the meantime, don’t worry about it but have it checked. Mayo checks on mine yearly with either a CT or an MRI. Best to you!

The doctors suspected it when they saw the large cells during the open heart surgery. They then sent a sample to be biopsied to the lab. The lab confirmed their suspicions. As I said, I had no symptoms. Then I had a course of prednisone and am still taking methotrexate as there is still some inflammation.