Giant Cell Arteritis?

[NaToth]

I was diagnosed with this last week, put on Prednisolone and am now suffering horrendous side effects. Has none else been through this?

Still having an absolute mare with this.

Anyone else?

I know someone with this and with experience of prednisolone - she is located on the Thyroid Advocacy site. If you register there and post on the forum she can help.

www.tpauk.com/main/

Do you have any other illness?

Friend I mentioned also said the Health Unlocked forum for GCA/Polymyalgia is very good.

Hello @NaToth - yes I am afraid so - Crunchy Carrot mentioned your post to me. I thought the end of my life had come at Easter time last year - Pred led me to another nasty to get my BP under control. However I am doing much better now although it has been a roller coaster - I started on 60 mg Pred then got to zero because they thought it was a false alarm - THEN back on the pred and I am now on 20mgs. The best help I have found came from Kate Gilbert's book on Polymyalgia (got that too) and GCA and also the health unlocked forum for both. The people there are brilliant and going through it themselves. Far better advice there than from the Rheumatologist I have seen. Let me know If I can help anymore.

Thanks @PippaH45. Am on TPAUK and HU and have the book.

I was diagnosed just before Christmas. GP was on the ball and put me on 50mg Pred. Three days later the consultant put it down to 40mg. Now back up to 50, but have been in increasing pain since 23 December and no-one's listening, just giving stronger painkillers that don't work. Also finding the side effects of Pred very difficult to cope with, especially the emotional ones, although the weight loss is a bonus!

CT scan on Friday, consultant and DEXA scan next Tuesday.

Onwards and upwards.

Best of luck for Friday - yes I felt like throwing the Pred away when I read the notes but obviously the risk is too great! You are lucky to loose weight - I think most of us gain - I hadn't felt hungry for years but at least I knew to go strictly back to Low Carb. I was offered a temporal biopsy which I declined because I had been on Pred for too long for it to be conclusive. I have a small rebounder and I credit that with helping keep the emotions on an even keel - very light exercise for me on that but I have read so many books on the subject I know it is doing me good. Others say going outside and walking the dog etc help but that's not so easy if you are in pain.