111 then a Visit to A&E I helped with the shopping yesterday at about 6 after cleaning and loading I started to get a severe headache which I thought was at first a migraine but then it all got a bit weird. The pain was on the outside of my head and very painful to touch as well? by 10 pm I was getting worried as all sorts went though my head! So I call 111 who went though their check list and decided a local Out of hours would call me back. They decided I needed to go to A&E! The pain was so great I went with the wife. After many hours of tests and CT scan alone ( Wife not allowed in) I was booked into a AMU ward with other shielded people it turns out. After even more tests it was decided I appear to have Temporal arteritis. With that I was given 16 steroid tablets and co-codamol, Sleeping was not an option as it hurt to lay on the pillow, plus I was still being checked over for something or other all though the night and morning. 5 pm the next day I am given 4 weeks of steroids (16 a day in the mornings) A card telling people I must not stop taking the steroids and a letter to my GP and a Rheumatologist and booking of an MRI. Just found it can affect the eyes so fingers crossed
Be well
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Offcut
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Oh my goodness Offcut, I was just thinking how nice it was to hear from you again, but what a worry that pain must have been for you. You're on 16 steroid tablets - wow that's a hefty dose! I really hope they cure the problem for you.
Honestly, it's no fun growing old is it? When young I used to wonder why older people always talked about their ailments. Now I've become one of them I understand and do the same. Me and my friends have a good laugh about it as we discuss our health problems (shhh have to keep quiet when young people are around).
Wishing you a speedy recovery and please let us know how you get on. .
Will do my arms are in a mess the nurse had a bad day trying to get the canola in Doctor had to do it and he apologised on behalf of the nurse. Which you do not see that often he was great with every thing else.
I’m so sorry that you’ve had such a frightening experience! Just to be in hospital on your own is enough to contend with , without everything else you had to endure. !!
Hope that the pain is under control now and I wish you all the best for all the tests that are to come!
So sorry to hear about your frightening experience , I can relate as I get something very similar, they test me for ITA's and can't make up their minds whether its visial migraine or ITA's or both! Good luck and take care x
I had to look this up; sounds quite awful and just as well you were seen promptly. Hope the medication sorts you out. If you are on steroids, please be aware that your bone density will probably be affected and it would be a good idea to talk to your doctor about supplementing with Vitamin D3, K2 and calcium. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
Thank you for the kind thoughts. I am already on vit d3 plus iron the calcium is something to look at. They did give me 40 omeprazol I am on 10 mg so I am expecting reflux to flair?
I don't know about omeprazol, I'm afraid, but definitely look at the calcium. My friend had a high dose of steroids for over two years and was quite badly affected.
I understand that they are a strange drug. My sister was told by her doc that if they tried to bring them out now they would probably never get passed but hey can help in a lot of ways as in my case.
My mum had that terrible pain for nearly a year, going to her GP (who to be fair did think it was Temporal Arteritis or Vasculitis as it is also known). The GP finally got her to the hospital and we saw the triage and a doctor who recommended taking Aspirin!!!! The worst thing possible!! Anyway after moving her in with us as she was in such a state, one day she was so poorly, couldn't see, being sick, we rushed her to another hospital (it was Frimley Park which is also an army hospital) and within a couple of hours the army doctor there diagnosed TA. She was put immediately on 100mgs of steroids and within about 3-4 days felt so much better. She did have to gradually reduce the dose over time and eventually came off of them when she was well again.
I know, through Mum, the sort of pain you experienced so I do hope that you are much better now. 16mgs in actual fact is not so very high so please don't worry and you will be cured.
I am on 16- 5mg so the total in whole is 80mg. I have suffered headaches most of my life with occasional migraines but this was on a different scale I really thought I was on my way for a stroke! But none of the usual suspects followed it? Still got headache and a slight redness on my scalp now and painful to touch but no way as bad so hope it is going the right way time will tell.
Thanks for the in house knowledge very helpful. It seems that only 10 to 25 in a million each year get diagnosed.
My mother had this last year and the steroids did resolve it for her. Took a while and a slow weaning of the dose to finally be off all steroids. So unfortunately you have this condition but have hope that it can be resolved for you.
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Bit of reassurance re anticoagulants (or what A&E call ‘blood thinners’)
A very bad night
Very rude a&e doctor
Ablation 
