It looks as if I’m suffering from Polymyalgia and my doctor wants to put me on Predisolone. Is there anyone out there in the same position who can tell me if they had any problems with this or has everything been fine ? Also, having not had an A Fib episode for a whole year I’ve had three episodes in the last month and I’m so disappointed. I have been very worried about my health lately, and am wondering if this could be the reason for these episodes. Anyone else had experience of this please ? I also had my flu injection yesterday and I am having a very bad episode of A Fib today. Anyone else hadthis ? I was fine last year. Thanks a lot for your time.
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It might be a good idea to join the PMR/GCA UK forum on HU.It will be particularly useful for you in the first few months with PMR to get support but a lot of experienced advice and support.
There are patients on the forum with many different combinations of health issues , including cardiac issues, whom can give you advice about what to expect whilst taking steroids. They have really informed members whom will hunt down the info you need in complex circumstances.
I am a member because I had GCA , I didn't have aFib at that point but did have my Tachycardia Syndrome and POTs. Getting the balance right in activity and using a slow tapering technique for the steroids helped to reduce one condition affecting another.
You may get various side effects when you first take your steroids and your body adjusts. Much like with aFib you will need to alter your activities and pace yourself to reduce the chance of PMR flares but also to help reduce physical stress causing aFib.
Unfortunately, you will find that steroids are the only inflammatory medication that PMR symptoms improve with . The control the inflammation rather than curing the PMR and therefore help you to reduce your pain and maintain motility whilst using a good balance between rest and activity. Steroids become an ally rather than an enemy.
I was put on steroid sparing drugs rather than prednisone because of AF, but I have Myasthenia, not PMR. I know PMR is really difficult to control and you have my empathy.
Yes I have reacted to every vaccine I’ve had so in 2023 so I stopped having them. If you have autoimmune disease my experience is that we react very differently to vaccines and I found I always had a flare as my immune system reacted to the vaccine, which sparked AF.
Everyone is different of course and you must weigh up the benefits:risks of taking any drug, including vaccines but you and Bee are so right in saying that once you have multiple conditions life becomes so difficult to manage both symptom and drug wise.
Hi, I've also been AF free for nearly a year and a half now after 20 years of AF (5 months after 3rd ablation , AF magically stopped).I've been on prednisolone now since February for rheumatoid arthritis. Initially a dose of 15mg which has been gradually reducing since introducing methotrexate.
No ill effect on AF but higher doses can be problematic. 2 stone weight gain for me and possible adrenal suppression which is now being investigated. This basically means my body has stopped producing its own adrenaline since being on steroids.
My understanding is that the lower the dose and shorter the time you are taking prednisolone the less the likelihood of complications.
My EP and cardiologist were both consulted. Their view was that getting the inflammation down was the most important thing as this is more likely to trigger AF than the meds.
yes i had a bad case of some type of dermititis on my neck and was prescribed Pred and some topical steroid cream as well. After day 5 i went into AF then stopped cream after spoke to Cardiologist who thought it could be a possibility as a trigger especially as it was my neck and close to main arteries. Had a CV to convert to Sinus
My sister in law's friend developed PR, perhaps caused by his early covid. He doesn't have AF, though. He is doing well 2-3 years on, having been diagnosed and treated initially and for many months by phone consultations (!).
If I recall reading, I think the key danger is that the optic nerves can occasionally become involved so early steroid treatment is needed to prevent this. He had none of that, but did have swollen hands from it and morning stiffness. I saw him a fortnight or so ago and he looked and seemed well. I think it's a variable condition and he said that his doctor had tried to reduce the steroids a couple of times but he had relapsed and had to restart them.
I had Polymyalgia Rheumatica a few years ago, and was on a reducing dose of prednisolone. It took me just under four years to rid myself of PMR. I took Flecainide and an anticoagulant for AF, and used asthma inhalers as I am also asthmatic. Oddly when I had exacerbations of asthma during the time I had PMR, it was treated with additional prednisolone each day for a week when I would drop down to whatever PMR dose I had been taking before the asthma exacerbation.After a couple of years I was sent for a dexascan to see whether the pred had affected the porosity of my bones. Osteopoenia was the result, not as bad as osteoporosis, but on the way. I was prescribed a Calcium and vitamin D3 supplement which I am still taking permanently.
I was prescribed two bisphosphonates, one after the other, Risedronate first which caused excruciating knee pain, so it was stopped, and then Alendronate Acid, which also caused unbearable pains so it was stopped.
My GP allowed me to decide when it was appropriate to reduce my prednisolone dose, prescribing as many prednisolone as I felt I needed. I used the dead slow, method of reduction.
The Health Unlocked PMR forum will help you. I was a member for many years.
Prednisolone did not interact in any way with my AF. I am now aged 79.
My experience of Prednisolone is quite the opposite of yours. In 2020 I was quite ill with Vasculitis which affected my peripheral nerves rather than the more usual case of kidneys. I was placed on quite a high dose of Prednisolone initially but suddenly became in danger of losing more peripheral nerves after losing the use of both hands, albeit only briefly so I was put on IV Prednisolone, 1gm for each of 3 days, a very high dose. The day after the third dose I had my first and only (known) attack of AF and quite a bad one. Despite every consultant I have spoken to about it saying there is no connection between the IV Prednisolone and AF, I firmly believe there is, but what do I know, I'm only the patient.
I had PMR diagnosed more or less at the same time as AF. I was put on prednisolone 15mg daily as well as Sotalol and Apixaban for AF. Nothing changed really (apart from my weight which increased by almost 2 stone) and digestives issues. I got off prednisolone in January this year after 3 years and had an ablation for the AF in March. 🤞doing ok although I still get aches and pains I think this is more to do with arthritis
Prednisolone can cause bone loss - I lost height - and people are usually prescribed omeprazole and calcium to offset that. Omeprazole (amongst others) is metabolised by the CYP2C19 enzyme that has (I think) 35 variants known as alleles, that vary the action of the medication from not working to ultra-rapid. Thirty percent of white people have one or more variants, increasing to 60% in South Asians. The NHS doesn't routinely test for the variants although CYP2C19 also metabolises clopidogrel that is prescribed for people who have had heart attacks, or strokes that were not associated with atrial fibrillation. There are tests for the variants that are mentioned in an NIHR paper: Health Technology Assessment, Volume 28, Issue 57, September 2024, ISSN 2046-4924, with a title that starts: "Clinical and cost-effectiveness of clopidogrel resistance genotype testing..." Prednisolone causes the body to stop producing its steroid equivalent. I was on prednisone for 12 months and found it difficult to wean my body off it.
I have permanent AF, I've had a stroke and, I have had pulmonary toxicity caused by dronedarone and amiodarone that has damaged my lungs, so I have regular COVID and flu vaccinations, plus the RSV vaccine. None have caused an increase in AF.
I'm 73 and in the same boat as yourself. Prednisolone does have its side effects as with all meds, but in terms of my PAF, all has been so calm it almost feels as though my PAF has gone. My main triggers are stress, anxiety and posture. PMR makes me feel so exhausted that I can't be bothered to get anxious over anything, so thats a bonus. Had my flu jab and my Covid jab on the same day (one in each arm) no problems with those either. PMR is a real drag, but I found that Prednisolone tackled the main and worst symptoms very early on. Hope that will be your experience too. Wishing you the very best of luck for the journey ahead.
I’ve taken many courses.with absolutely no change to heart rate or AF.Ive taken for chest infections and copd flare ups.I take them with a course of co-amoxiclav antibiotics.So although everyone is different I haven’t personally noticed any AF but I did have RSV and Covid and they both make your heart very jumpy.I have had pneumonia vaccine and I’m about to get shingles just incase.and probably RSV but my lung dr said don’t get the covid booster jab.So not sure why will ask again at my next appointment and report on here.Hope that helps.
When I had a bad allergy season a couple years ago, my GP (I'm in the US) put me on Prednisone, which I believe is the same as your Prednisolone. And yes, it triggered a very bad a-fib episode, but was in addition to using Advair -- a powered inhalant for allergies. In my case, it could have been a combination, but since then I won't go near Prednisone (or Advair for that matter).
I hadn't had AF in 2 years, thanks to weight loss and a vegan diet. Then I had a severe allergic reaction to Paxlovid. The rash and confusion didn't even give me AFib, but I was prescribed prednisone and got AF a few times, tho it did cure the awful rash. Now I'm off of it and not having AF episodes.
Thanks everyone for all your help. Blearyeyed you mentioned a PMR/GCA Uk forum on HealthUnlocked. I have searched but I can’t find it. I’m speaking to my doctor today so I would really appreciate it if someone could tell me how to find this forum this morning. Thanks a lot.
Try putting PMRGCAuk ( no forward slash ) into the search tab above it should show it as a community.If not just write PMR in the search tab at the top of this page , it should show the most recent posts on that forum , tap on one of those and get in that way.
If you are still having trouble I will try and put on a link for you on this post.
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