Intern who prescribed azithr will be at the hosp./Thursday.Will call then

[Whittlesey]

Hi, I called the hospital to speak with the treating intern from last night and she will not be working again, until Thursday. Will be on the phone, tomorrow, with my doctor. medrol and macrolides are not a good mix. The intern apparently believed I had "rheumatoid artheritis" not "temporal arteritis". She didn't do a c reactive protein, nor a sed rate, in the blood tests. I explained that some of my arteries were dissecting, but I really don't think she heard. will call tomorrow.

[MJJ7960]

So glad you have this group for feedback. I have been a sideline watcher for a few weeks, amazed at the support you all are able to give each other. This is an amazing community of people who care about each other! I was dx with PMR mid-Oct last yr. at age 67, atypical in that test results were all within normal ranges. But after ruling out all possibilities, my GP went with the PMR dx. Immediate response to pred. After a flare with reduction from 20 to 15, am now down to 12/11, using PMRpro's plan of slow and steady. Some good help on this website. Kate's book was very helpful, as are the studies some of you reference. Thanks for being here.

[Whittlesey in reply to MJJ7960]

Thanks MJJ7960. Sorry you have been diagnosed with PMR. I think that bringing GCA and PMR forward, not hidden, in the back of journals, etc., in the medical community and community, at large, is important. They are both rare diseases, misdiagnoses brings harm to those suffering with them. I also think that those dealing with these diseases need access to the latest advances in medical science. If they can replace a heart, parts of a liver, stem cells, bone marrow, with high success rates, I believe sufferers with PMR/GCA need these types of remedies, also. For too long, these have been considered "old people's" diseases and the symptoms were treated, period, without going beyond symptomatic treatment, as is done, now, in so many cancers. Our goal, is not just to feel better, I believe, but to be as disease free as possible. I think some of the newer studies are promising, those that work at inhibiting the growth of killer t cells, and other parts of the cell that seem responsible for what we are experiencing -- the biologics. There is still no known etiology/cause. That, also, needs to be looked at, it would seem, in helping to prevent the onset. While, I'm glad they found the pneumonia, the other night, the young intern wasn't listening, when I was talking about GCA, she thought it was an artheritis, which is different from arteritis. Had she heard what I was saying, there are penicillins, which don't negatively interact with medrol. The course is longer. and you might have to take it twice. I would rather do that. For me to get a new prescription means I will have to travel by paratransit to several places (and the weather has again turned very cold and windy) to get this straightened out. and I am sick, with a low fever, very bad cough, muscle ache, etc. You have to wait, sometimes for over an hour for paratransit (curbside). will probably get worse, back to the hospital -- -- .

We are going through a period of transition, here in the U.S., as we switch to the new health care system. The democrats had to concede to the republicans, some items, to get passage. Part of that was "tightening" the budget. Doctors, realizing their three figure salary days are over, are charging as much as they can, for everything, it seems, before this begins, fully -- the new system. and if they are not going to get paid, they won't do it. This intern probably thought I said artheritis, and probably did not want to order a scan of the affected artery -- not sure if the hospital would be paid on the claim. going on, a lot, now, --- here in the city anyway. so what do I do? what do many do, with limited incomes, yet independent? for now, until I can get to a doctor, taking the az, because it's hitting this pretty bad pneumonia. was up many times last night with coughing. thanks for your concern, MJJ7960 and wishing you the best. hope the treatment is effective for you. wish you health, best, Whittlesey