I have Giant Cell Arteritis and am reducing Prednisolone. Does anyone have terrible 'hot flushes' and itchy patches on skin?

[sookiesue]

Can anyone provide any remedial therapies for the above and if I can get completely off Prednisolone, will the 'hot flushes' stop.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Both flushes and keratoses (the skin patches) are common side effects of pred. They often improve as you get down to lower doses. You can improve the flushes to some extent by keeping the rooms cool, especially overnight, and wearing layers of clothes so it is easier to remove some. The dry skin can be helped by not using soap - it just strips the oils out of your skin - and using something like diprobase cream for showering and moisturising. Your doctor should be able to prescribe it for you - it is often used in eczema.

You will get off pred eventually - but don't try to rush at it! Trying to reduce too fast will just result in a relapse and having to go back to a higher dose again. The pred hasn't cured anything yet - it is allowing you to manage the symptoms. There is evidence that the possible cause of the swelling (some cells called neutrophils) are still present after 6 months of treatment when you have probably reduced to somewhere in the region of 20mg/day. It will take at least a couple of years, possibly longer - but I know several ladies with GCA of all ages from early 50s to nearly 80 who have had GCA but are now off pred. Some things do improve even on pred as your body gets more used to it and as the dose is reduced - some things won't. But everyone's GCA is different and everyone's reaction to pred is different too.

[piglette]

I was asking my rheumatologist yesterday about the hot flushes. He confirmed they would improve as the dose went down. I am not on HRT which he said helps. He then reeled a load of other common side effects of pred off, I had them all apart from palpitations!! I have heard that there are holistic remedies for hot sweats, but have no knowledge about them. I do find relaxing and staying very still helps me, but that may just be me.

[lucky12 in reply to piglette]

Hi piglette I take sage tablets they do help to take the edge off of hot flushes the sweating is not so aggressive although everyone is different but its worth a try Good Luck.

[raymck]

Hi, just to say there is light at the end of the tunnel. Now joined the club zero group after finishing with preds and symptoms gradually waning. I still have skin rashes although less as time goes on and use Daktarin cream, which works better for me than diprobase. As some say, each person reacts differently, but take comfort things will settle down to a manageable level eventually, We must be grateful to have good vision in one eye, well I am for sure!

It allows me to take part in most of the activities I did before the sight loss, so am nearly back to normal after 2 yrs.

[adelle]

As far as the itchy patches go I just used tea tree oil,helped the skin but would itch now and again. Am glad to say I have been off prednisolone for a fortnight and have had no hot flushes, haven't had any since I came down to two mg.

[estherpotts]

My hot flushes have reduced since reduced the preds. I have itches, but have since discovered that pain killers eg

tramadol, anything with codine makes me itch. Like torture

[PMRpro Ambassador]

All I have to do to itch is eat ordinary wheat products! It isn't gluten - I'm fine with rye and can also eat spelt and kamut which are both wheat varieties. UK gluten-free flour used to be made of washed wheat starch - and that made me itch too.

It probably started about the same time as the PMR but that wasn't treated (I was too young, no abnormal blood results...). When I was on a higher dose of pred I could manage wheat on occasions, now the dose is much lower the itch is back if I eat wheat more than about once a month!