GCA and atrial fibrillation

[pilgarlick]

Just curious. I have had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation for almost twenty years - I am now 73 - and haven't been unduly troubled by it, as it is well-controlled by drugs and doesn't prevent me from living a normal active life. I was diagnosed with GCA two months ago after the usual crop of symptoms and several episodes of double vision, and am now on 30mg of prednisolone daily which seem to be working. The strange thing - although it might just be a coincidence - is that the atrial fibrillation seems to have gone away as well. Before the GCA, I used to get at least ten episodes of AF a month - sometimes more - which lasted on average four hours at a time and which could be controlled with an extra dose of my normal medicine. But, since the GCA, I have had but a single episode in eight weeks. I just wondered if anyone else with similar afflictions has noticed the same thing. I'm sure my GP or GCA consultant would scoff at such a connection, but it would be interesting to see if one could affect the other.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It was the autoimmune part of GCA/PMR that probably caused my a/f!

[Rjw2014]

Like PMRPro I was not aware of AF until starting on high dose predict for GCA. I am due to see the EP in a month and am hoping that he is going to say that it will go away with the lower doses.