Causes of GCA?????????

[PMRpro]

Thought others might like to read this which I found when searching for a link between RA and GCA

Rheumatoid arthritis and giant cell arteritis linked with solar cycles

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

That's a new one! Even more confusion for the poor GP 😳

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DorsetLady]

I wonder if they could use it to predict a spate of cases of GCA? "There may well be patients appearing with the following symptoms: xxxxxx, do not forget to consider GCA"

[polkadotcom]

Very interesting. I self-treated with magnets - which worked for me - for some time before diagnosis, and still reach for them if I need to.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to polkadotcom]

There is someone on one of the forums who I think is using this magnetic mat thing and says it helps their PMR. Maybe not so way out...

[Queenfisher in reply to PMRpro]

Yes, I agree that its not so way out when you realize they are beginning to use this technology now to give better results after knee replacements.

I have a PEMF machine (magnetic mat) and it definitely HELPS!

It gets rid of my pain, gets me moving and gives me more energy, so I'll keep using it it even if if I don't fully understand how it works!

Best to keep an open mind.... full understanding will come later....

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Interesting, if a bit mind-boggling!

At the Vasculitis Symposium in London last year, there was a discussion looking into who gets vasculitis/GCA and why. It was reported that many possible causes such as certain illnesses had been ruled out but the strongest link remaining was Silica which is present in soil.

I suppose it isn't impossible to imagine that the solar cycles could alter the amount of silica in soil, perhaps increasing it to unhealthy levels during the cycle changes!

That's diminished my brain cells for the rest of the day now - got to go and lie down in a darkened room!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Celtic]

Silica seems to be implicated in most things if you listen to some people!

[Hidden]

I was diagnosed with GCA on 4th May 2015 and find this article very interesting; especially as I read somewhere recently that there is a seasonal influence and that cases have been shown to peak in Jan/Feb. It's also a fact that the bodies' production of Melatonin does reduce as we get older. We tend to go out in the sun less, and cover up more !! Could also be one reason why young people don't get it !!

Update on my journey so far. After may months of truly awful pain (including MO) and being almost housebound for close on 6 months - I'm currently symptom-free on 12.5 mg of Pred.

BUT only since I cut down to just taking the steroids, Cod Liver Oil and Omega 3.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

What did you stop taking then?

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Medication that I was offered but declined ............. Risedronate Sodium: Clarithromycin: Pantoprazole: Zolendronate: Methotrexate:

Medication that I stopped taking .................. Omeprazole 20 mg (bad reaction): CoCodamol (doesn’t work except to cause constipation) and Paracetamol didn't work at all:

Vitamins, and supplements, which I did take for 3 months but have now stopped .............. ALL with the exception of Omega 3: Cod liver Oil and Glucosamine Sulphate 500 mg Plus Chondroitin Sulphate 400 mg

If I get the slightest digestive niggle I take Mastic Gum (Mastika). I take my Pred. with plain Yoghurt.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

One of the more important supplements is calcium and vit D when you are taking pred - it alone often saves you ever needing the risendronate sodium. I'm not saying glucosamine and chondroitin aren't good - but they don't help with preventing osteoporosis.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you for your response. I am keeping a close eye on my blood results - recently pronounced as 'excellent' by my Rheumatologist. My Dexascan came back as bone density 'satisfactory' when I had expected at best Osteopenia. At my age of 74 I figured that's not bad - maybe down to eating 2 lbs of cheese a week for 11 years !!!! I did take Vit D, along with Magnesium, for about 3/4 of the months since diagnosis; but much prefer to take control by diet. Apart from my still stooping a little when walking, and not being able to stand for long I feel wonderful since stopping all the pills. I feel as normal as I can expect to at this stage. 10 months in and on 12.5 split dosage ..... over 5 at night and 7.5 with Yoghurt around 08.00 hours. The tummy and back fat will go eventually and I can cope with what is probably spinal stenosis until such time as I can ' exercise' it away. I have downloaded specific exercises (for spinal stenosis). Meanwhile my Paleo diet got rid of the Pseudo Cummings (within 12 days) and my ankles and feet are back to being very slim again. All the Myofascial pain has now gone (after over 4 + months of hell). I have actually lost weight since starting the diet and am still wearing a size 14 - for which I thank Paleo. Once the back and tummy fat has gone I reckon I'll be down into a size 12. I read all the 'horror' posts and, until fairly recently mine was just as horrid. I didn't post as there was enough negativity on there without my adding to it, and, anyway, I hadn't anything helpful, useful or productive, to offer. All in all I am not now going to rock my boat as every day I feel better and better.

I have blood tests every 6-8 weeks and it's 15 weeks since my Dexascan.

I do appreciate your reply - something I had considered long and hard, and always read your post/s - even if I skip others. I do hope that I haven't jinxed my recovery by daring to be positive.

[HeronNS in reply to PMRpro]

Exactly. I have taken glucosamine for many years, but for osteoarthritis. I was diagnosed with OA when I was about 40. Now, 28 years later, OA has not progressed very far in me at all. But obviously glucosamine has had no effect on PMR.

[Slowdown]

Well, that took care of a couple of hours, first reading the article, then following the melatonin/serotonin/tryptophan trail - I'm so woefully ignorant of all our wondrous bodily balancing acts that work in silence and only make their presence felt when something goes wrong.

I don't have GCA (almost tempting fate to write that..) but with PMR I am learning all the time and I am quite prepared to believe that the solar cycle impacts in ways we don't yet understand (or I don't, anyway!) I found this link drpawluk.com/education/geom... and got interested in the Schumann resonances and their 'earth-based frequencies ... in which it is not clear what impact the Schumann fields themselves have on humans. That being said, it is generally accepted in the community that the Schumann resonances are an important baseline from which the human brain maintains homeostasis. This range of frequencies has also been shown in various studies to be an important part of HOW THE BODY HEALS ITSELF (my caps). Schumann frequencies resonate mostly on the same frequency bands as the human brain and therefore can strongly affect brainwave function.

Sorry about the long post - you got me going on a dull afternoon!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Slowdown]

Dear me - nothing dull about THIS afternoon - in the middle of my second rugby game for the day...

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

Quite agree..well done England!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DorsetLady]

Huh! Ireland were SOOOOOOO near. Twice. And think what a difference that might have made But 'twere a good match - all 3 of them were. But personally - I preferred the results of the other two ...

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

😉Oh well ....at last we've found something to disagree on! Never mind - won't hold it against you!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DorsetLady]

I did fine on the other two matches. And you can't help being misled

[cdenoncourt in reply to Slowdown]

Ha ha. When my daughter keeps following one link to another for something she finds interesting she refers to that as "getting stuck in the click hole."

[Rose54]

Hi

Anything is possible

Their is a lot of evidence that when we have a full moon this concurs with mental health deteriorating.

It was heavy reading to my poor old brain .

Rose

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Rose54]

It was full moon the other night - my paramedic mates commented on what a REALLY lunatic night they had...

[Rose54 in reply to PMRpro]

Their you go

In my job I always know it will be busier when its a full moon .

[Hidden in reply to Rose54]

Rose 54

And your "job" is? Sounds exciting anyway

[Rose54 in reply to Hidden]

Hi

Reading It I could be a vampire or vampire hunter Im not sure which it is.

No its nothing really exciting but its never boring .

I deal with housing related issues .

Rose

[Hidden in reply to Rose54]

😃 that's nice, Rose. 🌸🍀

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Rose54]

Thought full moon was werewolves?

Fits with housing one feels...

[HeronNS]

Someone posted elsewhere report that GCA and chicken pox/shingles may be connected. The more we know the more we know we don't know.

Also, silica is needed by our bodies so it's not an evil substance.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to HeronNS]

Like other things - it is if it gets in the wrong place in the wrong form.

[Annodomini]

And don't forget that Scotland broke a long-standing Six Nations duck! So there!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Annodomini]

No wooden spoon this year!

I commented on FB that it's very boring watching Greg Laidlaw kick a penalty compared with the Dan dance...

[Annodomini]

Maybe boring - but very effective!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Annodomini]

Absolutely - deserved his "Man of the match" award!

[rosalinda]

I used to be a TA in a special school (learning/behavioural difficulties) and full moon always meant much more trouble than usual which then settled down as the moon waned.