Foggy head

[Rose1bud]

Have reduced from 7mg to 6mg I am experiencing a foggy head and a strange feeling at the back of my head but not getting any pain in my head I was diagnosed with GCA in May 2017 My very worried at the moment as I have never had a flair and am reducing by 1mg a month

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It could just be that your body hasn't caught up with the reduction in pred dose in the amount of cortisol (natural corticosteroid) it makes.

If it were me I would go back to 7mg, let things settle and then reduce only 1/2mg next time.

[Hidden]

Hi Rose1 bud. Diagnosed late May myself positive GCA. Don't know what you started at but that is a stunning reduction in dose in the time. We are all different obviously to how this condition works out for us. I keep hitting a reduction problem at 15mg. Lots of great experience on this forum of GCA & PMR. Sure one of the wise will respond. ATB

[Rose1bud in reply to Hidden]

I started on 60mg in May reduced by 10 mg every fortnight until I got to 30 then to 25 and so to 20 to 17 then reduced by2.5 till 10 and reducing by 1mg a month now have not had a flair till reduced from 7 to 6

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi Rose1bud,

Noticed you’ve reduced from 60mg to 7mg in a very short space of time, and also that you’ve posted a couple of times before about a foggy head, but I think that’s Pred related.

Think you need to go back to 7mg as suggested by PMRpro - that’s assuming you were okay at that level. Get yourself stable, even if it takes a few weeks and then reduce a lot more slowly - 1/2mg and monthly.

At less than a year I would say that your GCA is still active, so you need to take the correct level of Pred to contain it - unfortunately that’s not always the easiest thing to do, but we all get there eventually!

[Rose1bud in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you I find your comments very enlightening and reassuring as every time I have slight headache I am a nervous wreck thinking the worst I was trying to find the post u sent me about GCA around Sep Oct regarding the return of GCA but I could not find it .I reduced down to 10 mg by Sep since then reducing by 1mg a month no problems no flair until dropping from 7mg to6mg but went back up to 7mg today I saw my rheu on the 30th Oct blood test crp was 6 she said the GCA appears to have gone in to remission Thank u again sorry for the long post I hope it makes sense

[Rugger in reply to Rose1bud]

When our CRP drops into the 'normal' range, it just means that we're taking enough pred to control the inflammation. We'll not know if our condition has gone into remission until we're off pred and the symptoms don't return. Wouldn't you think a rheumy would know this.....?

[Hidden in reply to Rugger]

Well some of them don't appear to see this! A single minded plan is what they have in mind. It reminds me of " The Toolkit for Life Philosophy". This is how it should be done!!!!!!!!!!! Ahh!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Rose1bud]

Hi

If you go into your profile and then go through your posts you should be able to find it - unless it was in reply to someone else’s post of course - then it’s a bit more difficult.

If I’ve got time later I have a look st my replies as well

[Rose1bud in reply to DorsetLady]

I have found it the title was your one eyed view of GCA thank u again

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Rose1bud]

Oh good.

[Sandy1947 in reply to DorsetLady]

Is it possible to tell the difference between Pred head symptoms and the effects of aging?

[Hidden in reply to Sandy1947]

I suppose only way is getting less foggy as pred goes down to low doses.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Sandy1947]

Probably not that easily, plus if you have arthritis you are also susceptible to brain fog apparently- read that recently.

That’s my excuse then!

[Hidden in reply to DorsetLady]

I will be looking that up. Arthritis a good excuse!!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Hidden]

This is where I saw it

portfolio.cpl.co.uk/inspire...

Must be true!

[Hidden in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks. Always good to have evidence!

[Sandy1947 in reply to DorsetLady]

You don’t seem to have fog when it comes to helping all of us!

[Hidden in reply to Sandy1947]

Ditto