GCA?

[Chihuahua1]

My daughter is in her 40th year. Is she too young to have GCA? She has soreness across her forehead with scalp tenderness among other symptoms.

[SnazzyD]

Hello, it has been known, however a number of other things can cause this so she needs medical once over really. Hope you get to the bottom of it soon.

[Chihuahua1 in reply to SnazzyD]

Thank you for the swift reply. The doctor is totally unhelpful and gives the impression of thinking it is all in her mind. Unfortunately trying to get her seen when the symptoms are at their most active is virtually impossible. By the time she gets to see him the symptoms have settled down somewhat so he doesn't believe they are as bad as she says and tells her just to take paracetamol.

[SnazzyD in reply to Chihuahua1]

Oh dear. Why do they think it’s all in the mind? Is it because she’s been back a few times or they thoroughly looked at all the other problems like neuralgia, ear problems, temporomandibuar joint problems (can be very like GCA), sinus problems, dental problems? If it is something that comes and goes, it might be worth making a diary of the symptoms along with food, activity, stress and sleep.

In the early months of my GCA I had intermittent symptoms but not all of them at once such as scalp tenderness, tinnitus, blanks spots in right eyesight (only when exercising hard and waking at night), neck pain. I’m certain no GP would have diagnosed GCA until I had them all plus others quite severely at the same time and continuously. Perhaps the dark spots in front of the eyes might have caused a raised eyebrow but I didn’t see a GP for that, whoops.

[Boozsa in reply to Chihuahua1]

I’m a 44 year old still undiagnosed but believe I have PMR and GCA. It’s possible, my symptoms are textbook and I started with PMR symptoms( never diagnosed) and ended up having typical cranial GCA symptoms after 4 years of PMR symptoms. Feel free to read all my former posts about my journey.... I too have been treated as if it’s all in my mind among other things but maybe she will relate to my story. I was treated for TMJ first and sinus problems but none of it helped. My advice is to keep a daily journal of symptoms, medicines that worked or didn’t work, any labs or tests and do your research. I had the same problem with having normal labs or being better by the time I had an appointment, I still have times of being better followed by flare ups. I’m so sorry she is having a hard time and I wish her the best

[arthur463 in reply to Chihuahua1]

Yes - my doctor told me it was neuralgia, and to take codeine - However, it was GCA and so I lost the sight of my right eye as a result. It should have been Prednisolone.

Does she have jaw ache - another classic symptom?

I lost my eye about a month after the scalp pain started, so she may not have much time to be messed about by the medics, most of whom haven't come across GCA.

You have an important and urgent task.

Good Luck.

[arthur463 in reply to Chihuahua1]

PS Chihuahua - See the much respected PMRpro's reply regarding age etc.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

She isn't too young no - but she will struggle to find a doctor who will consider it as the guidelines say "almost exclusively in over 50s". There are cases in younger people reported in the medical literature together with warnings about missing the diagnosis by being fixated on age.

Where does she live?

[piglette]

Does she have a bad headache, jaw pain when eating, trouble with her sight as well as scalp tenderness?

[Daisychain12]

My step dad had horrendous GCA under 50. It was called Temporal Arteritis then and not treated as efficiently as it is now.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Daisychain12]

Some doctors still mistakenly refer to it as temporal arteritis - which achieves two things, both bad: many people think it is arthritis and a lot of doctors think that it only affects the temporal artery. If only!!