Stress and GCA

[Blurry62]

I'm certain that many us have tried to ascertain why we have developed gca. I had been in very high stress mode for two years At the time of gca onset and wonder if any of you have made any similar connections.

[SheffieldJane]

Definitely in my case. Several years of unrelenting stress. A family situation that made me very angry - hence the inflammation I think. Looking after my poor mum with dementia for 7 years - like a very long drawn out bereavement . Then the symptoms began after she died. Many of us have similar stories. Sometimes it’s burn out from work.

[Rimmy]

Many of us here have attested to stressful things happening in our lives prior to developing PMR/GCA and 'triggers' are most certainly needed to 'set off' any genetic pre-dispositions we may have. While I agree 'stress' can be a major variable we also need to think about the fact many other people also experience all kinds of similar challenges and yet never develop an AI or even other chronic disease. Clearly there are multiple factors to consider and if researchers knew more about them maybe we wouldn't be unwell but this may be something which will benefit future gens - I really hope so !!

Best wishes

Rimmy

[Daisychain12 in reply to Rimmy]

Rimmy I completely agree. I had been in hospital for yet another hideous experience and another personal thing had me in turmoil. Then I got PMR. Yet my mil and many others like her were Holocaust survivors and did not get it. Xxxxxx

[Mary63]

Yes definitely! Working full time whilst writing a book and going through the publishing process.

[Angiejnz]

Type a personality traits too???

[Marijo1951 in reply to Angiejnz]

I've heard this theory before but when I read the definitions of Type A and Type B, I'm definitely closer to Type B. I've never been thrusting and ambitious, avoided going on the management ladder at work although I was encouraged to do so. I had some stress in my life when I succumbed, but it seems trivial when compared to some - no bereavements or onerous caring duties etc. I had squirrels in my loft who chewed through the wiring and put out my lights, but that was dealt with by workmen squirrel-proofing the building. I had my first GCA symptoms just before the work started and my first PMR symptoms the day after they finished.

[Daisychain12 in reply to Marijo1951]

I know what you mean Marijo. It’s hard to comprehend. Xxx

[Daisychain12 in reply to Angiejnz]

Yep. Exhausting being a type a innit. Xxx

[Hidden]

I didn't think I was particularly stressed pre PMR but like a lot of people on this site probably did more physical things for my age. Agility competitions with my dogs meant getting up very early, driving for a couple of hours waiting for my turn in the competition, returning home late with still the usual chores to do, then when not doing that gardening, allotment plus looking after a community garden. I reckon my body thought b**** this I'm 74 I need a rest!

[Sandradsn]

Yes definitely 2 years of major stress mainly at work!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Working full time and worrying about late hubby, then retiring and becoming his carer. Never felt particularly stressed at the time - just part of life, but was definitely a factor. Cannot pinpoint anything else - no operation, no drugs, no accidents.

[Blurry62 in reply to DorsetLady]

How does day to day stress affect your gca these days?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Blurry62]

It doesn’t any more - been in remission for over 2 years. And to be honest I don’t have much stress in my life - I live on my own in a beautiful part of the country and please myself what I do most of the time.

My grandson is at college close by and causes me a bit of angst from time to time, but not stress.

We all have stress in our lives, but some seem to cope better than others -as I said I never felt particularly stressed before GCA - but I was. Now I’m not!

[Omanain]

There was a very interesting video link posted a few days ago in which a rheumatologist explained it like this -

If you think of autoimmune diseases like a camp fire - you need would wood, and a flammable spirit - but it would need a spark to make it a fire.

So in my case, something that we probably all share and can't alter, a genetic predisposition to an autoimmune disorder - that's the wood. Stress in my case was the flammable spirit, and I am fairly certain Omeprazol was the spark.

It may not help the condition but it could be an interesting bit of detective work, if you like that sort of thing!!

[Blurry62 in reply to Omanain]

Oh now, that's another bit of interesting info for me. My rheumatologist said I have to take omeprozol before my daily dose of steroids to prevent stomach damage. But if it also exacerbates the very inflammation the steroids are supposed to·quell ?....... Does the madness never end?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Blurry62]

I have never taken a PPI because of pred. Nor have a lot of others on the forums.

[Blurry62 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you for weighing in. I appreciate every word.

[alvertta in reply to PMRpro]

I was taking PPI long before GCA as I have had acid reflux for years and a big history in my family. My mother died of oesophageal cancer due to acid reflux. Right now cannot see stopping the PPI Will have to ask my Rheumatologist

[PMRnewbie2017 in reply to Blurry62]

If you read the patient information leaflet for Omeprazole ( and it applies to the other PPI's as well) you will see that it can affect calcium absorption (osteoporosis risk), cause muscle and joint pain (side effect of pred and a symptom of the illness) insomnia and mood swings (also side effects of pred) and many more problems for some. I took 20mg for a week and stopped because I was sure the issues I was experiencing were due to the PPI and not the illness. With a multi-factorial illness (PMR/GCA) it is not helpful when the symptoms we are experiencing are actually drug side effects. Just because a side effect is reported as rare (1in 10,000), that's not helpful when you are the ONE! Try to keep it simple and limit the number of drugs. Polypharmacy (multiple drug combinations) always causes problems.

I spent 30 years dispelling patient's complaints about side effects. I wish I knew then what I know now.!!

[fmkkm in reply to Blurry62]

I have not taken anything for my stomach. I am fine 3 years in but I make sure and eat before taking the prednisone.

[Omanain]

I am not sure that it does it to everyone. I was prescribed it to help a different medication and within 2 weeks I was disabled with pain and stiffness in my shoulders and hips. A Google search showed that this did happen to some people. Some had been all round the various clinics trying to find the cause of their pain but it stopped when they stopped the Omeprazol. Unfortunately it didn't stop in my case and I was soon diagnosed with PMR. So was the Omeprazol the spark? Who knows.

I won't take it though. I suffer from bad acid so take Ranitidine, and Gaviscon when I need it.

[Hellyowl]

Absolutely convinced it is stress that wakes it up. I had a stress related heart attack due to my work and studying, then my Mum died while we were having a cup of tea together, following that shock I got the worst chest infection, in fact the only chest infection, I have ever had. The doctor said that was stress and then a few weeks later GCA arrived. I still have a fair bit of stress in my life, handed in my doctoral thesis last week and feel on the verge of a flair now I have relaxed a bit. I would love someone to research the 12 months in the life of PMA/GCA sufferers just before the onset of illness. I think it would turn up some startling facts about stress.

[Sandy1947]

I think we become immune to stress and simply carry on unconsciously. When PMR hit, it was easy to look back and assess the situation and contributing factors with greater clarity. In my case, autoimmune disease was a slow burning fire...Epstein Barr, Bell’s Palsy, difficult marriage, demanding career and charity, family, overachiever good girl! It takes a toll without awareness. Then we stop 🛑, slow down and let the dust settle. New life, less pressure, requires more thoughtful decisions.

[j-e-a-n]

I had a lot of stress looking after my husband who had early onset Alzheimers and then after he died, new neighbours moved into next door and gutted the place, doing everything themselves. That was 3 years ago and they are still knocking and banging even now, and sometimes in the evening I have to have the TV on full blast to be able to hear it. It has been and still is sometimes, hell on earth.

[Angiejnz]

I guess it boils down to - we're not living like we were designed to. I see parallels in so many other areas eg families trying to bring up kids far away from their own support networks meaning kids being born into stress; we're not eating the food we're designed to eat causing stress to our health and well-being, people living in isolation not knowing their neighbours etc. Essentially we are designed to live in 'villages' so burdens, joys, practices get shared and support is always on hand and to be given. I think that's why this forum is so successful and why we defend it from attack - this is our talking village. Thoughts??

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Angiejnz]

Probably a very good point!

Why not post it as a new thread so more see it?

[survivalist]

In my case ( only for PMR at the moment ) I think maybe physical stress in my 60's. I used to carry 60 + concrete blocks up ladders in a session and move half a dozen wheelbarrows full of wet concrete. Had a very badly ruptured disc in my back as a result of a car crash breaking three vertebra and my sternum with partial paralysis and loss of sensation to the mid point of my body. Together with this I got Shingles and immediately the shingles started the PMR started. When the shingles died down I when onto Pred.

Unfortunately during all this I went full on, increasing the physical stress and fought like mad against any lack of ability to do what I wanted to do. My fanatical strong will being a great asset and my greatest enemy all at the same time. Its got me fully mobile again doing what I like but I fear at the cost of contracting PMR

[karools16]

At the onset of my GCA, I don't think it was stress, although, as a live-in carer, I travelled, by public transport, to many counties, to care for people with various forms of dementia.I think mine could be, that my dr took me off cortisone, which I had from childhood, for asthma. No tapering, just off. 3 months later GCA, whilst working. Horrific headache during night. Felt like head chopped open! End of working career.

[artfingers]

Yes, I agree that stress broke the camel's back in my case. I was going full tilt, teaching, volunteering for all kinds of things, raising twin sons, climbing mountains, hiking, running, body building and dealing with a Mom with Alzheimer's and caring for my Dad with a long lasting illness and then his death. I moved a very heavy boat and I think my body just said, Hey, that's it - you've reached the limit! I got PMR the next morning and spent 8 months or so trying to get it diagnosed. It slams you so hard you are forced to slow down that's for sure...and yes, I was predisposed to autoimmune as I already had lichen sclerosis, Hashimotos, and psoriasis (thankfully only as a child). I do like the analogy of the fire.

[Ricketts40]

All the replies to Blurry62 make very interesting reading. In 2017 I decided to wallpaper my lounge, a favourite pastime of mine. It took me a number of weeks during that lovely summer so no real stress. A blood test showed up that I was low in ferritin and vitamin D because my body wasn't processing the ability to absorb iron and vitamins. An endoscopy showed that I had ulcers. On seeing my GP re ulcers I happened to mention that my arms ached all the time and that I had put it down to the wallpapering, but my GP said no not the wallpapering, its all part of the illness PMG. I am on prednisole and also lansoprazole and have now over the past two weeks been diagnosed as having Barretts Oesophagus. The one thing I am definitely not happy about is that just after finishing my lounge I noticed at my Dr surgery a chance of having an injection for Shingles, so thought it a good idea for a 70 year old to get it done as I had newly born twin grandchildren and thought having it done would prevent any risk to myself. Over the last month I have seen on the internet that having the shingles injection CAN cause PMG to develop, so now I'm obviously wondering if all of my problems started due to my being over cautious about my health. Do GP's check on patient's requests for additional treatments to see if it is a safe procedure for their patient?. I do have an underactive thyroid which, according to the Merck website, would have excluded me from having the injection.

[Blurry62 in reply to Ricketts40]

Wowzers.... It's clear we have to be committed to self advocacy. I learned early in this GCA journey that I have to be hyper vigilant in regard to my own care. The doctors just aren't getting it done. Medical care is a huge money machine that is intended to keep on grinding... I'm sure they feel they don't have time to comb through our charts. We have to do the research. I personally don't mind researching my health conditions, treatments, and all the lifestyle factors that may influence them. People on this forum sound like they do the same. What is lacking is RESPECT from the our doctors: for the many hours of reading medical journals, listening to lectures, and the knowledge we have of our own bodies. There just has to be something we can do to change this!!!!