OH was diagnosed PMR+GCA June 2098; prior to that he'd had various joint limitations and pains which he attributed to post-traumatic OA from various motorbike andcar accidents plus heavy duty work over the years from teens to retirement.
Then in September 2012 I had a stroke - obviously stress all round.
The joint pains and limited range of movment continued to be attributed to the OA.
Would not visit GP (his mother had died i hospital in head traction early 1970s diagnosed RA for some years). Wasi RA.
Eventually when he was having severe problems standing from chair (much scuffling) and eventually pain on chewing and sore scalp i made a GP appointment for him. He went; she thought probably PMR/TA and took bloods.
Pone call next day go to surgery: told to get to Rapid Assessment Unit as fast as possible without breaking speed limit.
Discharged after 3 days with diagnosis as above.
Stress, heriditary or"just happened" - no real indication.
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Nuff1
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This survey has been running for many years, it makes interesting reading and you can also fill it in. They also have an ongoing update of results so far.
Not hereditary in the true sense - just the ancestral gene pool makes it more likely if there are loads of Scandinavians involved. And mum and son will share the same. Environmental causes are also thought to be implicated - and often parent and child have a long and common history there too. Occasionally husbands and wives develop PMR/GCA at a similar time - or there are other clusters of several cases in a limited area or time and that might suggest a local chemical or infectious agent involvement.
But generally it is accepted there is no single causative agent - just little drops of water and little grains of sand of all sorts whose effects all eventually get together, push the immune system over the edge and form a land. Only in the case of PMR/GCA, not such a pleasant one.
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The lesser of two evils, Prednisone vs Naproxen? 
How to avoid stress when moving!!
Does stress affect PMR?
Inflammatory arthritis 
