Does pmr/gca bring on heart problems

[Fifelassieo]

Is this just a coincidence, noticed quite a lot of people have this.

[Hidden]

Hi fifelassie, I don't have enough knowledge to fully answer this. But this thread, especially pmrpro description of the relationship between PMR/GCA/lvv, might help. I know atrial fibrillation can be a PMR add on.

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Hidden]

And this may help you too.

vasculitisfoundation.org/ed...

[Fifelassieo in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, interesting read

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I don't think it is coincidence - I'm pretty sure there is a link to certain things at least but cardios and rhemies don't seem to want to speak to one another about it. It is known there is a link in RA and other autoimmune disorders - so why not in PMR/GCA? As I wrote in another reply recently - I am also sure that if all of us had a PET scan as standard for diagnosis of PMR, the incidence of extra-cranial GCA/large vessel vasculitis would be found to be far higher. And since that brings the disease activity far closer to the heart - arrythmias could be a logical result.

I had what must have been a/f episodes right from the start of PMR symptoms. "It's your age" they said. Then it was "It's the pred" they said. Last year I got as far as "It's the vasculitis" they said - take more pred. No sign of what I was complaining about on the 24 hour ECG trace. Typical.

And then a few weeks ago I fainted, hitting my head and wrecking my knee as evidenced by the bruises, luckily at home but even so it could have been so much worse had I been on stairs or driving. The ECG was sending the medical staff loopy: up to 7 seconds of pauses! Several one after the other at times. Result: pacemaker. Something I suspect should have been thought about long ago.

When you have palpitations or the like - do NOT accept the evasive "it's the pred" standard response. It might not be. But I have no idea where we start to get it taken seriously.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Anyone would think the vascular system not connected to the heart/lungs/brain etc.

[Fifelassieo in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks, just starting to learn what all this disease is about, great site for information, really appreciate what you all do

[HeronNS]

Oddly enough I went through a long period of time with what I referred to as a "skippy" heartbeat. Initially many years ago I described it to my doctor as feeling as though there was a bird in my chest. The doctor I had then had no hesitation sending me for some sort of test involving wires and walking and I don't remember what. My current doctor when I mentioned similar (but by then post PMR/pred more serious) symptoms checked my pulse and said she wasn't worried about it. The former test, btw, had shown nothing. And then I met a woman who in connection with another problem I mentioned (waking up every morning with a headache) suggested I was salt deficient. Considering I'd removed the salt shaker from the table decades ago and always reduced salt in recipes and didn't eat out nor bought prepared foods much this actually made sense. And I found literally overnight that with more salt the headaches vanished - and in short order so did the "skippy" heartbeat. No, I cannot explain this. But it's my understanding that pred can affect our electrolytes, of which salt is one. It appears whatever it was didn't cause permanent damage so I assume I've been lucky and it was something relatively harmless.

[Fifelassieo]

Thanks