Diagnosed GCA Jan 2018 tapered Pred down to,2mg. Suffered severe pain I thought due to withdrawal. Now diagnosed needing total hip replacement? No History of joint pain before Preds.Rheumy says I must have had osteoarthritis and not known it! But I think this must be due to the Preds?
Not necessarily at all - your rheumy could be absolutely correct. But basically all the pred does is speed things up even if it were the case. It would probably have appeared anyway sooner or later. But at least it is curable - unlike PMR!!
What do they base their diagnosis on?
I have developed severe OA in hips and knees since having PMR. Have already had new hip and new knee and now really need the other knee done. I have been really immobile for the last 3 plus years and hoping to get some life back after next knee op !
Hi I can utterly sympathies with you I have had PMR for coming up 4 years. I also have been practically imobile ,getting more things wrong and am waiting hip replacement. It is either due to PMR or I was going to get it anyway. I have had one holiday in this time and it does get you down. It could be worse. My neighbour has cancer and I think how lucky I am not to get that. Best wishes and keep positive.
I had diagnosed OA long before GCA and Pred came into the scene.
Can’t say whether Pred made it escalate any quicker or not, but would agree with your Rheumy yours was probably there already.
But as PMRpro rightly says, it can successfully be sorted.
Don’t blame everything on Pred!
Arthritic before pred. Needed knee replacement three years after PMR diagnosis. Don’t think it’s related tbh.
Hip replacement and steroids
Hip/Knee replacements and polymyalgia 
Hip replacement
