Aorta?

[twriller]

After being on 80 mg for a while for GCA probably 10 days on now back to 60 because I didn't notice a lot of difference and I had my eyes checked and they were okay and I'm just so afraid of that high a dose. Meanwhile I slipped in my kitchen and fell on my butt hard and now I have a compression fracture, L3 which being on high prednisone is not going to help with the healing . It was not osteoporosis or anything it was definitely from the fall. I'm taking one oxycodone a day and the rest of the day Advil for this pain. They said it could take up to 6 weeks to heal, my just what I needed and I'm still having some pain in my temples. I see the rheumatologist next week and we'll see to go from there.

I have been reading so much about this GCA and wondered what do any of you that have it do to keep a watch on your aorta?

[SnazzyD]

Oh dear, that’s the last thing you need. In all the 2.5 years since diagnosis with GCA I’ve never had any mention of my aorta. It has always been a nagging doubt because of what I’ve read too. My PET scan was negative but then I’d been on Pred for 3 weeks with good relief of symptoms so it was no reassurance. I have been meaning to ask but it appears they’ve discharged me because I’ve got to 3mg 🙄. Now where’s that phone.....

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The current recommendation is for a chest x-ray every couple of years - but it is something your rheumatologist should be covering. Discuss it with them.

Sorry about the sore bum - something I have escaped so far in life but I know how painful a bruised/fractured coccyx is.

[SheffieldJane]

Make notes of you main anxieties for your Rheumatologist appointment. It is for your doctors to monitor your health and reassure you that they are doing so and their thinking behind it.

I am really sorry about your injury, it’s just piled on misery. Take plenty of rest and divert yourself if you can.

[jinasc]

The high dose of pred has probably saved your sight. That is the most important thing at present and you need to get the inflammation under control. You should not be afraid of the high dose.

You mention you still have temple pain.............did that come after you had dropped your dose from 80mg and did you do that yourself, or did the Consultant advise you to drop the dose?

You might like to read the BSR Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Treatment of GCA, pmrgca.co.uk/content/resear... guidelines.

I am sorry for the fall/slip...........were you wearing slippers?

Me, GCA for 5 years and 8th in remission.

[twriller in reply to jinasc]

I still had some Temple pain on 80 but now it's 60 seems a little more however everything is all jangled up together because I take one Oxy during the day and I don't know if that's helping with the temple pain but it definitely comes more in the evening even before I was on the oxycodone. My rheumatologist even suggested maybe I need to see the surgeon that did the biopsy because maybe it's residual pain or effects from that because it is still swollen down the side of my face. I see my rheumatologist next Wednesday and believe me we have a lot to discuss!

Just saw my biopsy report posted online in my records and it has 1.8 in long so I'm still not even sure how they did that did they take that big of a section out and then sew it back together or is that just a slice down the side of it and then they sewed it together I don't know so I probably should speak to the surgeon. I never met him before or after the surgery. This was all arranged on the phone and I just saw him at the hospital and he said I didn't need to come see him again. But maybe I do to ask these questions.

[suzy1959]

Ouch! Try not to worry about the Pred. affecting your healing. Although you are on a higher dose (I'm on 11mgs) I have had 3 replacement surgeries and have healed very well and in the normal time frame with all of them. I have been told the Pred. puts me at a higher risk for infection, bleeding and healing, but all has been OK so far, so problems are not inevitable.