Swollen artery

[Kkeepsgoing2]

Can someone give me some guidance? I am not yet diagnosed as the dr’s say I’m too young & all of my labs & imaging have been normal. But my symptoms feels concerning. The artery in my left temple pops up & gets hard for a period of time (minutes to maybe an hour) & goes back to normal. Now this is happening on my left side which never used to happen. I also have pain behind my ears & my scalps hurts but not just to touch, it just hurts. Any ideas?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Despite the fact that it’s been discounted on age ground - apart from one doctor who was suspicious of GCA (according to one of your replies on previous post, if I read it correctly) - it does ring alarm bells.

Not saying it is GCA, but think you definitely need further investigation - there is obviously something amiss.

Please make a nuisance of yourself and get some answers.

[SheffieldJane]

You really ought to be having all kinds of scans to get to the bottom of this. I wish doctors weren’t so blinkered about age on each end of the spectrum. A head MRI would be a good place to start and an inquisitive doctor, perhaps a neurologist. Good luck!

PS. Try not to join up the dots yourself via the Internet, stick to your symptoms. I have learned that it is more effective with my doctors.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It is suspicious - especially the ear and scalp pain. But as we said before - all you can do is be persistent, preferably with the doctor who was suspicious and hope he will get more interested. They have a thing about age - omitting to read the medical literature that says that while it is very unusual in under 50s it does happen and must be borne in mind. GCA has even been found in a couple of paediatric cases and are reported in the medical literature.

Not in the literature but reported in the print media was a case of a man in his 30s who died of a stroke - found at post mortem examination to be due to GCA. Needless to say - google refuses to find it for me! It does happen - but you have to find someone broadminded enough to consider it.

[HeronNS in reply to PMRpro]

There's something odd about google recently. i can't find anything. It's as though because I looked for one thing and now want to check something similar but NOT THE SAME THING I FOUND BEFORE (I've already found it, moving on), google decides I want the same thing and gives me endless riffs on that.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to HeronNS]

Yup - same for me today. Seriously irritating - like when I type in what I want, they ask "did you mean ..." - no I didn't ...

[Phed]

I agree with Dorset Lady, push for answers I saw 7 Doctors in 3 weeks before I was finally diagnosed with GCA.