Hair?

[Constance13]

For the last three days every time I get up I feel dizzy. Pmr stable, arthritis behaving itself - hair in an absolute mess - so I thought I'd put curlers in (for the first time in years) just to see if I feel better. Took a photo of myself to remind me. Can you understand that nearly everyone I meet says "you DO look well". (??)

[MrsNails]

You’re looking great Constance, the curlers have tamed the tight curls! 🧑🏻‍🦳 Love It!

Take your time when you stand up, you may have a bit of Vertigo or your BP might be dropping a touch, there is something called Postural Hypertension do you have a BP Monitor? As then you could check it yourself to see if there’s a sudden drop?

Take It Easy if it continues you need to check in with your GP.

MrsN x

[Constance13 in reply to MrsNails]

Thanks Angela. Best take my BP again - I haven't for a few days.

[MrsNails in reply to Constance13]

Take your BP while you’re sitting & resting, leave the cuff on, wait a few minutes then stand up slowly & check it again.

Worth checking both arms.....

[Theziggy in reply to MrsNails]

Resting for at least 15 minutes!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Ditto to everything MrsN said!

What a lovely photograph - and such a clever idea!

[Marymon]

They have worked, your lovely smiling face topped by chic hair.

I found my hair became wayward after a taper.

On 2.5 now so it’s better behaved.

[Tahiri in reply to Marymon]

Lucky you - mine has been falling out as I taper. I got down to 6mg and had to increase after a flare. I’m down to 8mg and taking this taper very slowly . When I get to 7mg I’ve been advised to only go down by 1/2 mg every 6 weeks. Hopefully will have more success this time. The fatigue is overwhelming...

[piglette]

Do you think you have postural hypotension? Or could be BPPV, which is a disorder of the inner ear’s peripheral vestibular system. It is probably worth talking to your doctor about the problem.

[Constance13 in reply to piglette]

Ears are OK - had them checked recently. BP quite often dodgy - seems to fall for now apparent reason.

[piglette in reply to Constance13]

Possibly postural hypertension. As I said it is worth checking with your doctor. You can get dizziness from when your adrenal glands are waking up too.

[tangocharlie in reply to piglette]

Was about to say, I got that when I had adrenal problems

[123-go]

Hi Constance. I had a couple of dizzy spells a couple of weeks ago but all settled down now. About a week beforehand I had the flu jab and wondered if there might be a connection. If, as Piglette said, it could be due to the adrenals waking up- I'll take that!

Hope you're ok.

[Rache]

Hair looking good! Nicely composed photo too 🖼

[tangocharlie]

You do look well! Please tell me your wonderful youthful appearance is due to a wild life well lived or coffee and kuchen and not 'everything in moderation' LOL x

[Constance13 in reply to tangocharlie]

Coffee & cake no problem - neither is chocolate, ice cream etc etc. I was one of the very few people who lost weight with PMR. I can eat what I like, when I like (not that I am ever really hungry). I only look young on 'some' days I am sure I look 90 (instead of 81) on quite a few days.

[tangocharlie in reply to Constance13]

I hate you

[Constance13 in reply to tangocharlie]

😂😂😂

[S4ndy in reply to Constance13]

That's just so unfair ☕🍰🍨😋😃

[SheffieldJane]

You look charming. 🌹

[Louisa1840]

But don't you get tired of"You're looking so well!" Thank you pred for the chubby cheeks and few wrinkles......

Trouble is no one believes the PMR which can make us feel so rotten

I suppose it's preferable to "My word you do look ill...!"

[polyputthekettleon in reply to Louisa1840]

yes absolutley! Most people have never even heard of PMR.

[polyputthekettleon]

I would far rather have curls and unruly hair than the way my hair has gone so thin and fine, like candyfloss, only this last 6 months tho. You people with curls are so lucky !

[Constance13 in reply to polyputthekettleon]

I have had very straight fine hair all

my life!! I took the photo because it was so 'different'. It was really annoying me as it kept getting into my eyes so, as I said' (I managed to dig out some curlers and thought I'd give it a go) - that was the result.😂 I'll definitely be using them again.

[Flutterbies57 in reply to Constance13]

Lovely to actually see you Constance, looking so good.

[Constance13 in reply to Flutterbies57]

That's why I love it when people put a photo on their avatar - it's great to 'see' the person you are writing to - makes them feel more like friends.😊I usually pop their avatar before I reply.

Not everyone likes to put photos up (of themselves) my husband hates it when our daughter shows a photo of him/us on facebook - even though it only goes to selected people. Of course 'privacy' is important - I appreciate that.

[Flutterbies57 in reply to Constance13]

I will do that in a couple of months. Have just had an eye operation and look scary at the moment. Loved your other photo

[MsDirecto in reply to polyputthekettleon]

Hello PolyP- I sympathize with your hair challenge. My hair was already thinning before I started on Prednisone (GCA) in February this year. I have had to keep coloring it for years because it is so fine and thin on top that if I let the white grow out you can see my scalp. My mother was the same way and it was not attractive. Then we went into lockdown in March (I live in California), so couldn't get to the hairdresser for color or cut for 4 months. Between the almost bald patch running from the front of my head, surrounded by white grow-out, I looked like I was a striped skunk. The easy solution for me was buying a wig. (The owner of a professional wig salon saw individual clients privately.) Synthetic hair but hand-tied, and it looks so real that people honestly don't know until I tell them. By not going to the hairdresser for 4 months, I saved enough money that I could have bought 2 wigs. Now dealing with my hair is SO easy! plus my hair looks good every day without fuss.

[Fieldofdreams in reply to MsDirecto]

celebrating the wigs with you MsDirecto. I had lovely long blonde bouncy hair and after 2 yrs on Pred and 6 m ths on Metheterexate I have thinning hair which I cant colour and have gone through the skunk look until I bought 2 wigs. So many compliments on my new lookk - I bought a short snappy style - some close friends know but others just think I have had a mid life crisis. I still have a few strands of long hair left as I cant bear to be short. Long hair is my identity somehow (x dancer) and wore it up in many styles but at least I can look ok when I wig up and make up on lol. Good job I live alone though as without wig and 'slap' (make up) I look 108. Rock on our wigs. C xx

[Dambusters]

I had mine cut very short because of the threatened lock in, which is SUPPOSED to be now.

I will try curlers when it's longer; yours looks lovely. We have the same mirror as the one behind you

DR. put my dizziness down to getting up too quickly - I do have a sinus problem.

[Constance13 in reply to Dambusters]

Yes, that's English (the mirror) - most of the rest is German.

[Fieldofdreams]

Constance you look AMAZING! such vitality. you are an inspiration to all of us. xx

[Constance13 in reply to Fieldofdreams]

👵🏻💥🍾🍸🤪

[York54]

You look lovely x🌺🌺🌺

[polyputthekettleon]

wow, what can I say, except that sounds like a really good idea. Have you ever tried taking folic acid? My hair also used to grow really fast, but now this last 6 months grows hardly at all. Still, saves on getting my roots done I suppose!

[Constance13 in reply to polyputthekettleon]

Don't know if that post is for me, but I do take folic acid.

[maria40]

Do take care Constance. I had this for about a week until I collapsed and fell very awkwardly, hurting the base of my spine. I went to A&E, had bloods taken, ECG, and blood pressure tested and they could find nothing that had caused the fall but the dizziness is still there. But I usually need a longer ECG to reveal anything meaningful.

I'm now being very cautious and keeping a stick within reach at all times. The young doctor at A&E reminded me that at 80 I should go a little slower. I seem to remember that you're the same age so perhaps we do need to slow down a little.

You look very well though.

[Constance13]

I have been hospitalised three times in the last five years because of fainting in public places. I have had every test imaginable but they still haven't found out why I suddenly black out. Can't even put it down to old age.😂 Lockdown helps (!) because I can't go out of my 'comfort zone.

[granofthewest]

You look great Constance, rock on! I'm just drying my very fine, frizzy hair, always a nightmare. Embraced the grey during lockdown as couldn't stand the regrowth roots, so grew out the colour. Not sure I'm ready for a wig as well as a face mask! Take care with the dizziness.

[Constance13 in reply to granofthewest]

Wigs, face masks? I wonder what our parents/grandparents would think? 😂😂

[granofthewest]

Having endured 2 World wars I think they were made of stoical stuff and wouldn't have complained about their lot like I do!

[Constance13 in reply to granofthewest]

I thought the same as I wrote that. Why ever do we moan about anything? Our lives (well most of us) are charmed - with just a "niggely" illness (ie PMP - NOT GCA) to annoy our comfort. When I think what they had to go through.!?!

[Constance13 in reply to Constance13]

Actually that sounded rather harsh. PMR is a 'nasty' illness, but they had that too (although they didn't know what it was). All of it was just 'rheumatism' which you had to put up with - most 'old people', ie over 60, got it!?!

[Amkoffee]

You do look very nice. Can I suggest that you try the Epley maneuver which you can google and find out how to do. It often times helps with dizziness.

[Constance13 in reply to Amkoffee]

Thanks Amkoffee. I just looked that up but I have been tested for vertigo twice (with all the necessary movements) but that isn't what causes my dizziness. The only thing that came out of all the tests was that my BP 'plunges' for no apparent reason.

[Amkoffee in reply to Constance13]

Hmmm, that's not good. The Epley maneuver works if your dizziness is caused by a crystal in your ear shifting out of place. If this is not the cause of your dizziness it won't help of course. But what's the harm in giving it a try? It's not something you do all the time. I typically have to do it on each side two times and it lasts me for weeks and sometimes months.

[Flutterbies57 in reply to Constance13]

Does it only do that when you stand up ?

[greengages]

You look amazing Constance 😍

[Telian]

Lovely photo Constance, ‘you do look well’ I know you will mind me saying!

I’ve been suffering dizziness - only on waking- when I sit up to get out of bed I fall back on the pillow. I wait a little then try again and it does slowly improve. I had vertigo many years ago when the room would spin at a rate of knots and lasted for days - this is different.

Stood it for 4 days and GP diagnosed positional vertigo. He said it’s viral and something to do with the crystals in the inner ear. He gave me the Brandt Darrof exercises to do and they are helping. He said it is self limiting and will eventually improve. It is slowly improving but I also have intermittent raised BP. Not sure if it’s to do with the dizziness - doctor didn’t say.

Hope you start to feel better soon but I would see your GP.

[Luciejc]

Dizziness is a symptom of steroid withdrawal.

[Constance13 in reply to Luciejc]

Not with me it isn't- I don't withdraw!!

[KellyInTexas]

I wish you did feel as well and as lovely as you look...

[Constance13 in reply to KellyInTexas]

Thank you kind lady! 😊