What to do ?

[Fitch1]

Morning All, I have just reduced my steroids from 15mg to 7.50with my doctors say so ,with no pains coming back but have been having breathing problems and extreme tiredness,so have just had blood tests and chest x ray now to be told that my blood markers have risen and I have a enlarged heart will be having a scan . I do not know where I am left with this my doctor had no explanation as to why this is so ,do I now up the steroids or just sit and wait ,as it is just sitting I now cannot walk more than 50 yds. Help.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

Sorry to hear your news, but at least it’s been detected, some people don’t have obvious symptoms.

Has GP prescribed any blood pressure medication whilst you wait for scan, or given any advice (doesn’t sound like it from your comments).

I wouldn’t suggest you increase steroids as you don’t seem to have any issues with PMR at the moment.

This is info from BHF if you haven’t already seen it - bhf.org.uk/-/media/files/pu...

Sure others with more info will be along soon.

[Fitch1 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you for your reply I do take a low dose of blood pressure tablet

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I take it you didn't drop from 15 to 7.5 in one go?

Have you had any cardiac problems before?

mayoclinic.org/diseases-con...

I didn't have an enlarged heart but I did have some thickening of the wall of one ventricle - one cause of which is longer term raised BP. It has since improved. It turned out I have atrial fibrillation (many of us at this sort of age do) and mine had been caused by the autoimmune part of PMR having damaged the electrical cells that govern heart rate so they sometimes fire too quickly or irregularly. I had had palpitations now and again but the GP couldn't find anything (he couldn't diagnose PMR either) and I realised once the a/f was treated that they had become far less. Often doctors will blame pred (it is a listed side effect) but I had them long before I ever started pred and they had started about the same time as the PMR symptoms started to appear.

[Fitch1 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for your reply , I dropped gradually from 15-7.50 Pred with no prblem

[piglette]

I should listen to your doctor’s advice. A symptom of an enlarged heart is breathlessness. Your scan should tell what the problem is. What sort of scan is it?