Is an intravenous, high dose of steroids given intermittently to accelerate the therapeutic efficacy and to decrease the side effects of long term steroids.
I had to look it up. I was aware of the treatment at the onset of GCA or at the start of a GCA flare but not the term “ pulse therapy”.
This treatment has the greatest chance of safeguarding eyesight in the above circumstances.
I know it’s used where the risk of sight loss is high but whether it helps the side effects when decreasing I don’t know. It didn’t work for my neighbour. Think Pro will have a more scientific answer
This was lifted from google and I am not sure what was meant by that. I still remember Mellisa’s vivid description of what very high dose Prednisalone feels like. Clearly not firing on both engines today. Currently delaying my Tocilizumab subcutaneous injection until Monday and experiencing a gathering headache. Glad that PMRPro was there to catch me and I wish, wish, wish I could glean more from scientific papers. I really should have listened Miss Freer! (science teacher).
You’re obviously not well, you might be worrying because you’re delaying your TCZ! Get plenty of rest and if you don’t pick up after Monday call Sarah’s Sec or nurse hotline.
This discusses use at outset, and trials past/ongoing are trying to ascertain if it means less Pred is required overall - but from what I glean that’s not conclusive -
emedicine.medscape.com/arti...
Thanks for sending this. I did have to join to access the article - aimed at medics but very accessible.
Is this a well known thing?? I always envisage trying to tell them what to do if something happened. Maybe my experience of medics is not great, which is worrying at times. A lady in the radio a while ago had an adrenal crisis (addisons) and the a&e doc hadnt a clue!!
It is called a pulse therapy because it is 3 high dose infusions on subsequent days - and in GCA it is only used right at the start to bring the inflammation down really quickly and reduce the risk of loss of sight. Even then, it takes 5 days to get there according to this
frontiersin.org/articles/10...
"Pulse steroid therapy is a concept with a high daily dose of intravenous steroids over a short span of time (usually 1–5 days) and several regimens have been described. Doses of each pulse are not standardized but are usually 5–20 mg/kg for methylprednisolone (250–1000 mg).Au"
That’s far clearer. Thank you!
When I had my first post with her pee in August of 2019 which was prednisone the ER doctor made the mistake giving me 100 milligrams on the first two days and I didn't get 1000 mg until the third day. My left eye was already gone and I'm not sure how much good for my right eye?? The right eye is at full capacity so it may have served a purpose. I was still having very strong symptoms in and so they did the pulse therapy with the appropriate measurement but with methylprednisolone. Onward and downward...😻
Interesting, appalling that they got it wrong at first.
GCA
Risk of PMR to GCA
GCA/PMR and spa treatments
GCA OR STIFFNESS FROM PMR
GCA relapse?
