Please can someone remind me about the possible interactions between PMR, Pred and the thyroid gland.

[Hildalew]

Or tell me where to look for some authoritative information on this topic? Some mornings, while I am slowly getting myself up and persuading myself today is going to be good, the area of my neck below my jaw line, tells me it's there - it kind-of feels a little bit swollen, isn't painful in itself, but does make turning my head less easy. The feeling of swelling disappears quite quickly and head-turning returns to normal at some point in the day.

The neck 'thing' was happening long, long before PMR was diagnosed but not as frequently.

I'd like to do a bit more reading about the thyroid - PMR relationship and possible Pred influence - but haven't so far found anything readable.

(I'm on 4.5mg/4mg of Pred having got to 2.5mg in 3 and a bit years and then having my first flare. Getting back to 2.5mg is going well so far.)

[jinasc]

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/709...

This might help, but I suggest you talk to your GP, you can sometimes have some other autoimmune illness.

Hopefully not, but you really need to talk to your GP.

Others will be along who know more than I do.

[Hildalew in reply to jinasc]

Thank you for the link. Looks very promising for the kind of info I am looking for.

[SheffieldJane]

I have had Graves Disease ( thyroid) since the 80’s no doctor was particularly interested in this fact when I was diagnosed with PMR/LVV and GCA. I have a feeling that it could impact on your requirements for Levothyroxine, if you take it. Ensure that you have a thyroid function blood test. I still have one annually. Come to think of it, my Endocrinologist was a bit interested when he was treating me for Adrenal issues.I have had a swollen neck which is part of the effects of Prednisalone causing fat deposits in odd places. At its height I was aware of it and felt as if it might be impeding my breathing, and turning. It subsides on the lower doses. I hope this helps a bit.

[Hildalew in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thank you. It has never occurred to me to take a thyroid function blood test! Not sure I'm ready to open another can of worms! I WILL read up on thyroid conditions though.

[Carriemetz]

Hi - I’m no expert but I have had an underactive thyroid, since 1991 after an episode in my twenties (1966) of the swollen neck etc that indicates an over-active thyroid with all the symptoms that went with that (nervous agitation, sweats, weight loss etc) This, I understand, is a common pattern of thyroid disease. Hyper-or hypothyroidism is of course, like PMR/GCA an auto-immune disease.

For many years I took levothyroxine in the appropriate dose to correct the deficiency and felt and was very well.

In 2014 began years of stress re a beloved brother who developed dementia, and whose affairs my sister and I took over when his wife deserted him.

In 2019, I had some of the classic signs of GCA - flu like illness over many weeks, double vision and jaw claudication. Since diagnosis in March 2019 I have been on the miraculous, double-edged medication that is prednisolone, as well as levothyroxine.

I an convinced that the two autoimmune disease are connected - but of course there is little if any research to confirm this.

It seems to me that your symptoms at the moment suggest a thyroid problem. If u have difficulty in swallowing, then almost certainly this is the case. Please see yr gp and request a thyroid function test asap. Good luck.