head pain

[Shaza123]

hi just wondering if anyone else has these symptoms, my head is so tender to touch and my face especially my forehead. I have awful head pain that comes and go for the last three days it’s horrible any advice please it’s frightening.

Thank you

[SnazzyD]

Hello, do you have any other symptoms at all? How quickly did it come on? How are things generally? What do painkillers do? Any fever or feeling shivery?

[Shaza123 in reply to SnazzyD]

thank you for replying , I’ve no fever or shivers just pain on my scalp and face and strange pains in my head. I’m on 13 mg pred and methotrexate. Just taken some paracetamol and it’s helped head pain a little.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It is difficult to say without more info - but you do have to bear in mind that a new severe headache COULD be a sign of GCA developing. If that were the case you would need medical advice asap. Tell us more.

[Shaza123 in reply to PMRpro]

thank you replying I have to say I’m getting nervous of ruining tge doc as I get worried she will think I’m being dramatic,but if I’m no better by Monday I may ring them. I had a biopsy for GCA last year but I’d already been on 50 mg pred for three weeks before hand. I’ve read that some opinions are that I’d been on the pred by then too long for a positive result but not sure what to think.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Shaza123]

The biopsy is NOT conclusive even when you have it done without having been on pred and to put you on pred at 50mg they obviously thought there was a chance it was GCA..

You have no symptoms at all otherwise? Not even a tired jaw when chewing? If you do develop andy such jaw pain or any visual symptoms, don't wait for Monday, get to the ED asap or at the very least the UES if it is in the daytime - make sure you have the details to hand. If they aren't open - off to A&E.

primaryeyecare.co.uk/servic...

[Shaza123 in reply to PMRpro]

thank you for your advice 👍

[Shaza123 in reply to PMRpro]

I’m on methotrexate and 13 mg pred will that keep me safe

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Shaza123]

Not if it’s GCA - so as PMRpro has advised if you get any of the symptom she mentioned then you need medical attention.

[Shaza123 in reply to DorsetLady]

thank you for your reply very much appreciated from all fellow sufferers

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Shaza123]

If the symptoms are breaking through - no guarantees.

[Hidden]

My doctor advised me to go to A and E if I had bad head pains, because of the fear of GCA. Better to be safe than sorry, don't worry about overreacting, it won't do any harm to get it checked out.

[Broseley]

Agree with Bluepuddy. It's not worth risking your eyesight, even if it does mean a long wait in A&E!

[Purpleazalia]

I have PMR and went for an appointment with an optician this week. I paid extra for an eye scan because I hoped it might pick up on any sign of developing GCA-type indicators - so this is what I asked about when she told me that everything looked fine on the scan.

The optician didn't say whether or not the scan could have identified GCA indicators, but what she did say was

'...if you're thinking 'is it or isn't it' then it probably isn't, but if you're thinking 'this pain is so bad, there must be something wrong' then it's time to get it checked out...'

If you don't want to present yourself at A&E, why don't you ring 111 for advice.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Purpleazalia]

There are no pointers that forecast anything - but the appearance of the optic disc on the retina can show if there is compromised blood flow to the optic nerve. GCA is one of the reasons for that.

[Purpleazalia in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you for explaining. It's good to know what they would be looking for, and that the optician would have identified it during a normal eye examination.

I was over worrying because of all I read on here and the appearance of regular headaches - which turned out to be eye strain and a need for a new prescription!

[ncfaaeos]

In September/October 2021 had terrible head pain for about 3 weeks and a slight fever. I had been off Prednisolone for PMR for around 10 months and was afraid that I had developed GCA. Four visits to the Emergency did not reveal that I had GCA and my headaches disappeared. However, my low-grade fever persisted. In February 2022, my temperature shot up owing to pneumonia and a UTI and I was hospitalized for 8 days. Towards the end of my stay, since I still had a slight temperature and a very small tender patch on my scalp, one of the doctors - having read my journal - felt that I should be tested again for GCA (by ultrasound). This showed that I did indeed have GCA and I was started on Prednisolone again. I am on a very low dose at the moment, reducing every 5 weeks, and should be "out of it" by the end of June (fingers crossed).