PMR Diagnosis

[LRevell]

I have GCA but now wondering if I have PMR. How do you get a diagnosis of PMR blood tests?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Same way as you get blood tests for GCA - ask your doctor… but as you are already on Pred it may not show anything significant. and why do you think you have PMR?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DorsetLady]

She is on Actemra so it won't show anything!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

Waste of time then really….

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DorsetLady]

Exactly.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I see you are on Actemra - there is no point doing the usual sed rate and CRP blood markers as the way Actemra works reduces them to zero. Actemra is also effective in PMR but I imagine that the same applies for PMR as for GCA: half of patients have other mechanisms at work creating the inflammation which aren't controlled by Actemra. If you have any GCA or PMR symptoms it is possible this applies to you and you also need some pred.

You asked about the possibility of a flare of GCA a month ago - is this related to how you felt then?