Some of you may remember me from last year when I got married and questioned whether I should put my poor fiancé through the trauma of Polymyalgia . I am now on 60 mls every 2 months, reduced from 80. Sine reducing I am losing my hair, bruise easily and now can't remember words. Hey I am ex BBC journalist and I think quite intelligent. Lately I just can't remember words. My poor husband.
Sorry I forgot to say I went up to a much larger dose a few months ago when they diagnosed GCA thanks to Eileen. Now back on track. Believe it or not I had to search in the back of my brain for the word GCA
I have often thought that either PMR or Prednisolone brings forward conditions that we may have quietly creeping along in the background of our bodies everyday functions. Like cataracts..you wont get them unless you were going to get them anyway. Stomach problems, dicky heart and veins. The inflamation just agreavates these silent bombs.
I am glad my cataracts were speeded up and could be fixed without a long drawn out decline whereby they may have thought me too old to benefit at a later age. Although my hair is now recovering I actually have two lovely natural looking wigs for those bad days. I would not have even thought of that before.Now I feel confident I can age a little more gracefully. 
Hi Hilary, I do remember you. I don't know if it's the pred or PMR itself. I have a feeling it was the pred but I couldn't remember for example what I wanted out of the kitchen cupboard. I would be standing at the sink and need something from the cupboard but could not remember for the life of me what I was at the cupboard for. I would start to talk about something and then couldn't find the right word in a sentence to say. It was frightening for me. My mum had Dementia, and my grandmother also and yet I knew it wasn't Dementia. I found it so frustrating and wanted to cry many times. Yes I bruise very easily, I have the biggest bruise on the part between thumb and finger due to an acupuncture needle, and even though the needles were placed the Physio didn't manipulate them. Also I have always had fine hair so I cannot answer that one. Please don't be too hard on yourself. When I reduced my pred to a lower dose over time, my memory improved. I hope that helps and please take comfort that you are not alone with this. You take care. Regards Pat.
Hilary, high doses of pred mess with your head! I've been right up to 60mg and at 40 several times and I fear for my level of brain function sometimes.
I can't remember simple words, "thingy" features a lot in my vocabulary now.
I have to write things down or I forget, and I even forget when I've written it down. I used to be quick thinking, full on, busy, busy in my job, which I gave up a year ago. Now I find it hard enough to write a shopping list!
So, no, I doubt you are getting Alzheimer's, just pred brain in the extreme.
Hilary, I agree with Susanne, it's far more likely to be steroid brain fog, as we call it, rather than Alzheimer's. I remember well when being on 40mg just standing in the middle of the kitchen wondering what I was about to do! Rest assured it will get better.
Bruising, together with thinning skin, is a very common side effect of the Pred. Arnica is a great help - I got through mountains of it. It is essential to use plenty of moisturiser everywhere, and the best that I found was Double Base, available over-the-counter, and on prescription in some cases. Your skin will return to normal and the bruising will stop as you get to the lower Pred doses.
I went through a stage of worrying about my already fine hair which was coming out and blocking the plughole for a while. But it returned to normal as I got lower on the steroid dose.
I hope this helps to reassure you that better days are to come even if there are a few bends in the road on the way.
Hilary, I may not have ever been an ex BBC journalist but I was a broadcast journalist for many independent and KM radio stations so I do understand how frustrating it is to have once broadcast live when covering election nights to now as you say talk in terms of thingy me gigies.I forget all sorts of words and often mid flow I have to picture the thing I'm talking about in my head then the word of the thing I'm thinking of comes in my mind. I simply laugh up off. I also bruise very quickly too and the bruises last much longer. Roll on remission if I'm one of the lucky ones to get there. Regards, tina
Oh thank you. Just as I how feel. I had an afternoon programme on BBC Radio Kent covering all sorts off issues from drugs to domestic violence to a whole range of controversial subjects. Thank you for saying hello. I'll get there. Bruises and memory will improve I hope given your experience x
Hilary, many years ago I visited bbc radio Kent in tunbridge wells as my friend had just had a book published and he was chatting about it in the afternoon show. The slot you seem to have once had. I remember I took along a mini disc and asked the shows producer to record my friends interview. The interview was great but when I arrived back at the Canterbury station studio I was working at at the time to transfer the recording to a cd, the mini disc was empty the silly producer obviously forgot to press the record button! So my poor friend never did get to hear his interview. However, I also interviewed him for our lunchtime extended news programme, he interviewed really well, and this time he did get a copy of his interview! Regards, tina
How long ago was that? Who was the presenter? Gosh I hope it wasn't me or one of my producers. X
Hi hilary, it was 2004 and my friend is called Ed Pearce and his book is called food for thought. I don't think it was you because Hilary as a name doesn't ring a bell. Regards, tina
Aww thank you. Feeling low right now x
Thank you. Thingy is going to be my favourite word from now on xx
I'm so glad. I went there in 2008. Phew not me then. I know the name Ed Pearce
I like the bit about picturing it in your head. I have a friend who also has PMR and we manage to understand each other really well. We use hand signals, descriptions and finish each other's conversation if necessary. My OH, if he comes in to the room and lingers just shakes his head and says that he can't understand what we are talking about. We assure him that we do for which he is relieved. Our conversations are not all unintelligible to others.....just in parts...... sometimes. You are not alone.
My lovely husband is Spanish . I have been learning the language for a year. Today I spent three hours trying to learn the past tense and brush up on my vocabulary . We are off to Madrid next week to see the family. I can't remember a thing. Was ok a few months ago x
Don't worry about it. It's par for the course. I have learnt to let it go and not stress about it. I found my concentration was terrible for a while but it has returned and my memory has improved so it will get better. Enjoy Madrid.
Google steroid dementia. It took me 2.5 yrs to get off prednisone. I have been at 0mg for about a month. I am improving and not reaching for words. I have read that it could take as much as a year for SD symptoms to go away.
I'm 52 and working full time with a brain like a seive!! I forget the most innane words at times, and can't remember what I'm doing half the time.
I know it's the pred!
So that explains why I sometimes reach for a very obvious word and can't find it. One day i needed a word that wasn't velour. Of course several hours later I knew I had wanted velvet. So that could be SD and temporary? 😁