Eileen I believe I read recently on one of your posts that by the time a person reaches 20mg pred the GCA is gone....is that correct?
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Rapha, I've no doubt Eileen will be along to put this query straight! Until then ?? Regards, christina
No - not necessarily at all. I think you may be thinking of the research I've mentioned where even after 6 months at above doses of 20mg they found that there is still evidence of inflammation? Which is the opposite of what you are asking.
The GCA will only be gone if the dose has been high enough for long enough - and without doing imaging at present they cannot know that. The research I mentioned suggests that it is possible to look for neutrophils (one of the white blood cells in the blood) and that may be a way of monitoring the success of the treatment of GCA with prednisolone. At present they just reduce the dose and see if the symptoms return.
Thank you for clearing up my confusion Eileen...not hard to be confused at the moment with these black holes!!! I have just reduced from 22.5mg to 20mg for GCA/PMR so I guess slowly does it!
Absolutely rapha! Slowly, slowly, catchee monkey!!!!