I have GCA and I am at 11mg for the third time. Before my last visit with my Rhumatoligist I suffered from a sever cold! My CRP level was 13 and I was advised to stay at 11mg because any infection or high stress could cause an increase in CRP. In addition, before the my last CRP only an hour had passed before the test and thus my question, "Will taking pred 3 hrs. before a blood test lower CRP blood level?". Here are the facts:
Prednisone is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and is then converted to its active metabolite prednisolone, by hydrogenation of the ketone group at position 11, in the liver. The preconversion biological half-life of prednisone is about 60 minutes.
Prednisolone is excreted in the urine as free and conjugated metabolites together with an appreciable proportion of unchanged prednisolone. Prednisolone has a usual plasma half-life of 2 to 4 hours."
Hi and welcome to the forum. I am a newbie with PMR but I do know what GCA is. I have no medical background but there are a few people who do and will be able to answer your question. They're probably all in the land of nod at present. Good luck on your journey. Pat
Hi if you have GCA you should have been put on 60mg coming down slowly 11 is not enough very suprised your Rhuemy didnt put you on 60 mg. I have had GCA twice now and both times straight to 60 mg
Hi do you have a cold feeling in your body , last night i thought i was having a reaction to some tablet the doctor gave me, my left leg came up in white wheals and then i had a cold feeling in my chest as anybody else had this
Hi cc23145, I'm sorry you lost me there! However, the only comment I can make is that your consultant is quite right never reduce, even if you feel great, if you have a cold or infection or some sort of bodily damage. Your body requires all its strength and resources to help keep GCA at bay and a reduction in preds could tip that delicate balance over the edge. In reply to teeny jeeny, I can safely assume that the 11mgs is a tapered down dosage and not the dosage your Dr has put you on?
all the best, christina
Hi pat, PMR and GCA are two very closely related auto immune conditions. Not everyone who has PMR will get GCA and vice versa, but we are at a greater risk of getting it. It is again treatable and again burns itself out but is not pleasant and the level of preds that you are prescribed can start as high as 60mgs although the normal is 40mgs. Because we are at a higher risk of developing GCA I suggest you look up the condition, it is always in the same section as PMR and make yourself familiar with the symptoms, which are headache from hell, terrible pain in jaw when eating, sensitive head and temples and difference in vision. Not all patients experience all these symptoms but the condition is classed as a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment especially if you are experiencing any vision difficulties. This condition if not treated can lead to permanent blindness so as a said look up the condition and familiarise yourself with all the symptoms. I am not medically qualified so members please put me right if any of the information is incorrect. All the best, christina.
oh pat sorry I missread your link. I thought you said that you didn't know what GCA was! Sorry. Christina
I wouldn't have thought the CRP would be lowered significantly by the pred in 3 hours - the protein is produced due to the inflammation present before the pred is taken - yes, the pred will start to reduce any inflammation but then the CRP will have to fall too and that too will have a different halflife. There is a lag before the ESR/CRP rises in the first place, CRP is quicker than ESR.
You don't give any indication of previous dose and time scale. Research has shown that there is still evidence of inflammation after 6 months of high dose pred (i.e. above 20mg) which suggests the course of inflammation reduction is longer than they had thought.
Hi Christina, no problem. We all make mistakes. I firmly believe I had undiagnosed GCA. My gp wanted me to go to A&E twice but I was too ill to sit 6 or 7 hours. I kept thinking it was neuralgia. One side of my head so painful, jaws couldn't open them properly, couldln't touch my head or hair. Horrific to say the least, but I hadn't told her about all the symptoms, I could barely walk with the undiagnosed PMR which I thought was my ME diagnosed 14 years ago. So not to worry Christina, your intentions were good. Pat
Some experts say 40mg is enough for any suspected GCA WITHOUT visual symptoms. 60mg is obviously far better if there are visual symptoms. Others feel that even more is required if there are visual symptoms. I suspect that the most important criterion is that the symptoms improve fast - and if they don't a bit more pred added.
cc23145 has had GCA 3 times - and is at 11mg for the third time - I don't think she was started at 11mg.