CPAPtalk.com

An update to my friends,
I finished the prednisone a month or so ago and the headaches are better but I still have low grade fever (99.0-100.4) and chills,body aches and fatigue.
I have been to several dr's and done chest x-rays and c-t scan's of everything,and they can't find anything!
Temporal arteritis,spinal menengitis,and most everything they have thought about testing for has been ruled out.
Don't get me wrong,I am so glad they decided I don't have these things but I wish I could know where this fever is coming from,and I sure would like to feel better.
Sorry it's been a while since i gave an update,but I have been so busy going to dr's and feeling bad when I was home.
I don't know where to go from here,drs are puzzled,so I guess I'll just keep taking tylenol and praying that it will go away.
GOD BLESS YOU all!

sister wrote:...
Sorry it's been a while since i gave an update,but I have been so busy going to dr's and feeling bad when I was home.
I don't know where to go from here,drs are puzzled,so I guess I'll just keep taking tylenol and praying that it will go away.
GOD BLESS YOU all!

How much sugar is there in your diet?

Hi,
thanks for the reply Dreamdiver,there is no sugar in my diet,I am on a low cholesterol diet and have cut out all sugar.I do drink diet,no caffeine coke but that's about it besides lots of water.

sister wrote:Hi,
thanks for the reply Dreamdiver,there is no sugar in my diet,I am on a low cholesterol diet and have cut out all sugar.I do drink diet,no caffeine coke but that's about it besides lots of water.

Have you considered finding an internist with a more holistic approach? A cross between Dr. Weil and 'Dr. House'?

well friends,it's been 4 months now since my headaches,body aches, chills and fever began. i am better,but still have the body aches,chills and fever most days,late in the afternoon.now, the terrible headache is gone but I have severe pain in the head and pressure when I bend down!
I don't understand,I thought at first it must be a sinus infection so I saw my allergy Dr.He assured me that I did not have a sinus infection and everything on exam looked normal.
To make sure that it wasn't temporal areritis I saw my eye Dr.who did a complete eye exam and assured me that I did not have temporal areritis.
I felt better when left there but the headache still continues when I try to bend down.

now,I tapered off the prednisone and finished it on 4-5-2011.I was on 20mg. 3 times a day.since 2-26-2011. it is such a horrible drug,i was so glad to come off of it.
today, i still have the problems,even though they are better,(i'm thankful for that,) I have a new problem that I am so very upset about.

my hair is coming out! i have always been blessed with thick hair,people have always commented on the fact of how thick it was.
i can hardly cover the spots to go to church now! i am just sick about it.i have been depressed so bad,haven't even wanted to put an update on the forum.
i need a shoulder to lean on,can you imagine the agony of watching your hair come out. i hope not!

I pray to GOD all the time to help me through this,thanks so much to all of you for listening.

betty

Has your doctor mentioned polymyalgia rheumatica? Seems like you were better with the prednisone and then get worse again without it. If nobody has mentioned it - ask a doctor - if possible find a rheumatologist. While a lot of people with PR also have temporal arteritis, not everyone does. My mother had the biopsy and didn't have TA.
Praying that you find answers.

sister wrote:my hair is coming out! i have always been blessed with thick hair,people have always commented on the fact of how thick it was.
i can hardly cover the spots to go to church now! i am just sick about it.i have been depressed so bad,haven't even wanted to put an update on the forum.
i need a shoulder to lean on,can you imagine the agony of watching your hair come out. i hope not!

Get a wig, if it makes you feel better. Seriously. There was sort of a stigma about wigs when I was a kid, but that's long gone.

Of course, wigs do cost money.

Sister, I'm so sorry that you've been having these difficulties. I hope that they find the cause and that there is an effective treatment so you can feel better soon. Best wishes to you!

I am not much of a god fearing person but I hope you feel better soon.

thanks so very much for the replies,i have a dr's appointment tomorrow morning so a lot of things will be discussed.
I really appreciate all of your suggestions.

Praying that you get well quick, and that your Dr can be guided by our Lord, to make you feel better.

by codinqueen

Praying that you get well quick, and that your Dr can be guided by our Lord, to make you feel better.

Same prayer here sister. Please let us know what the Dr told you.

Rosie

Thanks everyone,
I saw my dr. yesterday and the news was not good at all. He said my sed rate was back up over 100 and he is convinced that I have temporal arteritis.
He is sending me to a rheumatologist but I can't get in to see him until July 25th.
In the meantime he wants me to go back on the prednisone that is taking all my hair out.
It just affected me so bad,I really hate to go back on it. He says that I must, I'm taking the chance of going blind,having a stroke,or death. He said he was really worried about me. He's an old friend that 'I've been going to for many years.
I'm really upset right now and I truly need your prayers. Thanks for listening.
GOD BLESS YOU.

Oh Sister, you're really having a rough go of it! My heart goes out to you.

One thing that MAY help is the current thread on low carbing. Prednisone wreaks havoc with your blood sugar and maybe controlling your carbs will reduce that effect. Plus, low carbing is good at fighting the systemic inflammation that may be part of the problem in TA and polymyalgia rhuematica (if you have that too?).

Janknitz wrote:Oh Sister, you're really having a rough go of it! My heart goes out to you.

One thing that MAY help is the current thread on low carbing. Prednisone wreaks havoc with your blood sugar and maybe controlling your carbs will reduce that effect. Plus, low carbing is good at fighting the systemic inflammation that may be part of the problem in TA and polymyalgia rhuematica (if you have that too?).

Hi Janknitz,
Thanks for telling me about blood sugar and prednisone. I did not know that.I didn't know that low carbing was good at fighting the systemic inflammation either. I surely will try that.
Won't be too hard maybe,I already follow a very strict diet because of high cholesterol.
At the present I do have that under control though,prefer to eat right rather than take medicine.
Have a good night.

Betty