This is the long-awaited third edition of the bestselling book for patients on two mysterious and little-understood inflammatory conditions, polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis. They attack older people, PMR causing pain and stiffness that can massively affect mobility, and GCA causing irreversible damage to vision in cases that aren't diagnosed and treated in time. For both, standard treatment has been up to two years on steroid drugs (prednisolone or prednisone), and it is now clear that around 40% of patients are taking steroids for more than two years. This carries a burden of health problems beyond those caused by the diseases themselves. Having suffered with PMR herself, Kate Gilbert wrote the first two editions (2014 and 2016) to give patients the benefit of all she had learned while running and growing the PMR and GCA support charity, PMRGCAuk. Fantastically well-received, it is still appreciated by patients all around the world.
But with new developments in diagnosis and treatment it was high time to update the book, and for this brand new edition, Kate has teamed up with Dr Vanessa Quick, a consultant rheumatologist with the NHS in England. Vanessa has brought a new dimension of the perspective of the medic, to help patients understand what considerations doctors are taking into account when making clinical decisions. The book takes the reader through diagnosis and early treatment, explaining why diagnosis is often complicated and drawn-out; through the long months of tapering steroid doses, identifying potential companion drugs to reduce the overall amount of steroids taken; to things that the patient can do to help themselves towards recovery. There is also a chapter on physical activity and exercise contributed by physiotherapist and researcher Dr Anne O'Brien.
This book is unique. It accesses the latest knowledge from world-wide research and combines it with insights drawn from years of working in and with PMRGCAuk, the major patient support organisation for PMR and GCA. Kate and Vanessa have brought the voices of patients into the book to describe their experiences, share advice and ideas, and hopefully help people to be optimistic that, although these are very unpleasant diseases and may hang around for some time, they have a good chance of good quality of life and even full recovery.
