Preparing for an appointment

You might start by seeing your primary care doctor. He or she may refer you to an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) if you're having visual symptoms, a brain and nervous system specialist (neurologist) if you're having headaches, or a specialist in diseases of the joints, bones and muscles (rheumatologist).

Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.

What you can do

When you make the appointment, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance. For some tests involved in diagnosing giant cell arteritis, you might need to follow special instructions before the appointment.

Make a list of:

• Your symptoms, including those that seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment, and when they began
• Key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes
• All medications, vitamins and other supplements you take, including doses
• Questions to ask your doctor

Take a friend or family member with you to help you remember the information you're given.

For giant cell arteritis, questions to ask your doctor include:

• What's the most likely cause of my symptoms?
• What are other possible causes?
• What tests will I need?
• What are my treatment options?
• What side effects can I expect from the medication?
• How long do I need to stay on medication, and what's my long-term prognosis?
• Will giant cell arteritis come back?
• I have these other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
• Do I need to change my diet? Do I need to take supplements?
• Do you have brochures or other printed material that I can have? What websites do you recommend?

Don't hesitate to ask other questions.

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, such as:

• Have your symptoms been continuous or occasional?
• How severe are your symptoms?
• What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
• What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?

What you can do in the meantime

Ask your doctor if taking a pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) might help ease head pain or tenderness.