This is my first post on the forums, but I’ve been lurking for years – and lifting for over 10 years. I’ve read all the books and the Barbell Prescription.

Here’s the problem: I was recently diagnosed with Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) – with polymyalgia rheumatica. No real question about it, but at least the vasculitis hasn’t spread much outside the head.

I just turned 65, I’m 5’10”, a slightly chubby 230. I’m pretty much detrained and lost muscle mass over the past few months, just some light lifting and cardio – but now it’s time to get back seriously. My doctors are ok about it, they said go ahead and exercise and lift, as much as possible.

I’m down to 30 mg of prednisone once a day in the morning – I started at 60 mg in January. I started Actemra (tocilizumab) last week. It will take almost 5 months more to very slowly taper off the steroids, and I'll be on the Actemra for at least a year.

The pain isn’t a big problem, especially now with the steroids. In fact, lifting makes it feel better. I have some other symptoms like higher blood pressure, bloating, fatigue, gastrointestinal stuff and some other side effects – but lifting usually makes those better too. But I do tire out much more quickly now.

This may not be an injury – but it is medical, and I’ve read all the stuff about steroids on the forums, and they are all about short term dosages.

So here are my 2 questions:
1. Any advice in general about lifting with this condition? While taking long-term steroids, or the Actemra?

2. One doctor is worried about lifting heavy with all the steroids, about how the muscles and tendons may respond to very heavy weight. He doesn’t want me shredding tendons.

My physiotherapist, who is into lifting, knows Starting Strength and understands, suggested not to do sets of 5 as usual, and no heavy 1RMs, but to stick to lots of reps of lower weight, sets of 20 at the max I can do them – until I get over the steroids, He says it should keep me from losing strength this way, even if I don’t add much for now.

After I get off the steroids, I thought I should just restart the linear progression and see how that goes and how far I get.

Thanks
David