extreme fatigue | Arthritis Information
have any of you suffered from EXTREME FATIGUE when coming off of prednisone? Everytime I come down, even a mg, I get really tired, but this time is terrible. I have been down and out since last Sunday. Just don't have any energy and very sleepy, but can't sleep, even with ambien.
I have been off the pred since Oct 2007. I still get extreme fatigue.. All you can do is rest when you have to. I still take Vit C and a multi vit. Have your thyroid checked also. Mine has changed since I was diagnosed with PMR. good luck, GeriI have recently started my first reduction and can hardly move all day with the tiredness yet am awake most of the night. Weird.Sorry to be the bearer of bad news girls, I am now into 4th year of PMR, and YEP>> YES!!! Fatigue, Extreme Fatique( force yourself to clean teeth and have a shower, and fall back into bed) is on my list of coming down on Pred too! There have been numerous posts over the years of others with PMR discussing the same thing. I think it may be part of the process and I have tried going down only .5mg at a time ,alternating days for 2 weeks and then staying at that level for 2 or 3 weeks before going down another .5mg. ect......
Seems to work a bit until I hit 4mg where I am now.. Thank goodness I am able to stay in bed sometimes all day or at the least til midmorning whilst I feel like this. I am struggling at the moment too. I will see what happens in the next week and if things dont improve I will go up 1mg til I see my Rheumy next month.
My Dr's advice is to not loose too much ground and have to go higher dose to settle down again. I have been guilty of this a few times... thought I could tough it out, stay in bed ect only to have my blood test and ESR and CRP both up. So Pred back up to 10mg and having to start reducing again a few months later having gained another 10lbs or so!!!!!!!!!!!
Tigerpunt and had enough now (good name) have you asked your Dr's about this? maybe they have other reasoning and about your not sleeping at night.. That is the pits... I am able to take an extra sleeping pill for a short time and this helps. Hugs Lyn
I was down to 1 14 mg of pred because I was feeling no pain. However I was feeling the worst fatigue I have ever known. I didn't know if my legs would hold me up. Also feeling nausea. I complained to my GP but he ignored it - then a new Endochronologist moved into the rea and I went to see her. She checked my blood to see if my adrenal glands had kicked in and then had not. They were producing nothing and that is a life threatening condition also known as adrenal insufficiency or Addisons disease. So she told me to start 5mg immediately and told me I may have to take pred the rest of my life cause my adrenals so far are doing nothing.
Jule
When I reached 5 mg I had fatigue whenever trying to reduce. After almost a year I started a method that I know some have taken after me. I reduced from 5 mg to 4 mg but took one day of 4 mg, two days of 5 mg and repeated once more. After that I could take 4 mg each day. If you still feel fatigue, try to take 4 mg two days and 5 mg one day after the first week instead of going directly over. From 2.5 mg I reduced by 0.5 mg (I really cut a 2.5 mg in four pieces so it was about 0.6 mg). By using this method = taking a little more time to reduce to the new dose, I got rid of pred after 3 ½ years. So there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I have been free from pred since the middle of December 2008 and even if I sometimes get a little tired, it is not the fatigue I felt when reducing from 5 mg!
Good luck
Ragnar (male, almost 72 years from Sweden)
Wait about two weeks than try this website - follow the link to Coping with PMR and GCA and read the article on Coping with Extreme Fatigue.
It is too long to post on this site - but it is a very useful article.
The site is not operational yet - its in preparation.
http://www.pmr-gca-northeast.org.uk
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