brain fog with PMR? | Arthritis Information

Hi...I was a very healthy 60 year old before all of this! I've only been diagnosed with PMR since July, but came down with it basically overnight in May. I started out in May on 60 mg. of prednisone, just to enable me to get through the school year. I work with special needs kids and was in unbelievable pain before starting the prednisone. After the prednisone, it was a miracle! I'm sure you've heard that one before! I've been spending this summer, tapering down and trying to find balance. My rheumatologist switched me to Medrol and I'm now on 18 mg./day of that. He has me tapering 2 mg. a week. The hip, shoulder pain is better now, although my muscles still ache quite a bit and I"m tired a lot. My question for you is this. I've noticed that my brain feels like it's stuffed with cotton most of the time. I've been reading through this forum and haven't come across anything on this. One thing I've done during this time is taper off my antidepressant (celexa). Is the brain fog from no more anti depressant or the PRM or the medrol? Help! School starts in 2 weeks and I'm afraid I won't be able to function!
This has been so scary and frustrating. I'm planning to only teach part time this year and I"m afraid that I won't even be up for that.
This forum has been a wonderful source of information for me. Please let me know your thoughts on this....Hi Montana

You have a very common side affect of poly...brain fog. Some say it comes from the pred but for some time before, I was forgetting things.

It is good that you are down to 18 mgs of pred already but if you start to really hurt again be sure and talk to your Dr. Many of us had to go back up when things got really rough but the idea is quality of life. When you get down to the lower dose of pred, please try Ragnar's method of decreasing. It is very helpful.

Try not to stress out as that is one thing that will set you back. I know...easier said than done.

Know one thing...eventually this will go away. I am an example of that.

Take good care.

Pat

Hello Montana,

Brain Fog! We should have all posted about this somewhere. This was one of the symptoms that has worried me too. I too like Teed, believe it to be PMR.

I used to do Payroll and administration in our family business ( approx 70 staff). I had to stop. I now go into work 1 or 2 times a month, with a few hours a week, work at home. On occassions, My brain would not remember peoples names or what I had done an hour ago. Scary Stuff. I told my Dr and he suggested to take time to adjust to the Pred ect. ...

(I feel the Pred. is not the cause of brain fog)

Well 4 years later I'm still adjusting.. as long as I'm calm and relaxed I can be clearer. Stress and PMR do not go together.

Did you want to stop the Celexa? A lot of us, me included, take some form of antidepressant. This is such a debilitating illness that can some time just wear you down!

This forum is so great as others do know and do understand.

Fatigue is also another bummer. I still battle with this.

Your return to part time work with special need kids will be alright! It is important to have a purpose to get up and I'm sure your kids would miss you if you were not there.

Hang in, its early days with PMR and you will find a balance of what you can do!

Please ask anything anytime, tell us how you are feeling, the good, the bad and the ugly part of PMR. Are you having the sweats yet? Any side effects from the Pred.?

Hugs Lyn

Thank you so much for responding to me! I almost cried... I have been feeling very alone with this, although my family and friends are very supportive. I know it's hard for them to really "get" what this is doing to me. I don't look all that bad (just the ugly moon face...). And now that I'm on the prednisone, I move around all right. But the fatigue and achiness and brain fog are pretty invisible. I find I'm becoming more reclusive.

I did start back on the celexa a few days ago. I had stopped before the PMR diagnosis because I read somewhere that sometimes these autoimmune arthritic conditions could be drug induced. I had started on the celexa a few years ago. The situations that had caused my depression were resolved, so I thought it was safe to stop. But the PMR is so difficult, that I feel like I still need the antidepressant!

And yes, holy cow, the sweats! It's much worse than menopause. And they come on so quickly at all times of the day or night! Is this the PMR or the prednisone?

I'm anxious to get back to work, but scared as well. I actually forgot one of my reading group kid's names when I saw him at the store! Yikes, guess I'll have to learn how to make light of it.

Thanks for your support. It means a lot.

Jannie
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