Reducing Prednisone & Depression | Arthritis Information

 

Has anybody thought that coming down off of Pred. makes them feel depressed?

I have minor pain, alot of fatigue, but I noticed the depression right away.

~KewaneeI am having a real hard time coming off the pred. a lot of fatigue and a lot of pain, and for no reason  I feel like I want to cry, so yes I do think depression is a factor in coming off the pred. Dr. wants me to take methotrexate, but I have to do some research if it effects the kidneys, as my kidney function is off. 

Georgiana
Hi Georgiana,

I don't know as I've seen Metho. does that much.
I'd ask him how his patients are doing on it that have been on it awhile.

Thank you for your reply. I just knew it was it, the pred.

Awful stuff and yet I don't know as there is anything really equal to it for taking down the inflammation.

~KewaneeKewanee,

  If you have a chance, google polymyositis and let me know what you think, sounds a lot like pmr.   georgiana
I will and get back. I know you fall down alot with that one.

~KewaneeI hadn't thought about it, but I'm down to 5 mg and have cried a lot more the past month.  That's ok.  I'll cry a river if I can just get off the prednisone.  Love to all

I'm coming down off prednisone after 4 mo. and I'm down to 1 1/4mg a day. I wake up at nite with awful pain maybe top of foot, maybe chest, forearm etc. Not joints. I sit up and rub it about 30 seconds and it goes away.  I'm afraid I'll be right back where I started from with pain in shoulders, neck, arms and my hands which never went away. Yes guess I am depressed. What do you take after the pred.???

Jule

Anybody try low doses of trazodone? I started taking that after my herniated disc 9 years ago - 25mg at night to help me sleep. It helps to "mask" the pain (or as they explained it to me, alters your perseption of the pain - I could always feel it kicking in after about 45 minutes, and it was so nice). It really helped, and my PCP said even at that low dose, it will help with depression. I know, you don't want another med to take on top of what you're already taking, but it does help. Only drawback for me was that I got dependent on it to sleep (they tell you it's not addictive, but being dependent on it is almost as bad). It took me about 3 weeks of sleepless nights to get back on track. So, there are always those negative things to consider along with the positives. Thankfully, I never experienced depression or mood swings while on pred. (maybe because I was still taking low dose antidepressant too).

I hope you all find some relief.

Reni
I am only down to 8mg so maybe it hasn't hit me yet although I do seem to tear up easily over the darndest things.  I remember at the beginning of this saga I wd just sit on the couch and the tears wd flow like the ocean because I cd barely move and was in so much pain...I feared I would end my days as an invalid and did not want to put that burden on my husband and family.  In retrospect, I am doing so much better and am so thankful for every little thing I can do these days.  I know this too will pass....what is is and I can handle it...we just have to persevere.  Thank goodness it isn't cancer..Warm hugs to all...don't give up...gmamaI definitely cry more on the lower doses.  I think my depression comes from the constant pain more than anything.  If I felt good I wouldn't cry. It's not my nature.   I was at 5mg and had to go back to 8 just to control the pain.  It never goes away and is always horrible when I wake up. Its awful to be taking something that's aging your body so badly, trying to reduce the dosage and still being in pain at the same time.  I guess we deserve our cries.  It's not easy to deal with.  Have a great weekend, everyone.  Betsy,

I know what you mean, i think my depression is from the constantly being in pain and not feeling well.  I am sorry you had to go back up on the pred. from your posts i had noticed you and i were on about the same mg. and decreasing slowly, well, I never got any lower than 7.5 and at that, i am in a lot of pain, so i don't know what to do.  I hate to go higher, but I am barely can do anything. God Bless you that you are going to do the trip to n.y.  I have a trip coming in July to Florida that I must do, and it is giving me a lot of thought if i will be allright...Have a happy easter.............Georgiana

Yes, I noticed that we were right together on the prednisone.  I want to go to Florida on my next vacation.

I hope we both feel really well when time comes.  I was much better yesterday.  I had to have an MRI of my hands in Shreveport, La to check for RA.  I went to the "sin boats" while I was there for a couple of hours.  I left 8 richer.  It was fun.  Hey, I think the one armed bandits (slot machines if some don't know) might be really good exercise for PMR shoulders.  It was fun and distracted me for a time.  Where do you go in Florida?  I want to go to a gallery in Boca Raton when I can get there.

Betsy,

Woohoo! Glad you came home from the slots richer than when you went!!! The only slots I do are on Pogo games on-line, and I do that mainly because I can chat with my mother in Texas while we're both playing. It's fun.

Glad you had a good day yesterday, too.

Anyone here seen the movie Wild Hogs? My husband and I went a couple weeks ago. It is really funny. One of those mindless movies that is so good just for entertainment purposes. Good for "our generation". One of our friends' daughters (who is 21) went to see it and thought it was stupid. That's because she can't relate to the previous movies it alludes to, or the aging John Travolta and other stars.

Hi Reni, It was fun to come home a winner for a change.  I do Pogo too sometimes.  I'm not much of a gambler, but if I go to Shreveport for some reason I usually drop by for a couple of hours. My rhematologist is there.

I'm for sure going to see Wild Hogs.  It's sounds so funny to me.  I really didn't know it was out yet.  Maybe this weekend.  Always good to hear from you, girlfreind.

Georgina...polymyasotis is NOT the same as PMR. With poly the muscles are weak and can buckle. (some people's knees when walking buckle and than they fall down.)PMR does not affect the strenght in the muscles. The treatment is the same with prednisone.
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