Battled the beast & won!: Hi there, after 8 days of... - NRAS

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Battled the beast & won!

12 Replies

Hi there,

after 8 days of hell I woke up this morning feeling wonderful. Last time I blogged I was more worried about my knees than steroid withdrawal symptoms but I soon realised that withdrawal was the big beast.

I know that everyone is different & reactions to steroids vary hugely but here is how it went for me as some kind of encouragement at least to anyone else coming off the things:

One month on 10mg of Prednisolone per day followed by two months of 5mg per day. Stopped abruptly, no taper. I then experienced extreme sensitivity to pain, nearly constant headache, toothache, sudden depression, pain in previously unaffected joints and, after the first couple of days, fatigue. I found that all of this improved in the evenings.

This morning I still felt a bit groggy but once that went I had a real ALLELUIA moment - not only had all of the above symptoms disappeared but I also feel more normal & clear-headed than I did on steroids. Incredible! Glad I lasted out, was just about to go to the doc to get Preds for a one day on, one day off taper.

(Sadly, my knees are still very sore without their little steroid mates, and I walk like a zombie, every step hurts etc. but that doesn't seem to matter too much now I at least feel human!)

I suppose I would still advise tapered withdrawal though. I would not want to go through that again or for anyone else to.

All the best, Christina xx

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12 Replies
sylvi profile image
sylvi

I always thought you were human. I wonder what you were before!! Sorry for flippant but it called out to me to be like that. I am pleased that you are feeling more yourself. I am still on the steroids and i don't see me coming off them any time soon.

Love Sylvi.xx

in reply tosylvi

Hi there, I'm so busy dissing steroids I forgot that there are plenty of people getting the benefit of them which is just insensitive of me. Sorry for that Sylvi & hope they continue to serve you well.

I did not feel human for the last week or so although unfortunately feeling bl**dy awful is a very human experience, I suppose.

All the best,

Christina xx

sylvi profile image
sylvi in reply to

Christina, Don't be be sorry just because you have got off them,steroids are a pain in the a""e as they put weight on and yes i would like to be able to come off them,but thats for the future. love sylvi.xx

allanah profile image
allanah

Hi Christina

I had loads of steroids and over the past couple of weeks havent needed any and the difference in me is amazing, I'm calmer, losing weight and happy. Then i had a scan under GA and the anesthesiast said she gave me a steroid intravenous when i was asleep as my spine and neck were inflammed.........bless her but here we go again!!!! Axx

in reply toallanah

Kind of like slipping gin in someone's tea .... I hope that your back & neck are much more comfortable as compensation!

allanah profile image
allanah in reply to

hee hee, ye hope so, get my results next wednesday, but they do give me a temper a bit, hope it doesnt show here too much lol Axx

That sounds like a proper case of Cold Turkey you went through Christina - what a star you re to have got through to the other side - well done! Sorry about the painful knees though - I hope something can be done to alleviate the misery of them very soon. Better a clear headed hobbler than a cotton wool headed hiker I hope. Tilda xx

in reply to

Nice one Tilda!

earthwitch profile image
earthwitch

I have a love-hate relationship with steroids. i feel so good on them, but the feeling just doesn't last once I go off. I would be really nervous about withdrawal symptoms, so I only take them for a maximum of two weeks at a time. I generally just go cold turkey of that and its OK, but I think if I was on them any longer I would have to do a really slow taper.

in reply toearthwitch

Yep, they suited me too. But I am now thinking that some of the fuzziness & strange zingy weirdness (I'm struggling here!) that I attributed to MTX was down to steroids. Seems to me that once you get into this peculiar world of drugs and strange RA feelings it is a constant challenge to know what's going on!

2169 profile image
2169

Ive had steroid injections before to help with the pain, sometimes it works beautifully and other times it doesn't touch it, does anyone know why this happens?

binlid profile image
binlid in reply to2169

i found that as well im sorry i dont know why i find the tabs satisfactory though weenig off at mo till see nurse

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