Tiredness

[ALLYMAC88]

I've recently reduced pred from 9mg to 8mg Initially, 8.1/2 & 8 on alternate days for 2 weeks, now at the end of my first week of 8mg. I now feel extremely tired & weary with no energy. Does anyone know if/how Ican help myself , or is it just the result of withdrawal & must live with it .

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi ALLYMAC88,

Could be withdrawal symptoms, if so they should improve within a week or so. If they do, maybe you should try a slower taper next time - either taking longer to get from one dose to the next - a month rather than 2 weeks, or using your method, but dropping just 0.5mg a time.

Could also be that 9mg was YOUR limit, and 8mg is not quite enough, watch out to make sure things don't get worse, and other PMR symptoms return.

Or, finally, and I think most likely, could be your adrenal glands need to start working, and aren't -yet. Most people normally produce adrenaline (cortisol) equivalent to 7mg of Pred, but sometimes it's slightly higher - you are getting to that level around now. The only way to get them to wake up is to taper slowly, even more slowly than you are already doing.

Well documented that mine took ages - afraid it's something you have to live with, and accommodate!

Pacing, pacing and more pacing!

[ALLYMAC88 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you Dorset Lady

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Nothing really to add to DL's comments - if it is just fatigue I'd suspect your body isn't quite catching up with the reduction in pred. Some people absorb 90% of the pred dose, others only 50% - and the ones who are towards the 50% end will meet the adrenals needing to wake up and return to work sooner than the others.

[ALLYMAC88]

Thanks fir your reply

[1Purplecrow]

Hi, early in my PMR journey (3.5 years and counting...), I was told that the point of prednisone is to manage symptoms of the disorder...not to cure it. and...there is no race to the finish line. (That piece of wisdom took about a year and a half to make sense to me) .

I struggled with extreme fatigue and chronic tiredness. It felt like I had cement boots on my feet, and my arms were made of lead. One thing that seemed to help me was taking vitamin D, good quality fish oil, and vitamin B complex , with regular vitamin mineral tab. My doc approved, and it seemed to help.

Currently, My pred dose is 2 mg. I am a very slow taper person, like Two or three months at each level, before I start the next taper. My Rheumy and my GP both gave their blessing to this extreme slow process, looking at symptom management before speed of reductions.

good luck on your journey.

Warm regards, Jerri

[ALLYMAC88]

Thanks for your reply