Feeling tired in days after reducing pred dosage

[sennetta]

Do any of you experience feelings of tiredness in the days after reducing pred dose. I've just dropped .5 from 4mg on Saturday and was feeling really wiped out yesterday same again today. Strong black coffee got me through my teaching yesterday! No pain or other symptoms just very tired.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

This is the stage at which your adrenal glands have to start returning to duty and producing cortisol - the body's natural corticosteroid which is essential to life. When you are taking above about 7 or 8 mg your body doesn't make any more as that is enough. Once the dose goes lower your adrenal glands should start to produce it again - but it is a variable process at first. Your body is still getting into the swing of things and will lag behind a bit. Over the next few weeks it should improve so be patient.

This is one of the reasons we stress that slower approaches to reduction help - one day of lower followed by a few days of the old dose makes the extreme fatigue less obvious and you get to the same place in the end. There is no rush - the slower you go now the better the result.

[sennetta in reply to PMRpro]

Many thanks. So would I be better going in .25mgs reductions?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to sennetta]

If you can cut the tablets I suppose yes - but it isn't easy!!!! The slow approaches make up for that:

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

You have to experiment a bit.

[Singr in reply to PMRpro]

Agree with that. I've had to go back up. Coming below the 10 mark I could barely get out of bed. Fatigue, not pain. Back up at 11 now and goimg to take advice from here as mu GP looked at me with blank stares when I said I was going into relapse...she didn't give any advice apart from pain killers and I'm still managing this myself.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Singr]

Advice about painkillers is a bit pointless if you have PMR...

[Singr in reply to PMRpro]

I know I'm really frustrated. Grrrr.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

I’ve just answer your post on another thread...you’re not ready to think about ditching the Pred yet, methinks. Have a look at this as well -

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[HeronNS]

Yes, this fatigue is not so fondly referred to by many of us as "deathly fatigue". It seems to come out of nowhere and knock you flat. I've been at doses below 4 mg for a couple of years now, and over time things have improved, but it still happens. I can almost tell when I'm about to collapse and do what I can to rest and restore myself before carrying on. That, in fact, is why I am sitting here on my computer even though I've a list of items as long as my arm to get through before leaving on holiday on Friday. Lunch and a few minutes of mental zone-out should restore me enough to get on with the rest of the day. I do wonder how people who work can manage. I don't envy you. Make the most of what breaks you get. Remember, even social chitchat with coworkers can be a bit draining, though you wouldn't expect it to be.

[JanetT58]

Thank you for you reply

[Soraya_PMR]

I’m not in the ‘adrenal zone’, but have usually experienced more lethargy/tiredness in the week following a 1mg drop. Dropped from 9 to 8 on Saturday, (haven’t felt any steroid withdrawal pains this time 😃) but am feeling like I could drop off at any moment 💤

[yogabonnie]

anytime I drop down I feel wobbly a bit and tired for a couple days. That is why I like taking new dose maybe 2 times first week and 3 times the next and 4 times etc. etc. It helps. And when I have very stressful time like NOW with husbands blood thinners making him bleed suddenly in urine.. and being in another country...and daughter going to doc for shingles... I ADD a mg. to the day!!! But basically life is LOVELY in Sweden! Away from the barrage of TRUMP news. !!

[bunnymom]

This is me exactly. I am tapering going between 6 and 7 and can fall asleep anytime. I know that I am not overdoing it because I am not doing hardly anything. I hope with the sunshine today this fatigue will pass. When it does I am thinking of staying at 6 for a few weeks before I reduce again. I have been tired for 2 weeks except for 1 good day.

[sennetta]

Thanks all for your helpful responses everyone - maybe I'll try daily alternating of the lower and higher doses next drop and see what happens. Think I'll ride this one out if possible as I'm already five days into it

[sennetta]

Feeling less fatigued yesterday and today so hopefully on the up. Am supporting my adrenal glands as far as possible with micro and macronutrients in the hope that that must help things along.