Prednisolone and Depression

[Marotic]

Anyone have any thoughts?

Been taking pred for 5 months now and finding my mood swings alarming.Down to 8 now.

Does it get better below 7.5?

All thoughts gratefully received.

[HeronNS]

Pred can mess with our moods. I have to say personally I felt so much better after taking pred my mood became much lighter for a while. Then the loneliness of the disease hit me and I went through periods feeling much as you describe. At about 7 or 7.5 I had a couple of weeks where I felt vaguely panicky for no reason, and I am sure that it was my adrenal glands starting to wake up again. So be aware that this may happen, and it's a purely physical thing, not in your mind, and it too will pass. Judging from people on high doses of pred I think it is safe to say that most emotional upheaval does gradually settle. But we are all different as you know, and our reaction to our own emotions will vary too. Just know that you are among friends on this forum.

[Cyclegirl54]

I’ve had terrible bouts of crying since being diagnosed in Feb 18. I believe it’s the Pred but also the misery of missing my old life. I started off on 10 mg then had to go to 15 mg and then 20 mg when the headache and neck pain got too much. Fortunately, things have settled but I am on a Dsns taper with my gp happy with 1 mg reduction each month going forward.

Just about to try 18 mg! 🙌

Check into this forum when you feel lonely sad or depressed- no need to be unhappy on your own 🙂

[HeronNS in reply to Cyclegirl54]

Yes, I think many of us grieve for our old lives. But we still have our lives and as is often said, if you have to have an annoying chronic disease PMR is probably the best one to have. Although when a doctor said it doesn't kill you (in context this was not as unkind as it sounds) and I replied, sometimes you wish it would, she was quite taken aback!

[SheffieldJane]

Hello Marotic, I can really relate to what you are saying. I can get alarmingly low at times too and I am currently reducing from 7 mgs to 6mgs, third time lucky. I have decided to regard my good hours as signs of recovery, because they really are good. I also attempt to distance myself from the depression and especially the self loathing for the weight gain that overwhelms me at times. Putting it down to the exhausting effects of the disease and medication. I did have therapy whilst I was caring for my mum who had dementia, for a few years. I find that this has given me more resources and insight to deal with the mood swings. It was definitely life enhancing and I recommend it. We are not immune to a bout of real depression and this needs treatment. This disease can be very isolating, often we are just too tired to be social. Try to get out every day. A little walk in the fresh air can change how you feel completely.

A compounding factor at your dose of Pred is that your own Adrenaline function must kick into gear. I think this happens in fits and starts. It can be annoying. I am sometimes at my best around midnight, having drooped about all day.

There is also irritability that can be shocking if you are normally quite a placid person like me. Try to avoid particularly vexatious people unless you live with them of course!

I hope this is of some use. Everybody knows what you feel like.

[Sandy1947 in reply to SheffieldJane]

The irritability really resonates with me. Little stresses aggravate me. My patience is short and my attention span is equivalent to that of my 2 yr old grand daughter! Reading a book is challenging but I’m fine with audio books. I can stay for some hour long exercise classes but 40 minutes is average. I’m tapering from 6 to 5 and have seen no improvement.

[powerwalk in reply to SheffieldJane]

oh god the irritability!!!! And sometimes I find something coming out of my mouth and its like someone else is saying it!!!! I'm by nature a listener more than a talker!! So I find this quite new!!!!!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Are you sure it is entirely the pred? I had severe mood swings due to PMR too - wasn't on pred and it was bad enough for even my husband to notice and comment! The actual cause of the symptoms we call PMR is not affected in any way by the pred - it chugs along in the background and exerts its effects other than the inflammation which pred mops up.

[Valnvaughan]

I think the short answer is no. My mood is all over the place and after 3+ years I'm at 3.5 mg Pred per day. Is it PMR, loss of old life, Pred or one of the other 14, yes 14, meds I'm taking for various related and unrelated conditions.

Mindfullness and meditation are just helping me keep it together.

Talking / writing and reading this forum help too. Thank you all.

[Mikb]

I'm at 6 now and I find the irritability and mood swings lessening, though they still are there! Not sure if that is the pred now or living with teenagers ...

[Purplecrow]

Hi Marotic, short answer...yes, it does get better.

As I lowered my dose of Prednisone, I found I had reduced ability to tolerate stress, of any kind, good OR bad.

I've had long periods of depression, and after discussing with my doc, started using an anti-depressant, which helped. I also went through a time of panic attacks which I had never experienced before.

The experience of PMR and Pred, comes along with the challenges of everyday living.

In the 5 years I've been living with PMR, I've moved homes, gotten married, buried a child, been ill, lost my beloved dog, .......well, you get the point...

Through it all... this forum, ...the wisdom and kindness of volunteers who monitor it day and night, has been my security blanket. Someone, somewhere, is always here to walk with you...often on the other side of the world.

At the top right side of the forum home page, there is a search box. Type in the words "depression" and you will find years of discussion by others who have walked this road before you.

PMR can be a lonely and frightening disorder

...... i promise, we have your back.

Kind regards this rambling morning, Jerri

Dx: PMR, 2013, currently 5 mg pred

[tonypne]

hello i have been taking for 40 years now! i have never suffered depression. Are you taking them for asthma COPD and the like? Do you get continual chest infections where your docter has to prescribe courses of antibiotics many times per year? I used to have this problem but my doctor discused this with his colleagues and decided to put me on 1 antibiotic 3 times per week and it worked like a miracle. This was over two years agom i still take my onr 5mg prednisolone each day but never need to increase them and never need my inhalers anymore. email me - [e-mail] if anyone has any queries i would be glad to try to help you.

[HeronNS in reply to tonypne]

Rather than putting your email out there on a public forum you could just ask people to message you through the forum to get your contact information.

[tonypne in reply to HeronNS]

i dont mind communicating with anyone with the same problems that i had.

[HeronNS in reply to tonypne]

This is public, potentially could be seen by anyone. just thinking about your security, that's all.