I've got a telephone consult with my very amiable gp coming up on 21st........and would like to be able to point him in the right direction! When I last got down to 4mg before a flare at 3mg - I mentioned adrenals and he was really rather blase - I know that should have an acute accent but haven fathom out how to do that on my Chromebook! Anyway for the past 10 days or so, I was on 6mg at the time, I began to feel very lethargic, weak, a bit lightheaded from sitting to standing, going to the toilet about 4 times a day but not diarrhoea! My bp can go down to 105/64, pulse 64. I also have had hot flushes in the evening - not every night but several times a week. I did begin reducing down to 5.5mg - DSNS so first tab at this dose was 4 days ago - 3 more of 6mg before next at 5.5mg. No aches or pains. I have thoughts but would really welcome more knowledgeable advice!
Down to 6mg feeling "odd"!: I've got a telephone... - PMRGCAuk
Down to 6mg feeling "odd"!
From experience I would say a body lagging behind the reduction would fit - even if some people insist we should be fine down to 3 or 4mg pred before adrenals cause problems. Or coincidence/an infection you weren't aware of?
If it is lazy adrenals you would expect it to get worse at a lower dose so I;d say, carry on and keep notes.
Thanks Pmrpro - I knew you would have some great advice! I did have what I thought was a blast of a gastro ?norovirus type thing last week in October which abated for a week then the diahrroea returned so I put off the flu jab until it had disappeared. I eventually had along with the pneumonia jab 12th Nov. This was followed by a gynae appointment when I received the news which I knew was on the cards that I need an anterior repair for a prolapse...........it's all happening here!
So actually - there is a shed load of "stuff" going on that is stressing the little "a" cells (as opposed to the little grey cells). Think I'd wait until all this - and Christmas - is done and dusted...
So very thank you! Will tell him I'm sticking at 6 until, whenever - and why. I think op will be due sometime Feb, unless the gas man freaks out!
I am now 6 years in and have over the past year tried to reduce from 7mg. A drop of 1/4mg leaves me back to the pain and other flare symptoms. My GP has been supportive but seems to accept that 7mg is my lowest ‘functional dose’. I will try again in another few months.
Did you notice this thread is 6 years old too?!
Got the flu......badly....not noticing anything much!
The reply was to Pmrmolly. But sorry to hear that - bit early for flu!!!
Its not covid. Its awful. Cant eat since Friday. Been sick. Now just nauseous strugglng to get fluids down. Feeling absolutely crap.
But really begant to go down and took to my bed on Monday 23rd
Hmm - you still on pred? Have you started SIck Day Rules? And spoken to the doctor? All that COULD be due to poor adrenal function.
No…it must be the brain fog…!
Lots of people do it - I ever understand how they get to an old thread. I suspect an HU influence 
I found post in FAQs but didnt notice date.Spoke with GP last week. She mentioned flu, treat it like a virus. 111yesterday morning as had vomited Saturday. I was heaving every time i tried to drink. Cant face food at all, in conversation, the smell...as for eating. Forget it.
No chest involvement, no coug, no stomach pain.
Constant nausea.
F2F¹tomorrow
It's the constant nausea that worries me - it is a symptom of adrenal insufficiency. You need extra corticosteroid to allow the body to cope with the stress of an illness. If you don't supply it with upping the dose of pred, the result can be what you are experiencing. Humour me - take extra pred for a few days!!!!
I will do I did at the beginning of this. 6mg a day, for 6 days as was down to 1
Didnt stop the relentless march into the pit im in at the moment.
I,ll pop 5mg mor now and keep you posted
Cheers
Or more?
And if that doesn't help - 10mg please, At 1mg. I'm pretty sure you are struggling.
Cheers. And thank you xx ill go to 10
Excellent. Still might take a day or two mind.
Just popped 10. Will i feel effect soon I say 10, mightve been 12.5 as found half a tab on duver cover and was in .my mouth before you could say Bob's your uncle
Better than too little. SnazzyD is the expert on adrenal insufficiency symptoms and how long it took her to recover in similar situations. I know she would take a dose and lie down to recover for an hour or two.
If I was having an adrenal ‘do’ I would take the extra Pred but generally had to rest for the day. It wasn’t usually the case that once the Pred got into the system I just picked up from where I left off. Sure I would feel not acutely awful but my energy level didn’t bounce back immediately.
I felt very like this around this dose. It improved around 5 and even more by 4mg. I decided it was adrenals and pushed through but I felt rubbish for a good few months.
........how long did you stay on each level?
It depended on what on was doing, like holidays or being ill. Generally from start of reduction to start of next one is 6-8 weeks
I've only done 4 weeks at 6mg so will definitely stay on this for a while. I did get down to 3 earlier on in the summer and had got to that dose with not probs, BUT then a flare so am now on the way down from 7! Want to go gently bentley this time......
Personally I think you can't go too slowly at this level - doubling any time you consider at a dose seems a good way to go. Apart from any other adrenal consideration - you are likely to be getting closer to that "lowest dose" point...
That is so useful. Taken it all on board, thanks again PMRpro!
Yes, I've been feeling odd too. I'm now at 8mg (DSNS) taking my enteric coated tablets at about 4-5 am. I get wobbly in the late afternoon around 5-6 then I'm ok. I've also had the non diarrhoea frequent bowel movements but - fingers crossed - no PMR or GCA symptoms. I've been taking pred for 18 years now so feel fairly certain my adrenals are playing up (or perhaps not playing would be more accurate). I understand that as I take e.c pred I may be absorbing only a part of the steroids. I've mentioned the synacthen test to my GP but was told I had to get to a lower dose before this could be done. I don't really understand the logic behind this, as I understand the test is to determine whether the adrenals are capable of functioning not whether they are currently doing so.
Not much help to you, I'm afraid except to know that you're not alone
Thank you Maria - it's one of the great things about this site - apart from the expert advice it's the knowledge that you're not alone.
You don't necessarily absorb LESS of e/c pred, you just absorb it differently. Instead of a sudden sharp highish spike and then tailing off, the blood level rises more slowly to a lower peak and then tails off. The area under the curve is the same - and it is present in the blood for longer, just at a slightly lower level.
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