Just started sweating after reducing to 10mg pred. Started on 60mg in August after being diagnosed with GCA, biopsy confirmed. I don't have night sweats, this is during the day even if only walking. Has this happened to anyone else? Would a lower dose of pred cause the sweating. Am seeing my doctor this afternoon and will ask her.
I have found this forum to be very informative and helpful.
If I sweat like that when I reduce it is a sign I'm teetering on the cusp of too low a dose.
Thank you for replying. When that happens to you do you try and stick it out or do you increase your dosage.
Me being me I go back where I was OK - I will not compromise on dose. I take what I need for a decent quality of life. I have had PMR for over 14 years and been on pred for over 9 of them - nothing would entice me to go back to pre-pred!
Often if that happens and you go back to the last dose and then wait a month or two before trying again it will eventaully work. It also helps to try to avoid any form of stress while reducing - and that includes inclement weather!
But IMHO to get from 60mg to 10mg in under 6 months is far too fast - the cause of the GCA is still fairly active for the first 18 months and flares are common - especially when the dose is reduced so fast. It doesn't make it faster, it slows you down and takes you back, hopefully not to the start, but to a higher dose again and if it isn't dealt with quickly it may be more difficult to control.
I had amazing sweating for the entire first year after diagnosis. Began at 15 mg. prednisone. In the winter months it tapers off quit a bit. Since sept. Took me 2 years to reduce to 10 mgs. I have had a 2mg reduction Since Sept., now at 10 mg and the sweating is back but not near as bad as I was in the start of all this. I thought it was odd that I started sweating again in the winter, I never thought about it being a change in pred. dose. I will keep an eye on it as I taper.
Thanks for the thought
Pred can cause sweats definitely. I’ve had sweats throughout from 60mg down, much reduced by the time I got to 5mg, but not worse than I had before diagnosis. I’m a bit worried that you’ve got to 10mg already and like PMRPro suggests sweats may indicate you’re teetering on the inflammation increasing, especially as you’ve not had them up to now. It took me 10 months to get to 10mg and that was without any flares or going backwards, tread carefully.
For me the sweats happened before diagnosis and, like PMRpro when I am on too low a dose of pred.
Those awful sweats ughhh.
I am on 40 and sweat a lot.
I’m scared to describe my sweating. You might think I am trying to outdo you all. I’m not. But it’s off the scale.
Thank you for your reply! I sweat mostly in the head. Needless to say my hair gets all wet and looks like I just walked out of the shower.
I am on 5.5mg of pred and only started sweating profusely during the day over the last 2 months this is unrelated to the 38 degree temps we are having in Melbourne at present. I have excellent air conditioning and it makes no difference to the sweating.
Every time I have had a flare I sweat and overheat .In the early days I overheated and sweat all the time .If I had a flare I would do as told and increase the dose until my Rheumy told me to go back down again .Its a yoyo sometimes .This may or may not be you .We do all react differently . There is no face saving to be done by refusing to increase the dose if you need to .
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I don't mind if I have to increase dosage, I have no problem with that.
I am on 5mg and sweat terribly, it is like the menopause all over again. I have noticed that the slightest bit of anxiety can cause it, something simple like making a difficult phone call or getting caught up in traffic and being late for an appointment. I also sweat heavily in the early hours and in bed in the morning (pred running out). My poor OH is not allowed the heating on in the bedroom. I have mentioned it to every doctor I have met, none have replied, one just stared in silence and guess what, I started to sweat!!! they either don't think it is associated with pred or they don't think it matters. Mine often takes the form of head sweats and can be upsetting when you are trying to look nice for an occasion. I had my hair done the morning of my son's wedding and by the time I got there it was stuck to my head with sweat. I don't think my adrenal production has kicked back in as I have reduced and I think that has something to do with the sweats. I can't offer a solution except you are not alone.
Oh Yes Chanel2 there were quite a few posts on here going back to last summer as the heat seemed to make us all worse!.....
We talked about sweating other day I find if I take a travel sickness pill called Kwells a side effect is reduced sweating it works well for me. I only half of adult dose takes about 30 minutes to work. They are . a life saver Can be bought over the counter for around £3 per packet of 12. Spoke to rheumatologist about taking them and he approved as very small dosage of 150 micrograms. Hope this helps
I’m so sorry. I know how uncomfortable that is. I have the same issue and it seems to continue even on a lower dose (I am now on 5mg). Even in the coldest weather I have to dress in layers as I’ll suddenly get in a huge sweat! I think it is one of the side effects of prednisone. My only advice is to dress in layers. Good luck.
I’m tapering down to 9mg and find that I sweat during the night, mostly from 2am onwards (when I take my dose). By the time I rise all around my neck and down my ckeavage is sweaty, hair at the back damp. This has been going on for most of my journey the last 9 months. I was/am going through menopause as well, so not completely sure it’s all due to PMR/pred??? Blame the occasional mood swing on menopause at this dose, was worse at higher doses. It must be frustrating for you to deal with this around the clock. Hope it lessens as the dose goes down, but from the sounds of the responses from folks at around 5mg, they still experience it. (sigh)
Yes I sweat on and off and never linked it to changing pre, will look out now. It’s a relief to know others suffer from it and I will buy “kwells” hopeing that can reduce it. Oh dear!!
Hot and sweating
Sweating with steroids 
SWEATING PMR/GCA AND TAPERING
Excessive Sweating
Reduced sweating
