What's happening physiologically at 8mg.

[IdasMum]

Happy Easter toute le monde!

This week I have been at 8mg all week after jumping down from the last rung of the ladder. I was on 5x9 2x8 and on Sunday thought, what the heck, my 9mg days are so far apart I may as well go straight to 8 full time now.

It seemed okay and still does seem okay although I am feeling slightly feeble until mid afternoon each day. Adding in much reduced side effects from the Metformin, I feel reasonably okay but not 100%

So what could be happening at 8mg? What's happening adrenal wise? How can I expect to feel? What's the meaning of life?

Merci.

[Hidden]

I wish i knew the meaning of life. I remember being ok at 8mg. Currently at 6mg but having to raise to 7mg this weekend due to forgetting dmard. I feel better after 2 days so perhaps i need 7mg. But 8mg was ok but i stayed for weeks.

When do you take metformin and what side effects were you getting?

[IdasMum in reply to Hidden]

After following some advice from the Diabetes forum diabetes.co.uk/forum/

I've been taking mine (2 doses) at 13h and 21h. I don't eat before midday, so taking the Metformin in the morning was leaving me uncomfortable.

[Hidden in reply to IdasMum]

As long as its within 30mins of eating it works fine with minimal side effects. I ask because one woman i knew too 4 pills in the morning without food and of course had problems. Drs never explain things properly do they. I have taken it since 2000 with no problem.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

joyeuses Pâques  to you as well!

Like the meaning of life - who knows!

Theoretically you are on the cusp of your adrenals noticing you have not quite enough. But given the bioavailability of pred you may have been there for a while. It varies from 50-90% - so at 90% it's just wake up time for the production of cortisol but if you are a 50% person it was some time ago.

[IdasMum in reply to PMRpro]

Oh...I suspect I am a 90%. Definitely feeling a little withdrawry this afternoon and some of the day yesterday and day before. I am guessing that will pass after a week or so. I think I'll be sticking to 8mg for now as we have a UK trip coming up and then in June our interviews in French for naturalisation.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi

Adrenals probably - I know we always say that - but invariably it’s true!

Next taper try just 0.5mg drop, they need all the help they can get to start sparking again, and slowly, slowly is the way!

[maria40 in reply to DorsetLady]

Yes, as slow as possible is certainly the way. I'm down to 7.5 now and have had a few days of terrible exhaustion. Now on my 7th day at this dose and, despite what was for me a hectic day yesterday with daughter,grandson and dog I just feel a bit tired but a quite normal tiredness. Perhaps we need more words for degrees of tiredness - bit like the Innuit words for snow - when we're on the pred reduction slope!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to maria40]

That’s a good idea! 😊

[IdasMum]

Thank you...I'll try that next time.

[PMRCanada]

Thanks for posing this question IdasMum. I’m at 8.5mg and will be tapering to 8pm at the end of April. Kind of scary as I reduce as I’ve read that it gets more and more difficult and my other mechanical related pains are emerging (knees, and now rotator cuffs). Yet I must say it took me 3 tries to go down to 9.5mg from 10, and lowering to 9mg was also a bit of a struggle. Once at 9mg felt great, and reducing to 8.5mg was remarkably easy (only took about 10 days vs. the other drops that took at least 3 weeks before transitions to my new dose full time).

I never know if it’s just the PMR waxing and waning, bioavailability, external stresses, or maybe adrenals starting to kick in????

I’m hoping things settle at your new dose. Sounds like there is another medication that may be complicating things. Enjoy your trip to the UK, and bonne chance regarding your French test.

[IdasMum]

Good luck with your taper. It's so difficult to know what is what.

I have just walked down the stairs like a normal person and I did some cleaning earlier.

3 hours before, no chance! What a mad illness this is.

[PMRnewbie2017]

Hi. You say you eat nothing before midday and feel feeble until mid afternoon. Can I ask when you take your pred? Also do you check your blood sugars? I am wondering if your lack of get up and go is because of low blood sugar. Whilst I would agree that fasting has merits and is now becoming an accepted method for reversing type 2 diabetes I just wonder if it is contributing to your problems.

[Constance13 in reply to PMRnewbie2017]

I don't like to eat breakfast, but I force myself to eat a slice of toast. I cut it up into small 'bites' and pop it in whilst drinking coffee. If I didn't I'd feel 'feeble' too.

The meaning of life? Enjoying what you can and looking forward to something better.

💐😎🍾🍸

[Hidden in reply to PMRnewbie2017]

Yes my feeling also. I know there are members of the diabetes uk forum that are hardcore in term of their approach but they usually arent being treated for another a/i condition. Breakfast with a milk product was reported to control blood sugar throughout the day recently (will try and find reference). Personally in terms of keeping blood sugar as stable as possible i have to eat breakfast, but then dont eat until mid afternoon.

independent.co.uk/life-styl...

[IdasMum]

I have been following Michael Mosley's Intermittent Fasting plan since before PMR.

This was in an attempt to address my insulin resistance. After a few weeks I found it the best thing I'd ever done and it stopped me having the odd almost hypo moments before mealtimes. Sadly 2 months in and PMR came along and who knows how much bigger I would be without this regime.

The feeling feeble is new....feels more related to my reduction to 8mg. It has no resemblance to the feeling of low blood sugar. I am not feeling feeble right now and I took my steroids with a small amount of milk 90 mins ago.

As I said to someone on the Diabetes UK forum, I am only willing to change to new dietary plans if I know I will sustain them. My knowledge of my history is that I won't. The Intermittent 15:8 has been a revelation to me....I went from eating breakfast and then feeling hungry and then hangry 2 hours before lunchtime and dinner time, to having a very stable arrival at lunchtime and again for our evening meal.

[Hidden in reply to IdasMum]

Sustainability is the key.

[daworm]

A always feel off for two/three days when I drop down..even at 1/2 mg, but I try to stick with it....sometime though I go back up for a few days and try again..