Stress

[Blackcatlover]

Is it ever alright to add 5mg of Prednisone during a stressful time. I’m at 4.5mg and would go up to 9.5mg for a few days. Feeling very stressed. Things should calm down for me in a few days.

[SnazzyD]

Personally I don’t crank it up just in case especially at this level where you want the adrenal glands to get a clear consistent message that they need to work. Going back up to nearly 10mg would need a pretty darned good reason for me because that’s more of a shut down dose. Another reason I hesitate to increase just in case is that my feeling is that I have to stand on my own two feet at some point and need to trust my body. It’s just my own gut feeling that I don’t want to use Pred as a crutch in place of being measured and not taking on too much. However, I have no idea of your circumstances so can’t judge your personal calculation.

[Blackcatlover in reply to SnazzyD]

Good advice. I never considered the adrenals and I do need to trust my body. I’m strong! I’ve been through a lot and this too will pass! IV taken some deep breaths and feel stronger already. Thanks for the pep talk SnazzyD.☺️

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I'm sure people do - but whether it is OK or not is another question. I may add a mg or so for the odd day when travelling for example. But for stress alone I definitely wouldn't add 5mg for more than 1 day and I don't think I have ever done that. I DO raise the dose if the stress has resulted in a flare but only by the odd mg or so - and stress for me definitely does lead to flares. And that is assessed by symptoms.

[Blackcatlover in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks so much. I will see what tomorrow brings and won’t do 5mg.

[HeronNS]

I tend to agree with SnazzyD. I have increased my pred dose from time to time, although generally not into the adrenal shut-down range. And I only ever increased because of increased PMR pain. The first real flare I had was when I tried to get to zero before I was ready and had only enough tablets to manage a dead slow reduction without any problems. I did run into problems, but tried again. Eventually I needed the 5 mg increase (which took me by then briefly into 7 mg territory because I had already increased to 3). The result of this misadventure was it took me the better part of two years to get back to where I had been before the flare and still longer before I was ready to try a new taper to a lower dose. But the more salient point is it was after this increase in pred that I found, and have continued to find, I get fatigued more easily. I have no way to prove this, but I think the increase set back my adrenal recovery very much more seriously than one could ever have expected. In fact I'm willing to say that I have never been the same since then. Up to that point I'd had a pretty uneventful pred journey. So, beware!

[Blackcatlover in reply to HeronNS]

Good reason to be cautious. Thanks so much.

[SheffieldJane]

I haven’t found Pred helpful in anticipation of or during a stressful event. In me it tends to excite rather than calm. However, if the situation has produced symptoms of an impending flare, then it is really valuable in nipping it in the bud.

[Blackcatlover in reply to SheffieldJane]

Upon waking yesterday, I had pain in both arms and neck. I took an extra 5mg and then was worried I’d done the wrong thing. That’s when I turned to all the brilliant people on this forum. By the end of the day I was feeling somewhat better but I did lots of deep breathing and felt that I was not alone. Not sure what helped me more. I will see what today brings. Will only take 1 mg today if achy. Kind words always make you stronger.

[SheffieldJane in reply to Blackcatlover]

Yes they do. We all contribute to a healing space. A real gift. 🌈

[Heron82]

Increasing steroids may increase your stress, I don't think it is wise to do this. One should only increase as dictated by PMR symptoms. Instead perhaps try some mindfulness or meditation exercises that are available on youtube. I do hope things resolve for you soon.

[Sandradsn]

I've been reducing to .5mg/0.mg this week,I felt fine until yesterday.I was walking along the street and WHAM I fell straight onto the pavement.

My knees are skinned,blue and swollen.I was debating whether to increase the pred as I feel aches in my shoulders etc.

I decided not to increase and see how I feel over the next few days.....

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sandradsn]

There is a medical article acknowledging that a fall can be enough to trigger a flare of PMR! I find a fall will wake up dormant myofascial pain syndrome - much like a whiplash injury

[Sandradsn in reply to PMRpro]

Oh heck!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sandradsn]

I find 800mg ibuprofen all at once and a hot water bottle on the sore bits works well in myofascial pain syndrome! Just be aware - it might not happen!

[SheffieldJane in reply to Sandradsn]

Oh poor you! What a shock. I think I would do 5 mgs for a few days then straight back. I have honestly flared for less.

[Sandradsn in reply to SheffieldJane]

Ok I will do that,I feel battered and bruised.

[Jackoh in reply to Sandradsn]

Last thing you wanted Sandradsn. Hope all calms down for you. 💐

[powerwalk in reply to Sandradsn]

Oh no Sandradsn. Hope you're ok.

[nuigini]

I take the same approach as PMRpro and add a mg on travel days, but otherwise increase only when symptoms over several days are indicative of a flare, which may or may not be stress related.

If I increased by 5 mg during stressful times, without any sign of a flare I'd be in an unwanted and dangerous yo-yo situation on a pretty regular basis, especially these days.

[Blackcatlover in reply to nuigini]

Good point. There are many days when you just don’t feel right. Thanks.