Are you sufferers of PMA suffering from any side effects of Pred? I've been on 15mg since January and my daughter is convinced I'm a bit hyper, very energetic, talking too much, doing thirty things at once and today, I was scammed!
Yes, I fell for request from 'a friend', whose email address was genuine to help him send a Google Pay card from Amazon for £200 to his relative, whose birthday he had forgotten! I just can't believe I did it, but I did. The genuine friend had 52 other people ring him up to query their requests, but I thought I was being kind to him and doing the right thing and I have been left losing that money and with criticism from my family, that "it must be the steroids!"
It didn't help when after I realised what I had done, that another 'request' came from the same source, asking me to send another £400 and he would replay my £600 immediately!!
Any comments? How is everyone else feeling after Pred, mentally? But I am feeling very depressed by it all.
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Silver-Babe
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Hi. Am I correct in assuming you've been taking 15mg Prednisolone for around eight weeks? I'm asking because I feel your initial dose should have been reduced by now (others will advise) and could be accounting for your hyped up state. Did your GP/rheumatologist talk to you about the plan for tapering your dose?
Hello 123-go. Yes, my ESR went down from 40 to 12 in two months, so I am now on 12.5mg., which meant I was on Pred for about 8 weeks. Beginning to feel slight tingling in left arm so hope I'm not starting it up again. (Pretending it's not there.) But it's the 'mental' side I'm interested in. What is everyone else feeling whilst on Pred? Happy and euphoric (although with my husband now in a care home, no reason to be at all) or down and a bit tearful now I'm on reduced level, as I'm feeling tonight.
Hello Silver-Babe. I do understand your concern over your mental state and am pleased that others have reassured you that the side effects of Pred can play havoc with your mind and your emotions. I too have experienced some weird and wonderful episodes when on higher doses ranging from euphoria to tears and sometimes anger for no apparent reason. The most embarrassing thing I ever did was to put the phone down on my hospital doctor because I thought it was a cold call. I still cringe when I think about it and am just relieved that I hadn't told him, uncharacteristically, to "naff off"! It was on the tip of my tongue!
I was wondering about fact that you'd been on 15mg for two months and that perhaps you were being left to 'get on with it' yourself which has happened to a number of others. Now I see you have reduced to 12.5mg I can count that out. Hopefully, your emotions will settle soon and you'll feel more on an even keel but at least you now know that you are by no means alone in all the ups and downs.
As for the tingling in your arm, it could be caused by sleeping awkwardly. Mention it to your GP/rheumatologist if it continues or worsens.
Oh 123, I did laugh at your message!I am so relieved that I am not alone, though telling my consultant to naff off, might have been a bit over the top! I haven't seen any other posts on this about our mental state of health, but obviously some of us have a problem! It took the scam and my daughter's scolding to make me see that it could be the side effects of pred. Thanks so much.
That is only because you haven't read them all!!! There being thousands (currently heading for 24K) it isn't practical now. But there has been discussion about it - though mostly it is unrestrained online shopping at 2am ...
Not entirely sure you can blame pred - I and my husband (who is not on pred) both got similar emails from a longstanding international colleague - I spotted it immediately, he was keen to help out an old friend.
I let a guy into read my meter. I should have realised as he wanted to read the gas and I have electricity and gas with the same company, I happily let him in with his hi-viz jacket. Great way of staking out a house. Someone managed to get a photo of him on their front door bell security system.
Oh Silver-Babe you did a kind thing and yes I think that the higher doses of Prednisalone can lower your inhibitions. I find myself sending random presents to my dear Australian grandchildren when I am missing them and sleepless in the early hours of the morning. It was a bit like being drunk cringing in the morning wondering what I had done, sent, spent. I overspent and had to rein myself in strictly, with bailout help from my very patient husband. I know it’s not like being scammed by a stranger ( paranoia saves me from that). It just illustrates the fact that our judgment is a bit impaired. Don’t waste depression on this criminal, just move on a little wiser.
What a kind understanding person you are Jane. It looks like my daughter was right. She also said I was too outspoken, giving my views full force although I don’t normally speak up. I can well understand you missing your Australians too. I too have an Australian family but they have been there years now. Fortunately have three other children and 11 grandchildren here. But what with the stupid scam I fell for today and other ‘misdemeanours’ I m now back in my box!!
No no no never get back in that box! My daughter wants me in a rocking chair on her veranda. I don’t think so, not yet. We mothers don’t realise how powerful we are, that’s why they want to shut us up. 😂😂😂
Yes it does affect you. Your thinking etc., Different ways for each of us probably. Also different stages as you reduce. Don't be too hard on yourself!! You have enough to think about, I know it's hard to forget about it but you will be more aware now. Enjoy being hopefully pain free for now!!!
Poor you - and shame on the scammer. It actually reflects well on your helpful personality, and ... we have ALL been had at some point. Personally, I feel much more optimistic on 15 mgs (my current dose). And I joke with my children more than before. Perhaps optimism could spill over into gullibility in my case, and I will watch for it. I have heard of Steroid Mania, but my experience is very pleasant and so much better than PMR without Pred.
I agree- but had no idea my personality is apparently changed by pred. Thank you for your comments.
Morning Silver-Babe. Just read you post, so you were scammed, it's happening all the time to vulnerable people. To me that speaks of kindness on your part, albeit you're now out of pocket. Rest assured, Pred does weird things to many of us, me included. Mood swings, dark thoughts, sleepless nights, this list goes on. However, Pred although not a cure (wish it was) it does bring inflammation down and pain reduces. I've now been taking it for 15 months and slowly beginning to feel better. Jane gives very good advice, as so many other ladies on this forum do too. Families don't always understand how we are feeling, have to be in our shoes to know that.
Do hope you start to feel better really soon, and don't beat yourself up
about the scam. I get them on most days on the 'phone saying if I don't
pay up my Internet will be cut off. Or I owe money to Prime Amazon, when
I don't even subscribe to Prime. They are just waiting to catch out that
I too was hyped up on Preds only sleeping for an hour or two. Re arranging cupboards in the middle of the night and ordering things from Amazon, a chair arrived one day. My poor husband didn’t know what was going to arrive next. Down to 5 mgm now and calm has returned to the house.
Quite the opposite for me, certainly did not feel euphoric, I actually felt suicidal, depressed, very emotional and developed severe headaches during 20mg down to 12mg. Once I arrived at 8mg started to get numbness in my wrists and hands. So being on pred has not been a great experience for me.
If you are still in the grips of a depression Liby57 please talk to your doctor. So many of us are suffering mental health problems from lockdown alone, never mind the various effects of strong medication, sleeplessness, pain and worry. You may want to do a separate post about your current state of health. You will find that you are definitely not alone in your feelings and symptoms. Suicidal feelings are hard to talk about and they must be taken very seriously. X
Hi Jane thank you for your reply, I think my suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression were side affects from the initial high dose of Prednisolone. These feelings have certainly disappeared when my dose decreased, Thankfully I no longer have these feelings.
Hi Silver-Babe, so sorry about the scam, it could happen to anyone. I started on the same dose as you and apart from an occasional emotional upheaval and the absence of pain, I didn't notice such dramatic impact as you seem to be experiencing. Have you checked your thyroid function lately. Your symptoms sound like something my aunt was experiencing when they discovered she had hyperthyroidism. In any case I hope you get to the bottom of it soon. Vx
Hi Silver-Babe, I think you sound a very kind, spontaneous woman who sadly got caught up in one of the hundreds of scams going around at present, it’s so easy to do. It’s got me to not believing anything! I have found I am sending for far more stuff than normal, that’s probably due to lockdown and a belief that this next item will really improve my life, or clothing that will make me feel young and attractive again whilst I’m really feeling like a fat old woman!When life gets a bit more normal and I can start tennis and maybe dancing in a garden(!) and my days get fuller it will distract me from “ Mrs Shopper”.
I am about to reduce from 15mg, do I go down to 12.5 or taper more slowly?
My GP seems unreachable these days so I may have to speak to another who won’t know me or my condition.
Good luck Silver-babe on the lower dosage, if complete sanity doesn’t return just enjoy a little eccentricity, we are of an age we can get away with it and as long as we’re not grumpy old women, just crazy ones, enjoy!
You sound just like me as well. I am an 'Amazon-holic' and my garage is stuffed full of cardboard boxes - it's almost like a drug! I am on my computer at 1 in the morning regularly, writing to people, ordering clothes (for no reasons I already have plenty), doing admin. And yes, I have felt happy in spite of PMA and other things put right by drugs. No reason to, because my lovely husband of 58 years is now in a care home with dementia and I should be so depressed, but I'm not. Mind you, it was probably that which has caused the PMA............
No good asking me about doses - there are so many experts on this forum and they know everything. But been on 12.5mg since Sunday and so far, so good! Good luck to you too and we must keep in touch!
Oh yes, I started on 20mg and my daughter will attest to my “roid rage”. I was charging around and back running 10k a day, but still flew off the handle for no reason. It settled down though and I learned to control the feelings, telling myself: this is not real, this is the steroids talking.
So sorry you were scammed, rational thought goes out the window.
More comforting words! This is such a revelation. They don't tell us of this on the back of the packet do they?! You sound just like me and I now must really CALM DOWN! Thank you!
I too fell for a doorstep delivery scam. I put it down to Pred foggy brain as I am usually so suspicious. DHL delivered an iPad Pro with a sim card that I certainly did not order and a few minutes later I got a phone call from DHL (not) saying they had mislabelled and that someone would come and collect the parcel, which they did 4 minutes later. Everything happened in less than 8 minutes and I just totally fell for it. Idiot. I realised after and rang 101 and spoke to the Fraud Dept, who told me it was the second call that day of the exact same scam. 5 days later I got the o2 letter confirming my monthly payments for an iPad Pro! Still so annoyed with myself as I am the person telling others about scams. But I am not running at 100% brain function-wise as I get very fuzzy and forget things really easily, even mid sentence. As I have reduced at least my sleep has improved so that's something... but am now waiting for o2 Fraud dept to ring. Sorry you fell for this, coming from a friend it is understandable that you may have read it as genuine. Unbelievably cheeky they came back asking for more. Did you tell the police they had done that as they might have been able to intercept something.
Put it down to experience now and move on and try not to let it get to you too much.
Easily said I know as I am still cross with myself.
Oh Sophie! You are just like me. Aren't these people devils, because they scammed all 600 people in my friend's list! I think they only got to 100 in the end, but with his genuine email address, why should I not have believed my friend's request was not true? (And I was the only one to have fallen for it which makes it worse for me.) Now he has to change his passwords, probably his email address (nightmare) because if we write to him, we know it goes straight into the hands of Nigeria.............
But I did look you up and what a terrible health time you have had (and personal too by the sounds of it.) I can't believe you have been so ill and you look so young too. My great sympathy and hope your health (and bank balance!) improves soon........
One sign is that they don't greet you the way you would expect and if you look really carefully it is obvious the English wasn't written by a native speaker - just little things. I got one from the husband of a friend living in France - in French so VERY obvious as Dave is even more "English" than his wife!
I know! My friend would never start an email, "Hi!" And he did. Trouble was I was looking at a webinar at the same time and friend's request popped up and as he is hopeless on internet, I though I would be able to help him. I am just SUCH A FOOL! Happier to see many of us all suffer from this euphoria thing due to Pred. It's been a good lesson actually and I hope a warning to others.
Have you reported this to the police? I know you won't get your money back, but it's important to keep track of these things. My stepmother was scammed out of "my" inheritance, which would have been a hefty chunk of change and had been promised to me all my life. Of course police in two countries were informed and could do nothing, but recently (now a fair number of years after the fact) some people responsible for identical scam have been caught and charged. Reporting it may not help you, but down the line it wil help others.
Hello Heron,I spoke to my friend who was the object of my generosity! As about 100 of his contacts were also approached he has reported it to the police in Wales where they live and they have been very helpful. However as you say nothing cannot be done.
The awful thing is that because the scammers use his genuine email address, no one can write to him again without it getting to them and he will Have to change his passwords and likely even email address. What a nightmare! Enough to give him polymyalgia rheumatica!
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