Now have had every side effect of prednisone

[Manihiki]

Learnt this week that I have now had every single side effect of prednisone having been told by my rheumatologist after a syncathen test that I have low adrenal function. Prednisone worked its magic on GCA but has caused high blood pressure, eye pressure, steroid induced diabetes and now this.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

i doubt that is the full spectrum - there are over 80 listed adverse effects of pred! But enough to be going on with to be fair.

You can almost always improve the steroid-induced diabetes aspect by cutting dietary carbs drastically - many of us have done so. How bad is your Hba1c reading? Even after 3 or 4 months of not being at all careful about carbs my Hba1c is still 36! You get drops for raised occular pressures and BP medication isn't too bad at all.

But above all - what dose of pred are you on at present? If it is between 3 and 5mg (or more) then a synacthen test will show adrenal insufficiency - you won't get a meaningful result until under 3mg.

[Manihiki in reply to PMRpro]

I have had a lot more including the moonface and hump shoulders and thrush even down in my esophagus but this seemed the last straw. The diabetes induced condition is in spite of my almost zero carb diet. I never gained weight (for that I count myself so lucky) but the level of diabetes almost corresponds to the level of predisone I am on. I did at one point manage to taper off and stay off prednisone for 6 months and my Hba1c dropped to 36. At that point diabetes disappeared but came again when I flared and although I only needed a reduced dose it returned with a vengeance and has lingered this time with Hba1c readings now around 41-42 so just over what is okay here in NZ.

I was on 3mg when I did the synacthen test so I read what you say about a meaningful result. I had been having a lot of symptoms which suggested a PMR flare but more including dramatic weight loss, nausea and muscle weakness and my rheumatologist wanted to check out the possibility of either a flare or what was happening with the adrenals.

In his follow up message he said to return to 5mg and that we will reduce by a half every three months.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Manihiki]

41-42 is the bottom of the pre-diabetes range so for pred-induced hyperglycaemia is not too bad at all sinc eyou can't control the pred-related glucose release.

[SnazzyD]

Oh dear, are you one of those unlucky few who still got the high blood sugar even even with low carb diet? What dose are you on? That makes all the difference to the apparent result of tests for adrenal function. I had very poor function when I was tested at 4mg but it was much better, though not perfect, by 1.5mg.

[Manihiki in reply to SnazzyD]

Okay so in fact being on 3mg is not a true test.

[piglette]

I thought I had done badly with 14 different side effects.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to piglette]

😉

[2013mayo]

Hi poor you, I too had lots of side effects when I first started on pred, if you cut down on carbs and sugar it will certainly help re the diabetes.

As for low adrenal function I can’t help you there.

I’ve now got cataracts as a result of pred, I did have pre diabetes when I was a high dose, it’s all calmed down now, I put on weight, I had bruises all over, if I cut myself it would bleed nonstop, I have scars all over my legs now, I had to take water tablets as I was retaining water, my eyesight is now very bad, constant urine infections, oral thrush, sleepless nights and so on. I’m still having problems re gca I’ve had a lot of side effects..I’m now on 5mg now.

It will come right eventually. (Well hopefully )

[Manihiki in reply to 2013mayo]

Really feel for you. The thin skin is a real problem. I just touched the edge of the car door and it was enough to scrape the skin off my leg. Needless to say the healing is a long protracted time!

[2013mayo in reply to Manihiki]

😍

[Stella3]

So sorry to hear about the side effects of Prednisone that are happening to you. I found that Prednisone really did work on my GCA (headaches etc.). I started on 60mg which was awful but worked my way down gradually. I gained quite a bit of weight...had bruises and bleeding and also had intestinal bleeding so had to undergo colonoscopy to fix that. Also for a while my hair was falling out. I do hope that you can get some help.

[Manihiki]

I found prednisone really helped my GCA and had to take 80mg to get it under control. My hair fell out at that level but came back slowly but surely. I had not started with PMR but when I flared after tapering to zero (over two and a half years) my rheumatologist diagnosed PMR. But that meant a much lower dose which was great.