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[Logic]

Hi everyone

I took my last 1 mg Prednisone on 9/5. Sometimes I am nauseous and extremely tired but it's getting better. Unfortunately, I have been getting lots of palpitations for the past few months. A cardiogram was the same as a past one so doctor had me wear a holter monitor for 14 days. That showed pvcs which I have had before but an incident of superventricular tachiacardia and I have an appointment to see a cardiologist in November. I am very alarmed and wonder in this is part of tapering?

[piglette]

14 days for a Holter monitor must have been awful. I had one for 48 hours and that was bad enough. They found AF apparently in my case. I had a tilt test and various other tests to try and make me black out, I would not recommend it.

[Nextoneplease]

Hi Logic 😊

I’m sorry you’re going through this. It must be pretty disappointing, having got off pred.

I’m afraid I don’t know whether it is anything to do with tapering, unless the nausea and fatigue are signs that your adrenals glands are still adjusting to coming off pred. I haven’t got there myself but I have heard from lots of people here that it can take some while for your system to settle down.

Try not to be too alarmed about seeing a cardiologist. I’ve met some brilliant ones in my time.

Good luck to you and sorry I can’t be more informative x

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I have paroxysmal atrial fibrillation - the cardiologist is confident that it is due to the autoimmune part of PMR. It has always been worse during a flare or if the pred dose is getting too low so in that case I suppose you could say it was due to tapering.

"SVT is usually triggered by extra heartbeats (ectopic beats), which occur in all of us but may also be triggered by: some medications, including asthma medications, herbal supplements and cold remedies. drinking large amounts of caffeine or alcohol. stress or emotional upset."

nhsinform.scot/illnesses-an...

also gives more info about it

[nallufl24]

when I got to 5 mg prednisone I started to have an irregular heartbeat and angina but I thought maybe it was caused by starting Actemra. I still have no idea. I’m off pred but still have extra heartbeats. I now take a beta blocker and low dose aspirin and it has helped

[Ridge]

Who knows?Part of PMR, part of Pred, part of ai? I think they could all apply but maybe just age or coincidence. As far as I knew I had never had high BP or irregular heart beats before starting Prednisilone so I blamed that and it was very alarming. I got to see a cardiologist and I have ectopic beats. He couldn’t tell me why and age can play a part. He didn’t blame steroids. Most people can live with ectopics so that is what I did. There are other things that need help so it is good you have an appointment

What I’m saying is don’t be too alarmed. I have learnt that our hearts are tougher than we think or at any rate I thought

What about asking the GP for an adrenal function test? I forget what they are called but that could be useful too.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Ridge]

Synacthen test - they use synthetic ACTH in the test, hence the name.

[Ridge]

Oh! That sounds terrifying. How long did that go on for until you got the help? Did you get that help easily. My BP was erratic but overall in the Hypertension stage 1. I thought that was terrible but I was told quite normal for my age. I went on BP medication though. Afib has now joined the stage. I’m on Blood thinners as well now. I have said and asked about steroids and always told that they were not to blame! Who does one believe?

Prednisolone and Prednisone are the same but metabolised differently? Would that make a difference perhaps?

It sounds as if you have survived very well? I do hope so.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Ridge]

Pred can cause raised BP and arrythmias but so can other things. It sounds as if your doctors, like mine know what did it and have ruled out pred.

[Ridge]

Hummmm! Not sure I completely think that. But I have to be on the Pred so not much I can do about it.