dizziness

[Maggiechris]

Does anyone else suffer from dizziness as a side effect of taking prednisolone? Prior to being diagnosed with PMR last year I'd had labyrinthitis for a few months, but the associated dizziness was waning. When I started taking pred the dizziness worsened and I've had it ever since, some days better than others. It did seem to improve as I reduced the pred but I've recently had to up my dose of pred after trying to stick it out on 3mg but felt so poorly I couldn't cope. The dizziness is now worse again.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

It is listed a a common side effect in the patient information leaflet, but as you encountered it does usually get better as you reduce.

Now I would say it may be down to adrenal stuttering, it is a side effect of them struggling - see link - or maybe a combination of both -

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

A slower taper and smaller steps (0.5mg) if not already will help adrenals. A couple of slower tapers can be found here -

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[piglette]

I got bad dizziness when my adrenals started to wake up around 5mg. I also started to faint along with the deathly fatigue

[Theziggy in reply to piglette]

Goodness, how are you now Piglette?

[piglette in reply to Theziggy]

I went through numerous tests for my heart. I am not sure they seem to have come to a conclusion. No one mentioned adrenal problems! I do seem to have improved with the deathly fatigue having improved too.

[Sho-Sho]

I am on 5mg of prednisolone now having started at 70 for GCA 6 years ago, the dizziness was terrible until I got to 10 then it went away but back it came again at 7mg, be it nothing like as bad - my adrenals are only functioning at a very low level & this is definitely a side effect from that.

Not very pleasant.

[GrandmaPirate]

I had also several periods of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo while on prednisolone 1 mg/day (and earlier higher doses). My last one lasted from July until mid September, when it within a week became less and stopped completely. That whole period I was on 1mg/day pred. The only medication change was a disruption of one month of DHEA 4mg/day in August. I resumed the intake in September. Dizziness is in my case especially when coming out of bed, while doing my sit-ups (exercises) or putting on/off my shoes. Nausea often occurs at the same time. During the summer months I m cycling a lot and I wonder if it has to do with the position of my head on the bicycle. In September it started raining and I stopped cycling.t's puzzling. Just glad it is now over again, because severe vertigo isn't pleasant and makes you feel unsafe.