Hi Everyone , firstly I wanted to wish you all a healthy or healthier new year ! and also to say thank you for all the positive help I received a couple of months ago when I had a viral infection and ended up taking a higher dose of pred to combat it . I am back to 10.5 now and tapering very slowly .
I have been looking for a house to buy for the last 18 months after I got flooded in my last one . it was a major traumatic experience which I think was ultimately behind the onset of my PMR.
I have viewed loads of properties to try and find a new sanctuary !!,and now recently have found that the whole issue of looking for something new has become overwhelming . its now got to the point that the very thought of this subject makes me feel unwell with anxiety .I also feel terribly depleted physically IMMEDIATELY as a result .Has anyone else had this ?. I think its like a wave of some hormone kicking in and I assume that with me taking the pred I can`t deal with cortisol and adrenaline.
Im trying to practise mindfulness and breathing , is there any meds or supplements I should be asking my doctor for , to stop this dreadful anxiety ?
Thank you Marek1
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Marek1
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Having done the whole house-hunting thing quite a lot in my life - maybe you are setting your standards far too high? I can't even imagine spending 18 months interviewing houses without filling the post! The house I have loved most is the one where I live now - and I only knew the surroundings and general proposed layout when we bought it from plan, even before the old building had been knocked down. I took the basics and adapted them with other houses, this one I have taken as it came.
It is one of the most stressful things we do - no 3 in the top five, followed by illness. No wonder you feel as you do.
I think it is a problem in modern society - everything has to be perfect and it is difficult to imagine what can be done with something that isn't because we are out of practice.
It may be the underlying cause of anxiety - but it depends on the pred dose you are on. Above about 5-7mg you have total replacement therapy so now at 10mg, it shouldn't be the problem. But for some people, pred itself causes anxiety.
I think Snazzy's analysis is very good - what are you really looking for? Does it exist?
I think it just has to feel right and then you have to live with it for awhile...then fix things but I have low standards (lived in a fisherman's hut once in Greece). Maybe stop looking for a bit. It can get obsessive. Can someone you know well help you?
I've never had a problem - I walked into a house and just knew it was right. The one house I had nothing to do with - I only saw the plans before making an offer and I KNEW what my husband said about it was unlikely to be entirely accurate ("the kitchen's fine") but it had the right number of rooms - by the time we'd finished with it it was pretty good ...
You wouldn't but some people might need a second opinion. Also some people might need a devil's advocate to tell them 'the kitchen is useless'. I used to waste time by looking at house selling websites (trulia) as it is enjoyable to look at houses (and dream).
My mother was with him when he viewed it! I asked her why she hadn't disillusioned him - she looked slightly ashamed. It was fine I didn't have to justify replacing it when I demonstrated to him when I saw it (after the offer had been accepted so neither side could back out, Scottish law) that it was odd base units joined together with a cheap worksurface and added doors! To describe it as "fitted" was decidedly questionable under trades descriptions law. I got a wonderful kitchen out of it - open plan to a winter garden.
It was just your reply was directed to me ... I've been doing that too to see what is on offer where I might want to live in the UK. The answer: not a lot!
House hunting can be horrendous even in uncomplicated cases, not least because of information overload. After a week it all blurs into one, one ends up having to compare the incomparable, all the pressure of making the right decision. Add in sentiment and it’s horrible. Trauma doesn’t just go away the moment the stressor has gone, it is processed in fits and starts. Talking to someone regularly helps that.
I’ve moved house a good few times and each time I think I'm losing the home I love never to be equalled. Has turned out to be untrue every time because the pluses and minuses are different.
You have enough of the artificial cortisol in the form of Pred so, your own system doesn’t need to work yet, unless you are a low absorber. However, it could still be high enough to poke any smouldering embers of anxiety if you are susceptible. On high doses it is obvious that Pred is fanning those flames but at lower doses it can be more subtle and less easy to point the finger. You have multiple reasons to feel anxious. It might be worth making a list of the things that making you say no to properties and try to think honestly what is driving that. It may be nothing to do with the face of it but a bit of you still (rightly) crying about your big loss.
thank you SnazzyD very kind words . I have never had such a reaction with almost immediate fatigue caused by stress . thats why I thought it was probably something chemical on top of the general state I`m in .
It will certainly be chemical whether your brain/body are just shutting down because you’ve reached overload, or whether you don’t have enough cortisol or whatever else. Perhaps its time to regroup, reassess, reframe and be strict with self care if you are not already.
Fatigue in response to stress is not unexpected since in stress situations you normally experience a spike of cortisol and adrenaline similar to the fight or flight response. When the adrenal glands aren't able to produce that spike, you would experience fatigue instead.
I have suffered from a lot of anxiety and stress and felt the muscle weakness, such heavy legs. I have been practising self care, meditation and breathing exercises. It does help. I also had severe insomnia which I believe has led to depression. In November, after a difficult few weeks following a couple of viruses I picked up somewhere, I resorted to a course of anti depressants to ease my lack of sleep and anxiety issues. They have helped. I just want to get through this winter and I’m now back to enjoying simple hobbies like reading and knitting, plus really slowly pacing myself. That’s all that seems to work. Treat yourself like a prince, as they on this site. That works too. House moves are the most stressful thing. We’ve pondered a move from our current house but we’ve pressed pause on everything for now.
Stress can cause terrible Fatigue even without a flare if pain . We can be more emotional or anxious on doses over 10 mg , partially because our cortisol levels are kept artificially high , but also because that stasis in our " fight and flight response caused by steroid use doesn't allow a rapid surge of defensive adrenaline and cortisol your brain expects during mental stress. For certain people this can make taking steroids more complex and they suffer more mental health issues during stressful situations.
If the thought of finding a new home , and the steroids , are effecting your sleep the lack of rest can also cause an increase in Anxiety or anxiety like symptoms such as palpitations, over alertness , nausea and dizziness because your body and Nervous system has not had chance to relax properly and is struggling with the tension stress produces.
I suppose the question to ask is :
What will make you feel worse at the moment , the search for a new home or remaining in one you are not comfortable in?
If you feel you are able to cope mentally without moving at the moment and remaining were you are won't add to your tension it may be better to put off the search for a new home until your PMR has stabilized and you are on lower doses , and more physically capable of managing the stress of moving.
If you really feel you must move now , still take a break from your search.
Try looking at houses in areas that you aren't interested in moving to , or places in home and design books to give you a better idea of what sort of house would really feel like your dream home.
Write a list of what things are really important to you in a new house.
Then , after you have had some time just relaxing take another look at what is on offer but with the thought in mind that you will only make an effort to look at things that really suit your needs and catches your eye.
A property doesn't need to be perfect but have the bare bones that you could adapt to what you want.
You usually find far more properties pop on for sale lists from Easter as people take advantage of the weather to make their move so you could find what you want more easily then.
What a detailed measured reply Blearyeyed. Your explanation of cortisol and steroids over 10mg really resonates with my experience and is a helpful explanation.
Can only sympathise. Moved myself and 3 dependent others out of intergenerational to individual properties 18 months ago. It was hell on earth. But I did it and so will you. Wait till head and heart come together, they will and a bit of very good luck. Thinking of you and wishing you well x
Unless you design and build your new home yourself, it is doubtful you will find a house that meets your requirements exactly or entirely. Perhaps you need to compromise a little more than you have already?
Hi M sorry that your feeling like this at the moment. Your post has brought back some very unpleasant memories I found reading it that I was wringing my hands in sympathy. I was just like you for a long time and although much improved it is still with me to a lessor degree. I have lost all capacity for controlling stress which I previously would have took in my stride and got on with. At the time I was on about 10-12 mgs prednisolone a day. The anxiety was severe and sleep very poor. To keep it brief I started taking 10,000 vit D 3 and 2000mg Magnesium daily. I learnt how to meditate which was very difficult when your feeling anxious. I also put 100% into improving my sleep. The most difficult thing I did was learning how to say no to people when I needed my rest and alone time. However the more I did it the easier it became. I have a large desk diary and plan my week always ensuring that I have breaks and quiet mornings to myself. I am fortunate that I work from home. If I could only choose 1 thing I would choose the Magnesium I felt less anxious within 1-2 weeks of taking it. Good Luck with the house hunting. I also need to move and its in my diary to start on 1st April until then I will be taking it easy x
I was suffering from severe anxiety before I was diagnosed. I didn’t know why. I think that was part of my GCA symptoms. Prednisone made it even worse. Doctor prescribed an antidepressant. Antidepressants can take a few weeks to work but mine took even longer because I believe prednisone was overpowering it. Eventually it started to kick in and my anxiety went away along with my alternating bouts of depression. Even though I’m only on Actemra I still take my antidepressant. I think I’ll stay on it until and if I go into remission. I have no side effects and it keeps those awful feelings at bay
I am more anxious w/ age and have been on anti depressants since 91. Now on two. when husb and i decided to sell his larger house, move to warmer weather but keep a small apt in the home town, I was enraged all the time because we had different visions for the apt. Was literally googling divorce attys. We decided not to buy apt at all. Immediately the rage went away. House hunting is sooo personal. My advice is find a cheap furnished rental, get rid of current house, put money in bank, have movers put your furniture etc in storage. Take the pressure off and focus purely on your health.
You describe emerging feelings of anxiety prior to my GCA diagnosis. I really cannot cope with any stress and comments in this thread have really clarified things re the fight / flight response and pred. I too have found planning my week carefully and saying ‘no’ are the only ways through this. It’s getting the balance between having some sort of life and not over doing it.
Ps. currently on 24 mgs medrol…took myself down from 32 over last three weeks. Shakes were driving me batty. Still have the shakes but not as bad. I am very testy. See if yr doc will prescribe zolpidem to sleep. 5 mgs is enough to get 6 hours sleep or more if room is quiet.
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