Pred makes me dizzy

[Toolie2]

Is that normal? I only take prednisolone so there's nothing else to blame. I feel fine every morning, no dizziness or wobbliness, until a few minutes after I take the pred during breakfast and then I have to move about very carefully for several hours. Blood pressure's fine. I don't think it's adrenal related because I don't run out of energy later in the day, in fact I feel more normal in the evening.

I used to take it at night so that I would get over the dizziness in my sleep, but I saw the opthamologist who thinks my GCA is better now (after 20 months) and advised me to take it in the morning until I have a cortisol test in a few weeks. I have been reducing in 0.25mg steps and am now at 4mgs.

I'd be interested to know if pred has this effect on anyone else.

[SnazzyD]

It made me quite drunk and uncoordinated so I took it at night to sleep through the worst. However, this got better with dose reduction and also set in 1-2 hours later (uncoated Pred) once it got into my blood stream. It is odd that it happens only minutes after taking and still on a low dose.

My low adrenal function made me very tired in the mornings and in the afternoon I would have to sleep. If I did anything extra I felt weak and horrible all the time.

[Toolie2 in reply to SnazzyD]

Hi, thanks SnazzyD. I know I've read about the problems you have had with your "deathly fatigue" and the little inconvenience I have is nothing in comparison and I do think I'm very lucky. It's just a nuisance and I can't help feeling I'd be fine without the pred. But better not try!

[SheffieldJane]

Hi, After 8 years on Pred I think I may have had every weird symptom that can manifest. Have you consulted your GP on this? Just to rule out anything else? You’ve said your BP is normal. Did your Opthalmologist give their rationale for moving your Pred from night to morning? I can’t think of a good one and the risk of falling would loom large for me. 18 months would be an unusually short time to have GCA for. My very experienced Rheumatologist is unable to tell me when mine will go. It will be dependent on symptoms. She really is a leader in the field of our diseases. All I know is it tends to be of shorter duration than PMR which I also have. You really have been exemplary in the way you have managed your disease. Your next step should perhaps be an Endocrinologist. Even though ( lucky you) you are not running out of energy, your body is adjusting to producing its own cortisol. This maybe contributing to the dizziness. You could have a morning cortisol test with the GP to start the process off. I would be tempted to return to the overnight Pred dose for safety’s sake.

[Toolie2 in reply to SheffieldJane]

Hi SheffieldJane, I agree, I don't set much store by the opthalmologist's prognosis. She's a very positive and optimistic woman, very uplifting, but we'll see. She ordered a '9 o'clock cortisol test' at the hospital and the purpose of taking pred in the morning was to have it used up by the time of the test. And you're right, I'm much better off taking it at night and swapping to morning a couple of days before the test.

I haven't contacted my GP, that's not something to undertake lightly, in fact, I've never seen one, but I've got a telephone appointment with the rheumatologist in a couple of weeks and I'll run it past him.

Thanks for the compliment, but I can't take any credit for the way the disease is working out. I've learned so much from this forum and used any advice that seemed appropriate. I don't think I'm likely to fall, it's more that if I don't look exactly where I'm going I suddenly feel I'm toppling sideways and have to shoot my arms out to get back to the perpendicular. Probably looks very funny. But by early evening, I'm back to being stable again.

[powerwalk]

Pred has always made me "heady". It was worse on higher dose in the beginning but even now i get very heady still and just not "there" feeling. Its very unpleasant. But its usually later in the morning. I take my pred around 7 or thereabouts. If i get steroid injections it gets worse (sometimes for back pain). It may be different if your actually badly dizzy. Maybe keep an eye on it that nothing else is going on. Its a horrible feeling.

[Toolie2 in reply to powerwalk]

Hi powerwalk, yes, I know what you mean by "heady", maybe also what people call 'brainfog'. I used to have that on higher doses. Now, it's more that I can't look around and walk at the same time, so I'm not dizzy all the time, just when I'm moving. And it does wear off by evening.

[powerwalk in reply to Toolie2]

Yes its horrible. I feel like im looking out at everyone else. Joy of meds!!

[MiniSpec in reply to Toolie2]

I tend to get something similar, even though I'm now down on a fairly low dose of Pred (3mgs per day). I've found that sometimes I'm walking along leaning at an angle to one side or the other, but usually to my right. I also find that if I turn my head quickly my balance goes altogether and I have to hold on to something to stop me from falling over.

Having read all of this thread I wonder if I should ask my GP for some vertigo tablets like SpaghettiWestern99 has? It might overcome the 'dizziness' problem, or it may not, who knows?

[pegpowell in reply to MiniSpec]

I have the same symptoms but I have been off pred since late January after being on pred for 8 years for PMR. I use a cane for balance.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to MiniSpec]

A proper diagnosis is a good idea. Vertigo tablets just mask the problem ...

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Several people have found that they felt quite "strange" about an hour after taking plain pred.

[Toolie2 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro, that's interesting. I take plain uncoated and react in minutes!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Toolie2]

That IS strange because it can't be in your system at all that quickly. Wonder if it is something else in the tablet rather than the pred.

[Toolie2 in reply to PMRpro]

I wonder! I have a different make of tablet at the moment and it’s been much more noticeable. I’ll try another packet. Thank you!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Toolie2]

Adds to my suspicions!

[SpaghettiWestern99]

I have same symptoms and after agreement from the Doc I take vertigo tablets. If I stop taking them the effects return

[Toolie2]

Hi SpaghettiWestern99, yes your post came up in Related Posts after I’d asked the question . That sounds really difficult to cope with. Good you’ve found a solution though.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Toolie2]

When you reply to someone specific - click on Reply in the blue box immediately under the comment and they will be notified of the fact.

[AtopicGuy]

Like most medicines, steroid tablets take much longer than "a few minutes" to be absorbed and take effect, so the symptoms are more likely to be due to the underlying autoimmune disease. Inhaled or injected medicines work much faster.

[Renlim]

Yes, it's what I think it would be like being on recreational drugs - only I've never taken them so can't be sure. Very unnerving. Much worse at higher doses of pred (20 mg plus). Begins to go away on lower

[musicalJ]

Like you I have both PMR and GCA, diagnosed Feb 2023 and started on 60mg prednisolone. My biggest issue for a long time was vertigo after taking the prednisolone (I was fine when I got up) ; it improved as the day wore on and I was generally better by the evening, but often in the morning I could do nothing but sit with my eyes closed. After a few months I was given Betahistine for a while, which controlled the vertigo. When I got down to 20 mg prednisolone I stopped taking Betahistine and was OK. I still have balance problems, but nowhere near as bad as they were. I'm now on 12.5 mg. So in answer to your question, I think prednisolone can cause dizziness, but it eases off at lower doses.

[Joseph14612]

l have the same symptoms, using a cane for balance ...Rheummy suggested OTC Dramamine ...I am on 13mg plain prednisone and it started about 12 weeks ago when I got below 20mg. I had a fungal ear infection a few months back and am wondering if it is related...going back to ear doctor next week and they want to check ear pressure...