Anxiety

[Ambatu]

I have been on 8mg preds for 6 weeks need to reduce to 7mg today. For the last 2 weeks I have had really bad anxiety and feeling really depressed and weepy, there has also been a family crisis which has made it worse. I am really struggling with it and trying to hide it also, any advice would be great thanks

[suzy1959]

I am struggling with anxiety at the moment too! Mostly, I think caused by chronic insomnia, but also possibly the long term effects of pain, medications etc.

I have never had any mental health problems before so this is a bit of a shock.

I don’t have any good advice except to try to be kind to and forgiving of yourself- not always easy!

[Ambatu in reply to suzy1959]

Thankyou

[BlueKiwi]

This is similar to what happened to me during my first session with pred, when I also believed that I had need to reduce and forced this all the way to zero, not knowing any better. I now believe I have a need to survive which overrides a regimen dictated by someone else. In that position again I would raise to 9, not reduce to 7, and seek help from family or others on the basis that your "mood" may well become worse as you continue to reduce. My sympathy.

[Ambatu in reply to BlueKiwi]

Thankyou

[SnazzyD]

Hello, you are on the region of dose where the adrenal glands need to wake up and start making their own natural cortisol to help the body get through physical and mental stresses. The Pred, which is an artificial steroid, has been so high the adrenal glands havent needed to work to get you through the day. Around this level of dose the Pred isn’t high enough to get you through stress and physical challenges but still high enough to suppress the adrenal glands. This can leave feeling tired and emotional. The more stress you have the harder it is, so if you are struggling emotionally your 8mg won’t be enough and 7mg certainly won’t be. Have a read of this, it is really important to know when you are under 10mg,,,, especially about adrenal crisis.

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

Normally the only way to wake up the adrenal glands is by weathering these symptoms in the hope that your adrenal glands will be prompted into action. This can take months. However, it may be that for the time being you shouldn’t be dong this because the emotional stress is too much to be poking the adrenal hornets’ nest.

Are the effects of this crisis likely to be long standing? If so, I would urge you to seek someone to talk to, anyone. I don’t know the circumstances that have made you feel you have to hide it, but I hope you can share the emotional burden in order to help yourself with your physical journey.

[Ambatu in reply to SnazzyD]

Thankyou family issues which cause the most stress

[Jakey67 in reply to SnazzyD]

Thanks for posting these articles I found them very helpful.m

[Magster54 in reply to Jakey67]

Me too. Thank you

[LIVEORDIEHEREIAM in reply to SnazzyD]

SnazzyD, Forgive me if I have been living under a rock and missed previous uses of the term but WOW! "poking the adrenal hornets’ nest" is so very apt! I love it! Thanks!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

SnazzyD has linked info on adrenals and I would agree with what she has said…

..no reducing for time being..you don’t need to reduce, you need to stay put.

a. to give adrenals a change to get their act together, and

b. to help your PMR, any reduction now is likely to cause a flare, if it hasn’t already.

Many of us have been through a family crisis of some sort, so please take all the help you can get, whether that is therapy, physical support from a friend or extra Pred -if necessarily].

Just another thing, when you do feel able to start tapering again, only 0.5mg a time [plain uncoated tablets can be cut] and one of the slower tapering plans we talk about - but not yet.

[Ambatu in reply to DorsetLady]

Thankyou I was thinking of not reducing just yet. I am aware that I could cause a flare

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Ambatu]

Good… you don’t need that on top of else . 🌸

[Ambatu]

Thankyou everyone will look closely at all the advice.

[Magster54 in reply to Ambatu]

Good luck 👍

[Ridge]

I see you are not quite a year into this experience of life on Pred. Do you think the anxiety is caused by the family crisis? Did anxiety start at the same time? If you can unravel that it is useful for deciding what to do. I agree totally that to reduce right now is not a good idea.

If you think that it is the on going family situation which your adrenals are not rising to deal with you could try an extra Pred for a few days and then drop to present dose. I’m not sure what others would say about that but I have found it helps me.

I find the anxiety without reason is Pred. Usually high dose. As you have been on the same dose for a while I would guess you are having adrenal issues caused by crisis. An anxiety with a shadowing doom? A feeling of not being able to cope when you usually do? In that situation I find an extra 1mg of Pred for 3days sorts. I think I’m very sensitive to Pred (a little works) so you may need a couple of mg. A bit like sick day rules but not as aggressive.

Trying to reduce during stressful times is a no no!

[Oshmar]

what excellent replies. Your post coincided with a week of dreadful anxiety for me, on 9mg pred. Thank you for posting and good luck x

[sewinggranny]

I am struggling with stress too, my husband has been in hospital for many weeks and has now been told nothing more can be done. Does your surgery have a counsellor? I have found mine helpful. He has given me a leaflet, which gives suggestions s,uch as Square breathing, breathe in for 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4 and hold for 4 to help with relaxing . Calming music at bedtime, lavender oil, not looking at screens for an hour before bed but reading instead or trying simple meditation have helped me to sleep better. Trying to appreciate little things was hard initially and to make time to relax, to get some fresh air or phone a friend. I've joined a craft group in the village. It's a couple of hours once a week, I can get there on my scooter and they have all been so supportive. I've made new friends. The counsellor told me it's important to have something to look forward to, such as an outing or talking to a friend. It all helps to cope with the stress. Last week I felt able to reduce my steroids for the first time for 5 months from 5.5 to 5mg.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to sewinggranny]

Sorry to hear about your husband and good to hear you are getting support.

Would just say, I wouldn’t be thinking about reducing in your situation, looking back at my records during the 8-9 months my late husband was very ill and finally died I hardly reduced at all… and I was on a dose when my adrenals weren’t having to think about coming into play as well. Take care. 🌸

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to sewinggranny]

Like DL - during my husband's final illness I didn't reduce at all, I had to increase to be able to cope physically as it was during Covid and no help was available. My rhuemy didn't complain and then we worked on getting the dose down once things were calmed down. And if help is available - take all you can get.

[Doraflora]

I would only drop by 0.5 mg when the time is right, and the time isn’t right yet that’s for sure.

As others have said, you may need to up your dose a little for the time being.

Hope things soon improve with your family.

[Viv54]

I was exactly the same on 8mgs , my anxiety hit the roof ! one minute i was ok the next i was in a terrible state. After holding out for 2weeks i upped my dose to 8/12 . After a few days i started to feel so much better. I am now down to 7/12. I found the lower i

got the harder it is, so i now go 7/8 weeks before lowering . It Does the trick for me. Please talk to someone how you our feeling ,i spoke to a friend and ended up sobbing ! But it did my so much good.Sorry about your crisis, but if you can deal with yours first you will be able to cope much better,Best of luck Viv. Ps i should have said i only lower by 0.5 mgs now.

[bde987]

Sorry to read your post Ambutu and all the replies about having to deal with anxiety while on pred. However as always, reading others journey with prednisalone helps me with my own so thank you for posting about what you are currently dealing with. My family have had recent news of a loved one's health which sadly cannot be treated He is only in his early 40's with a young child. While l have coped reasonably well with stress of this, (and have wonderful friends who provide a listening ear,) my body has not. My muscles and joints feel weak and achey especially around my hips and thighs, and horrendous tiredness. I was already having problems moving from 8mgs to 7, but this feels like a whole new level. I def won't go down for a month or two while l feel like this that's for sure. Sending good wishes to all who are struggling for whatever reason just now.

[Ambatu in reply to bde987]

Thankyou. The advice on here is so supportive. We all seem to have our struggles with steroids..

[Italybound62]

I too have been dealing with major family crisises the first starting April (death of my father) which caused my flare in May. I went up by 5mg and then back down within 14 days which helped. But then 2 more major family events since then with one happening right now. I feel like a flare is starting so I upped my prednisone again the other day. . I may do so for a few days.

I also have tremendous anxiety and fatigue

As a new way to cope, I started meditating twice per day when this all started to help with the stress. I do notice that it helps me relax, clears my head, and somehow I feel a bit more energized afterwards.

[Body_bonkers]

Definitely not alone Ambatu. I went into meltdown on 6mg (felt good before) but have bounced back quickly on dose increase if that’s any reassurance. We cannot avoid life stresses and this whole thing looks like mission impossible to me but others have done it and so will we

[Harrywogan]

Know the feeling, hard to sleep xx

[Grammy80]

I just saw this and simply wanted to add my support. You have gotten wonderful advice and know you have caring people around you. Recently, a 'family affair' just broke my heart in two. It was so sad, but I had to look at what I could control (nothing) and who to trust and who I knew I must forgive and move on.......for the sake of my health. No, it isn't easy, I know.My best💞

[Ambatu in reply to Grammy80]

Thankyou for your lovely response x