A few questions in the hope I can have an even better understanding.
After getting infection after infection and struggling to get rid, I was diagnosed with stress induced low immune system back in 2016 due to chronic stress in the work place. I recovered after a long period of rest.
Since then my brain (or so i thought) was doing one thing (coping) but my body was not.
Stress and trying to cope with a high stress job does bring on times of accute & chronic stress.
I am wondering if this may have brought on PMR?
Questions:
1) Is it known how much cortisol the adrenals produces in times of chronic stress?
2) If the Adrenals constantly produce high levels of cortisol over a long period of time, is there likely to be any long term damage to the adrenals?
3) How long does it take for chronic stress to wreak havoc on the immune system?
4) Can too little or too much cortisol cause similar problems?
Many thanks👍
Written by
Naim1
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Hello, can I take a step back here and ask if these questions are because your GP was talking about Addison’s as a reason for your crashing after activity? What dose of Pred are you on?
It is well known that prolonged or acute stress can upset the immune system but individual variation is huge. Inflammatory mediators are raised during stress and I suspect that when this is the case for a long time and if your body is predisposed, the immune system starts to attack itself and you get an autoimmune disease. Many many people here have stories of stressful jobs, grief, emotional burdens, doing too much, demanding sports schedules etc etc before the body can’t cope any more. I was no different, having had decades or unrelenting life events, self imposed pressure, workplace stress and illness. The trouble is that we have the capacity to think our way from hearing the warning screams from our body for years. Or, if we do, we tell ourselves it’ll be better when…Just get through today, tomorrow, the week.
Stress can certainly suppress the immune system and also affect it so it becomes deranged as it is in autoimmune disease. But I don't think it is a simple black or white scenario as there are many steps in the entire situation which are likely to be affected and in different ways.
I do believe from all the knowledge i've gained from everyone here, that it's all a balancing act and that balance is different for everyone.
Little tweaks here & there can have a positive or negative outcome.
Much like a plant. You cannot force it to grow, all you can do is water, feed and sunlight. But too much or too little of any can make all the difference between flourish or wilt. 🤔
I believe 100 percent that prolonged stress in work particularly very much contributed to my PMR. I often feel "if i had that time back". But when you're going through it you're kind of on auto pilot. Constantly in high fight or flight mode can only be a disaster.
A lot of people in this group associate the start of their PMR after prolonged periods of stress or major life events, from the posts I have seen. I certainly consider that work stress contributed to my PMR, if not the direct cause. And the first acute episode came right after a very difficult and prolonged divorce. That's why my motto since diagnosis 2 years ago has been "do what makes you happy".
I am sure stress brought PMR/GCA on in my case, I didn't have any of the other factors which contribute to it as far as the general suggestions go. Living with a very domineering (and now very deaf man who refused to wear his hearing aids "just for me") I had always been able to balance things out by spending time doing my own thing with friends and family and being very active and not home much. Along come the pandemic and I was forced to spend far too much time at home with him till I felt I would probably have a nervous breakdown. Instead I was landed with PMR/GCA At 77, I now feel I can't just walk away from an 87 year old ignorant man, mainly for financial reasons but stress still spoils my life even though PMR/GCA is in remission..
Stress is definitely a factor regarding the emergence of PMR. I suffered from workplace PTSD for 7 years causing me to be in an almost constant state of high alert and high cortisol.
When I retired early, got married, moved and started renovating our house (all what I considered “good stress”), it added on top of existing stress. A bad respiratory infection that arose the night before our move (and required a hospital visit), I believe, was the thing that tipped my immune system into overdrive and caused it to start attacking my body. A few days later PMR symptoms emerged.
I was so disappointed and fearful of these new debilitating symptoms, and when I was diagnosed 5 months later I was beyond angry. This was not the retirement I had worked so hard for and planned. It took me months to accept I had an autoimmune condition…..but I learned from it. I was forced to address my health, lifestyle and priorities. Never again will I put my mind and body through such relentless harm.
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