Small dose of steroid?

[Funnygembunni]

Will have a full panel of new labs drawn yesterday.  Having a severe flare up so u insisted everything from TPO, vitamin levels and inflammation levels drawn. Will post when I get them.  My doctor mentioned possibly using a lose dose of prednisone soon. I'm fearful. Anyone ever try this? 

[shaws Administrator]

Before doc prescribes prednisone he should ascertain what is causing your painful condition.

If it is due to being hypothyroid it should diminish when you are on thyroid hormone replacements, although dose has to be increased gradually. For another reason prednisone might be appropriate but not for fibromyalgia. Just in case for info:

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[Funnygembunni in reply to shaws]

Thank you! I'm one of the strange hoshimotos sufferers without any chronic pain. I have the strangest symptoms but I'm on 30mg of Armour for about 4 months now. Was feeling a bit better but had a flare start about 4 days ago.  Don't like when things get worse so went to endo and requested full panel and that he check for everything. I've lost 30 pounds recently which started before I was even treated with medication.  It slowed down but I seem to be the only one who has dizziness and weight loss along with the other usual symptoms.  Hopefully my labs can tell me something 

[shaws Administrator in reply to Funnygembunni]

There's no thyroid history in your Profile but I know you state you have hashimotos.

I am surprised that your dose of NDT is so low, i.e. 30mg of Armour. I assume that's half of one grain? 1 gr (60 or 65 depending on the NDT) is around 100 mcg of levo so in effect your dose is equivalent to 50mcg of levo which is usually a starting dose.

As far as I have read about NDT you start with a dose and increase every 2 weeks by either 1/4 or 1/2 tablet until your symptoms are relieved and you feel better.

Too low a dose can backfire a bit and we can feel worse.

I don't understand why he's prescribing predisone.

[Funnygembunni in reply to shaws]

I actually was prescribed only 15mg of Armour but increased my dosage myself because while my doctor listens by starting me on such a low dose I knew he was only shooting in the dark. I increased it based on this forums advice and am contemplating increasing it again myself to see if I feel any better. One of the main reasons I haven't yet is because I've been losing so much weight and I worry I'm hyper now

[shaws Administrator in reply to Funnygembunni]

15mcg of Armour tablet is very low indeed - about equal to 25mcg of levo so am not surprised you raised it. Losing weight when on a decent dose of hormones isn't unusual.

To be hyper I believe you'd have a fast pulse and feel quite hot and feel quite unwell. When on an optimum dose you should feel normal, pulse back to what was your normal and temp to normal too.

When hypo we usually have a low temp and low pulse and as our meds increase so do these.

p.s. even if temp/pulse rises - temp may not come completely back to normal but we feel good.