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How to know if your adrenal glands are working

Posted , 4 users are following.

carol350
carol350

I have had to come off pred more quicker due to very bad water retention as I can not get my shoes on and

Feeling quite poorly I have come down 2 mg a week from 15mg and now on 2 mg should I drop to 1mg for a week ??

How do you know your glands are working okey ??

1 like, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • EileenH
    EileenH carol350

    Posted

    If you aren't feeling ill or excessively tired afer dropping at that rate they are probably working well enough. Really bad fatigue is the first real sign that the adrenals aren't working.

    It isn't clear from you post whether the "feeling quite poorly" is part of the reason for stopping pred or that is how you are feeling now. It also depends on how long you had been on 15mg - if it was just a few weeks it makes it easier.

  • jkprednisolone
    jkprednisolone carol350

    Posted

    That's very quick, 2mg per week.  I come down 1mg per month, and I alternate for 1 month too, e.g. if I'm on 5mg, I'll do a month on 5, then 5mg/4mg for 1 month (alternate days), then a month on 4mg per day.  You may not have given your glands time to start working, but tell your doctor  
  • carol350
    carol350

    Posted

    Eilleen I am always tired due to ME Fibro and Lupus I had really bad pain in my eye sockets and very bad moon face and my legs felt like I had elastic band round them was only on 15 for about 4-5 weeks and my doctor said I could cut them down x

    i am having a week on one and seeing her next week as my worry was I was just getting over multiple lung clots and I have also had dvt I don't think 

    they mixed well with the warfarin X as my levels went to high x

    if I get the trouble with the glands would it just be tired ness please ??

    thankyou JK for your reply as well xx

    • EileenH
      EileenH carol350

      Posted

      No there are other symptoms but I think you would have had them by now. You weren't on pred for very long so it was probably not too bad. Do discuss it with your doctor when you see her next week.

      I've just been back to 15mg pred from 5mg and my INR readings went crazy - but not always too high, it was anything from 1.3 to 5 point something! I'd had no trouble for the last 4 years but we've given up and I've switched to one of the new anticoagulants. Hope it is OK - because otherwise I had no trouble with warfarin at all.

  • rob10979
    rob10979 carol350

    Posted

    I was put on Dexmethasone taper for 2 weeks starting at 20 mil for a virus. After 1 week I was down to 12 mil and wasn't doing good on the Dexmethasone so the doc told me to stop it. I ended up with adrienal crises and was put on this taper. Hydrocortisone 100 mil for 1 day 50 mil for 1 day and 25 mil for 1 day then presidone-50 mil for2 days 40 mil for 2 days 30 mill for 2 days-20 mil for 2 days-10 mil 2 days 7.5 mil for 3 days and 5 mil for 1 day. Today is the first day of not taking presidone and I have so much energy. I do have some confusion which iv had since I started the presidone. I'm scared of going back into adrienal crises. Is having this energy after stoping normal?
    • EileenH
      EileenH rob10979

      Posted

      Is it normal? I doubt anyone here could really answer that question rob - you were on it for a short time and we are on pred for a very long time (years) so reduce very slowly plus we have an illness that makes us very tired anyway!

      However - fatigue is one of the side effects of corticosteroids so stopping taking them is very likely to leave you feeling better.

    • EileenH
      EileenH

      Posted

      Ooops - thought I was on the other forum! Sorry - there probably will be someone who can answer you. Confusion - or brain fog - is also very usual when you take pred. 
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