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Why stress?

Posted , 11 users are following.

Padada
Padada

  I had been tapering from 13 mg. to 12.5 and actually feeling less pain and fatigue for about one week - yea.  Then my husband had two emergency health issues in less than 2 weeks which caused me great distress (emphasis on the stress). 

Yesterday, out of the blue, I started to get severe pain back in my neck, upper back and shoulders - I haven't had that severe amount of pain since this PMR started last November.  There is no reason that i can think of for the increased pain except the added stress and worry about my husband's condition.

Why does stress cause increased pain?  I really would like to know the scientific reason if there is one. .  the concepty just boggles my mind.

Today I increased my prednisone dose by 1 mg, and that took me back to where the pain was under control, more or less; and my pain has already diminished.  I probably should stay at this higher dose for at least a week - Yes?  Thanks for any comments.

1 like, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • FlipDover_Aust
    FlipDover_Aust Padada

    Posted

    Stress will do it!

    Try searching for 'stress' and 'autoimmune' - there's plenty of info out there.

    There's a fairly simple one if you search for "Could Stress Be Causing Your Autoimmune Disease To Get Worse?"

    Personally I'd stay at the higher dose for a couple of weeks and drop by no more than .5mg a week after that. Maybe even go up to 15mg for a week to knock it on the head?

    What does everyone else think?

    • lodgerUK_NE
      lodgerUK_NE FlipDover_Aust

      Posted

      I have sent you a PM with a link to an article written by a patient in words called 'Steroids and What they do'

      It was written and checked by the watchful eye of a Lead Pharmacist who worked in the local hospital and was helping us to understand the process of  'flight or fight'. 

      Let us know what you think of it please.

       

  • EileenH
    EileenH Padada

    Posted

    When you are under stress your body sends out messages to the adrenals to produce more hormones to help deal with the effects of the stress on your body - but when we are taking pred this whole feedback system is out of kilter so they don't respond in the same way. I can't explain it here, it is far too complicated! However - the pred is having to do more than just kill the inflammation and it often results in increased PMR pain and stiffness. 

    We say all the time to try to avoid stress of all sorts when you have PMR or GCA - but obviously there are occasions when you can't. When you take pred you are told to tell healthcare professionals about it if you need their services - in an accident, for operations, in infections - because you may need a higher dose for a short time to compensate for the adrenal glands not being able to do their job fully. In something like emotional stress you may also need a bit more - as you have found - but more often than not you don't think about it at the time.

    There is also the fact that our natural response to stress of any sort to to tense our muscles - especially shoulders and neck. If you tense muscle it has a similar result to doing other exercise - it is called isometric muscle contraction. So you can have pain in those muscles just as if you had been carrying something heavy - something I find always happens even now: if I take a heavy bag down to the car I know I will feel it the next day. So that is another possible cause of the returned pain in that area.

    • EileenH
      EileenH

      Posted

      Ooops - difficult to say how long you will need that extra 1mg. You could try going back down after a few days and see what happens. It depends to some extent whether your husband's condition has improved enough for you not to be stressed by it.

      Two things in 2 weeks is very unfair - or greedy !wink Tell him to get well soon!

    • LayneTX
      LayneTX EileenH

      Posted

      Yeah, isn't that the truth Eileen!  The slightest stress...I find it even MORE difficult now...that fight or flight response!!! Wow!  And like you said, my shoulders and neck tighten up, I can feel it internally too in those areas...

      ive ve tried deep breathing, but it never works. I did just buy some relaxing CDs.   

      Padada, sending you hugs, stay strong and brave in dealing with your hubby and self, you can do it... 

       

  • lodgerUK_NE
    lodgerUK_NE Padada

    Posted

    I have sent you a PM with a link to an article written by a patient in words called 'Steroids and What they do'

    It was written and checked by the watchful eye of a Lead Pharmacist who worked in the local hospital and was helping us to understand the process of  'flight or fight'. 

    Let us know what you think of it please.

     Oops,  I posted this in reply to flipover by mistake.

    • jan21306
      jan21306 lodgerUK_NE

      Posted

      Hi lodger.  I would be very interested to read the article, I get very stressed, have a lot going on at the moment and have just increased my pred by 2 mg to deal with it.  Would you be able to send it to me also, Iwould  really appreciate it.  
    • EileenH
      EileenH lodgerUK_NE

      Posted

      Step missing!

      When you get to the site there is a blue band across the page with 6 heading - second from the right is Resources. Hover over that with the mouse and a box with Useful Medical Information as an option will appear.

  • LayneTX
    LayneTX Padada

    Posted

    One thought...before going up on drug, perhaps try heating pad and everything you can think of to relax and maybe DISTRACT your mind from your extra stressors...dance to some music at home wink 

    funny, I dream of a place for PMR or other diseases that is just for us to relax, be pampered, beautiful healthy organic foods, all the massages and Bowen we want, perfect temperature, comfortable beds, laughter, ... A vacation for us!  And it would be FREE!  Ha, ha, ha... 

    • constance.de
      constance.de LayneTX

      Posted

      Apart from the FREE you can have all that for a couple of days in a Spa.  

      I go every 8 weeks or so - it's great.  Save up, if you can, and try it.

    • EileenH
      EileenH LayneTX

      Posted

      There is if you have a faith - it's called Heaven! However - generally you have to be dead to get there and there's no return. I'll put up with the PMR for now I think... wink
  • MrsO-UK_Surrey
    MrsO-UK_Surrey Padada

    Posted

    Padada, I can feel your stress, having experienced something similar with my hubby: two serious situations in a short time.  All around the same time as our son had a stroke.  However, unlike you, my PMR/GCA had gone into remission and I had come off steroids by that time, and feel blessed that it didn't return.

    ​I do hope hubby's health problems are treatable and he is soon well again.

    ​Meanwhile, it's good if just a 1mg increase has proved successful, but if it was me, I wouldn't attempt to reduce again until all the stress is over and hubby it 'out-of-the-woods'.  Lots of good luck wishes to you both.

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