Adrenal glands?
Posted , 13 users are following.
Hello, I have had PMR for 3 years 5 months. Started on the usual high dose which worked in hours. Gradually reduced and apart from three flares, managed to reduce using the dead slow method to 5mg per day back in June. I have suffered with fatigue previously and have had my B12 checked and all ok. Back in June I had a horrible two weeks of severe nausea and awful dizziness, the only way of helping was lying very still. GP diagnosed labrynthitis and prescribed meds which made me feel worse so stopped those. Anyway after 2 weeks, things eased. Unfortunately the nausea returned, so horrible, as did the dizziness. Lots of investigations, ENT specialist confirmed no problems with ears and suggested none of the meds prescribed would help. GP still at a loss. In November, I picked up a couple of viruses and during that time, the nausea eased. The nausea came back but much shorter bursts (at the moment !) the dizziness and extreme fatigue however are worse than ever.
I am now down to 2/2.5 per day, very little or no pain. Is it possible that my adrenal glands are still not back to normal? I did presume it was at 6 or 7mg that your own adrenal glands should kick back in after being on hold so is it at all feasible that mine are "on hold" and possibly causing these symptoms?
Thanks
0 likes, 7 replies
EileenH floramac
Posted
It is possible, yes. They don't just suddenly kick in, it is a work in progress as the pred dose is reduced - and it isn't just the production process that has to return. It is a complex feedback set-up involving several hormones and organs - and it all has to be in balance before it works perfectly and reliably. In the meantime it can swing around a bit - like the circular cone-like swings in the playpark, that look like a clown's hat and are suspended from the top of the cone. Several children sit or stand on the base and get it to swing around - and each time a child leaves or joins the way it swings changes and has to settle down again. The same here - remove a bit of pred, and everything else has to wriggle a bit.
floramac EileenH
Posted
Would you suggest it is worth having a synchathen test?
EileenH floramac
Posted
It might be - you are at an ideal dose. All it will tell you is if your adrenal glands are CAPABLE of working, not that they are doing so efficiently, But that is one question out of the way!
erika59785 floramac
Posted
You can be tested for adrenal insufficiency.
cindy63197 floramac
Posted
Thank god I'm past the PMR for a couple years. When I had it though, and was on pred, I felt a bit dizzy quite often. I suspected it was the pred or the slow withdrawl from it causing the problem. Once since then for different reasons I took it for a few days, and when I withdrew from it, I also felt dizzy and a bit shaky. I didn't feel nauseous, but wanted to eat more than usual. Pred seems to enhance my appetite.
Twopies cindy63197
Posted
im just going down to 5; doesnt get much easier, does it? sometimes i feel woozy, lightheaded, drunk. doesnt last long but totally worrisome. i always blame it on diet, but in my heart i know its the pred. and im sweating too. so unlike me.
EileenH Twopies
Posted
For many people a return of sweating as they go down can be either a sign the dose is barely holding the inflammation - it's a sign of a flare for me - or it is a sign the adrenal function is not keeping up with the reduction.