Posted , 3 users are following.
Hey,
I have secondary adrenal insufficiency (low cortisol but not Addisons) and being on 7.5mg prednisolone is making me feeling more tired than i was without medication. Anyone else have that problem?
0 likes, 9 replies
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debie1966 Kezzaman
Posted
Hi. I too have secondary adrenal insufficiency. I know if we are taking too much steroid, or not enough, it can make us tired. I've also learned that a level of fatigue is common with this illness. I take hydrocortisone instead of prednisone and I've had to play around with my dosage and times.
Kezzaman debie1966
Posted
Being on hydrocortison has there been times when you felt worse than you did before you started taking hydrocortison? Right now im feeling all the symptoms of low cortisol but amplyfied
debie1966 Kezzaman
Posted
I feel better then before starting the HC (hydrocortisone) but I still have problems. I have several other medical issues though so it's hard for me to separate the symptoms.
Prednisone is long lasting whereas HC is not. I believe my doctor said 20mg of HC equates to about 6mg of prednisone. I take my HC as follows:
08:00 10mg
12:00 5mg
16:00 5mg
There are times I stretch it out further and turn one of the 5mg into (2) 2.5mg doses.
I know if your dosage of prednisone is to strong or to weak, it can make all symptoms worse.
Since you do have adrenal insufficiency, even if secondary, don't stop your prednisone. I'm sure you already know that though!
You may need a slight bump, or decreas, in your steroid.... or you may talk with your endo about trying HC. Just from what you've said, it seems like maybe you're not getting enough steroid replacement, causing you to feel the low cortisol symptoms.
Have they checked your other hormones generated by the pituitary? Also, your vitamin levels .. like D, B12 and Calcium? Sodium?
Just some thoughts ... but I'm no expert! 🙂
Deb
hanny32508 Kezzaman
Posted
I'm taking a small amount of cortisol every day as well, but not prednisone. So I don't know about that. However, if the dosage is slightly off - too much or too little - it gives problems. For me it is often strange headaches, louder ringing in my ears, fuzzyness in my head, all making it very hard to concentrate on anything much.
?Question: Do you happen to have a thyroid problem as well?
Kezzaman hanny32508
Posted
What type of steroid do you take, and what dosage?
Thx for the reply.
hanny32508 Kezzaman
Posted
The hydrocortisol I'm taking is called Cortef - 5mg in the morning and 5mg at lunch time. Just recently my doctor thought it should be increased. But that worked out very bad. My head went spinning.
I don't take a steroid for the adrenal glands.
hanny32508
Posted
debie1966 hanny32508
Posted
The cortef is for the adrenal glands. It is what our adrenals should be producing ok their own. If you don't take Cortef for your adrenals, what do you take it for?
hanny32508 debie1966
Posted