The blues....
Posted , 8 users are following.
Hello Lovely Community
After an idiotic mistake in dosaging And a roller coaster of ups and downs, I am back on 10 mg of pred. after a burst to 30 25 20 a month ago, due to return of symptoms , including headaches.
I was able to completely enjoy my daughters wedding on that dose which was a blessing , but now the journey down has been diffucult.
I had consolidated some bottles of pills( really couldn't they color code these? ) and what i thought were 10s were fives so I went from 15 to 7.5 not the 12.5 I thought i was doing.
And I could feel it with return of most symptoms, which is concernig because my dr is talkibg methotrexate if cant get below 7.5
I really dont want to do that.
But my primary concern is the major blues, I can cry at the drop of a hat, short tempered and pretty much lack of interest in anything..
I havent experienced this ever since starting this all in March,
Thinking from all the fast ups and downs?
Also as the last time I got to 5 (short lived) I start to see weight gain
where I always lose at higher doses..
Everything is out of control including this post😱
Thanks. in advance for any thoughts
g
1 like, 22 replies
EileenH gina30088
Posted
At least the wedding was a success! Not all bad then ...
I'm not really surprised you have the blues - your poor body must be whizzing around like a top! I think staying at your current dose until you feel a lot more stable would be a start. And NOT adding in mtx for the moment (or even ever but that is another matter), You haven't been on this journey long and the doctor hasn't really given you a chance to stabilise. Adding another drug to the mix, especially one that may or may not work, would be silly.
Great care is required when consolidating tablets - but I don't really need to tell you that now do I? I don't like tablets that come in bottles anyway - much prefer them in blister packs thank you. Unlike most pred, the version I take is coloured - but the nuances in shade are very minor! The labelling on the original tubs is pretty clear though.
gina30088 EileenH
Posted
I certainly learned my lesson to be more careful..!
I am not going to add any med at this point, if ever.
The one thought was that my adrenals woukd pick uo better on methotrexate while decreasing pred..
I will need to do alot of research if it gets to that.
Plan to hold at ten, prob thru holidays.. Just want this cloud to lift, i know it will...
g
EileenH gina30088
Posted
There is no guarantee you will be able to get to a lower dose of pred because of methotrexate. It is very disputed. My own suspicion is that the patients who do find it helps may have had some degree of inflammatory arthritis as well as PMR - or indeed instead of PMR. I think it may be worth trying - and if it doesn't cause side effects of its own that is fair enough but any trouble and I would say no more.
gina30088 EileenH
Posted
karenjaninaz gina30088
Posted
Sensible Vit D3 doses really helped my moods. I am seldom depressed.
I am a teetotaler so I don't get depressed from alcohol.
Been there, done that.
gina30088 karenjaninaz
Posted
I too have never felt this kind of the blues.
Must be the radical up and down of meds
thanks for response take care g
gina30088 karenjaninaz
Posted
karenjaninaz gina30088
Posted
Some researchers believe the low“normal” levels are too low.
karenjaninaz
Posted
Correction: not a "lamppost" but a lamp. It's called a Sperti Vit D lamp. It has instructions for safe exposure. I use it 3x a week.
gina30088 karenjaninaz
Posted
be well,
Gina
EileenH karenjaninaz
Posted
Though presumably even that doesn't help the person whose skin factory is malfunctioning. Like my husband - out in the sun without suncream all year round and we live at a latitude where making vit D all year is possible. He does have a suntan. But even so his vit D was 7!!! In a more acceptable range after supplements though.
karenjaninaz EileenH
Posted
the only way to know is the blood test and that should be done after about 6 weeks of changing the dose and then about every 6 months when stable.
There is still no consensus as to the ideal blood level.
Toxicity is rare though.
EileenH karenjaninaz
Posted
That's quite right - a light suntan is equivalent to a Factor 12 suncream and even a Factor 8 suncream reduces the amount of vit D made by over 90%. But I defy anyone to live where I do and not tan unless they plaster in Factor 50 all year round!!! Malabsorption is a minor issue with vit D though - since there is very little in our diet, less than 10% of what we require is available via food unless you eat large amounts of oily fish or animal liver (yuk!).
My point was that the light doesn't help the person whose skin isn't making vit D - and by our late 60s we are making a quarter or less of what we were able to make at 20,
linda04580 gina30088
Posted
gina30088 linda04580
Posted