Will my skin & hair go back to "Normal"?
Posted , 9 users are following.
I started 40mg pred in Nov., then down to 30mg, tapering and now down to 10 & 5 alternate days. I cut and bruise without even realizing it, had an infection and lesion is still being treated. My question to you experienced PMRers, will myi skin go back to normal eventually, or is this now a permanent condition which I've been told by 2 medical people, but I don't want to believe it.
Next question is that I can't do anything decent with mhy hair, it frizzes up, seems to curl more, no body. I have to wear a wig when I go to a special occasion in order to look decent. Will this improve?
Next question is that since I started with the pred. treatment I have never had a recurrance of the pain and terrible stiffness I suffered before the dx. It does seem that most of you on this site do have painful occurances. I am wondering if there is anyone on this site like me who have not suffered (yet) while taking the pred.??? I do suffer fatigue, and my muscles are much weaker, little energy. Elinor
1 like, 18 replies
kathy67492 Elijo
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Elijo kathy67492
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FlipDover_Aust Elijo
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From what I understand (from my rheumy) your healing rate will improve, but your skin will remain 'thin'.... I have an old ladies hands and I'm only 52 - he said that won't change. But I'm healing better now my dose has come down.
I love that my hair now 'frizzes'! it's the first time in my life I've had 'curls' lol Yes, it will improve once your'e off the pred!
The muscle weakness is probably from the pred. Fatigue is never helped by pred - it does nothing. You are still on a decent dose so that might explain why you've been lucky enough to get no return of PMR pain. I am very surprised at the 10/5 alterating dose. Who told you to do it that way? I personally believe you could be heading for trouble if you don't slow your taper down - and fast!
dan38655 FlipDover_Aust
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My fatigue was at an absolute worst point when the initial test-dose of pred was stopped after two weeks at 20mg, and I even developed a fever, but even at lower and very low doses it has been the level of fatigue that was/is one of the main things that always prevented me from reducing my dosage further.
Alternating doses are interesting in their effect. I was even alternating between 5mg and 0mg at one point, and I did notice a dramatic sensitivity to pred on the days that I took it. This was good and bad, as there was a weird feeling I got when I took it that seemed to make me feel warm and perhaps agitated in some uncomfortable way.
But on the 5mg days the dosage had a longer-lasting effect, seems that the body had become much more reactive to the pred as a result of the day off, so I was able to soon change back to a daily dose but at a much lower dosage of 3.5mg instead of the initial 5mg/day.
My next reduction to 2mg was effected by splitting dosage and taking these in the evening at 6pm and 11pm, and I have recently been able to drop that to .5mg at 6pm and 1mg at 11pm, once my fatigue and pain symptoms (and sleep disruption) had leveled off.
For any big steps in dosage, even if it is just the even-number days that use a reduced dosage, be prepared to adjust dosage quickly in response to any flaring up of symptoms. Such adjustments can help bridge any change in dosage with just a couple of days of a slighty-boosted dosage. Certainly the doctor cannot call all the shots as far as an individual patient's need for such real-time adjustments!
FlipDover_Aust dan38655
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do you think the fatigue was caused by the lack of pred or your adrenals not being able to pick up the slack?
Elijo FlipDover_Aust
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tina-uk_cwall Elijo
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Elijo tina-uk_cwall
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Bergey Elijo
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i am nearing the end of my "second round" of prednisone within 17 months and am presently at 5 mg. My Rheum. has me decreasing 2.5 mg each month. Like you, my pain, stiffness and fatigue was rapidly eleviated upon starting Prednisone, with no obvious reoccurrences during the course of taking it. Last summer, when I last tapered to 0, I was fine for about 6 weeks, then had what I realize now was a three day "flare up", which incidentally coincided with the extreme stress of a family emergency. The symptoms gradually returned over the next two months to their full fury, so I was started on 15 mg. I do not know if my healthy eating and very active lifestyle ( play Pickleball, bike, walk and swim 1-2 hours every day) has any bearing on my having felt well while on the prednisone. Of course I have gotten the typical prednisone side affects which I call "feeling like a hampster running on his cage wheel" or worse, the aggravating anxious feelings that come upon you. Yes, skin thinner , cut and bleed easily. After reading these blogs, I will be speaking to my Rheum. about really slowing down my Pred. From this point on and suggest the DSAS routine to him, instead of his suggested decrease to 2.5 mg for 4 weeks then stop.
Anhaga Bergey
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Bergey Anhaga
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Elijo Bergey
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mphooey Elijo
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I am on 5 mg pred now, as well as methotrexate and humira. Can you embrace the curly hair?
Elijo mphooey
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Anhaga Elijo
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Anhaga
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Elijo Anhaga
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Anhaga Elijo
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